Be Not Afraid Of Their Faces: For I Am With Thee

I have worked in a place where if there had been an open season on Christians, I would not be writing this. My life was threatened. I was harassed continuously every day. They would pin porno up on the walls of my work area and place cartoons in my desk drawer that mocked God. They would break my belongings. When I would talk to two other Christians in the area they would eavesdrop and then get all upset if we discussed something that might be contrary to their lifestyle or views. Yep, these folks were open-minded all right.

The sad thing is that the whole gang professed faith in one denomination and the ringleader professed to be another. They thought themselves to be Christians. Some pagans would not hang out with this group. In the beginning, when they heard I had been to Bible College, they would ask me questions and I would give them what the Bible said. Well, they did not like the answers to say the least and after that, it was nail the messenger since they could not assail the message. Ah, such tolerance folks practice!

In the end, I would retreat to a caged area, put my headsets on and listen to Christian music as I read my New Testament to drown out the taunts. This was one of those places where there were more workers than workload. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

I went at one point to my supervisor and then to his supervisor, but that was useless. The whole thing lasted fourteen months until I found another job in the area. However, the ringleader had a friend in my new organization and it started over again, though not to the same degree. A year later, I was promoted to another job out of state. I suppose I could apply for PTSD benefits due to that experience, but I learned a lot from it. As each day goes by, it will become a put up or shut up situation. Christians will live their faith and speak their faith or lose their freedom to do so. Be not afraid of their faces!

Through all that, I survived and the thrust of this text seems to indicate that we will be delivered alive. God does not usually send His people on Kamikaze missions. True, many of the prophets came to what we might call an untimely end, but this was often after a long life. God wants us to grow in our knowledge and trust of Him. This does take time and often He starts us out on small missions. As we grow in faith and faithfulness, He moves us on to bigger missions. He wants our love and to fellowship with us. We often fear the faces of others because we fear the face of our own Father in Heaven. How do you take an unpopular message to a hostile audience when you are unsure of the love of the One who sent you? Trust him!!! He is able to deliver and He will deliver you out of the hands of His enemies.

Here again in verse 9, He tells Jeremiah that He will give him the words to say. Jeremiah is required to be faithful and obedient. He does not have to have proper elocution or the wisdom of man. He just needs to lean on God and God will handle the situation. You have an even greater advantage than Jeremiah. The Book has been written. Christ has arisen. The Holy Spirit dwells within you. I believe He will do the same and more for you than He did for Jeremiah. We have been given some great promises. Claim them!!