July 19, 2026 Devo

July 19th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
This is how the LORD responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!” – Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT)
“Who Is Influencing Whom?”

In John 17, in His prayer for us, Jesus asks the Father to help us be “in the world, but not of the world.” That life, as Jeremiah found out, is not easy to live. As Jeremiah acts as God’s spokesperson, he gets rejected, persecuted, and ridiculed. It wasn’t the kind of response he was expecting. Not from the people, and not from God.
I’m sure that Jeremiah believed that, as “the man of God,” people would respect him. Maybe even fear him. But instead, the people turned on him. His ministry among them was like trying to plow in concrete. Their hearts were hardened beyond penetration. Jeremiah was depressed and exhausted.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Jeremiah became disillusioned with God. It seemed as if God had abandoned him. He didn’t feel heard. He didn’t feel protected. Where was the blessing of God? Where was the reward for obedience?
The result was that Jeremiah’s attitude began to become more like the people of Judah. He started to doubt. He started to become angry. Jeremiah began to wonder if this walk of faith was worth it all. Wouldn’t it be easier to just “fit in” and be liked than to keep banging his head against the wall? Jeremiah was beginning to become like the world he was trying to get the people to leave. That’s why we hear God calling him back in our passage today. “You must influence them; do not let them influence you!” This was Jeremiah’s recommissioning. It was a reminder of who he was and what he was called to do.
That’s a powerful word to all of us today. And it’s an important question for us to ask ourselves. Who is influencing whom? God calls us to be salt and light. He calls us to be “friends of sinners” just as He was on this earth. But we are to draw them heavenward, not allow them to draw us more into the world. Let’s not let our attitudes become like theirs. Let’s not let our language, our behavior, or our values become like those we are trying to lead to a higher place. As we go out into the world today, let’s be IN the world, but not OF the world. Let’s make sure we’re influencing them and not them influencing us. That’s God’s Word for you today.