DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: NOVEMBER 11 ENEMIES FROM WITHIN (3) SCRIPTURE: JER. 1: 29; 20: 1-2; 26: 11

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As a last series on this topic, we are looking at the enemies from within amongst colleagues. These colleagues can be co-office workers, business partners, Christian Church workers or even those Christians with same callings into the ministry. Enemies facing mankind from within in the hands of colleagues are usually very dangerous. This comes in form of petitions, revealing of secret documents, mutilations of records against the targeted person etc. Enemies from within hatched by colleagues are seen everywhere. However, this devotional wishes to look into the church, the body of Christ using Prophet Jeremiah as a case study. As will be seen from Prophet Jeremiah’s cases, enemies from within have birthed hate and disaffections amongst Christians. Many were falsely accused of sins of immorality; spiritual disobedience to the church’s constituted authorities as well as financial misappropriations.

Prophet Jeremiah suffered seriously in the hands of enemies from within, amongst his fellow Prophets just to frustrate him. His people he was sent to prophesy to refuse to believe in him: “Yet, they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.” (Jeremiah 17:23, NASB). Jeremiah was not only ignored. He was also mistreated by those to whom he brought God’s message persecuted by those he was trying to guide and save. His own people beat him up and put him in the stocks (Jer. 20: 1 – 2). The Priests who supposed to agree with Jeremiah’s prophecies plotted against him and demanded he should be put to death (Jer. 26: 11). The King of the city burnt the scrolls Jeremiah wrote his prophetic messages (Jer. 36: 23). Jeremiah was dropped into a well of the King’s son that had no water but mud and left there to die (Jer. 38: 6).

As seen in various church history books, the greatest persecutions of the Saints of Christ were Christian leaders who were in authorities. Jesus Christ was crucified by those heading the Temples and the Synagogues, the High Priests of His days. This is being carried on till date. Today’s devotional is to console all who are suffering in the hands of their colleagues. As it has been from the beginning so has it continued! Today, Christians from various denominations are at longer heads with one another. Some passed through government in powers to persecute their “enemies in the faith.” Most often, enemies from within by colleagues are sponsored by those not too outstanding like the best performing ones. Jeremiah was hated because he prophesied the true prophesies of God. Jesus was hated for preaching the true gospel of His Father. The beloved, if your enemies from within are against you because of your excellent performance, then congratulations!

PRAYER:

LORD JESUS, grant me the strength to bear the grudges and persecutions of my colleagues who ganged up against me. I need your kind of courage to stand righteously while doing the works of our Almighty Father here on the earth. Amen.

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch