Jeremiah 26:12-15

"Then Jeremiah said to all of the officials and all the people: `The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has planned against you. As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.'"

What amazes me so much about this passage is that even though Jeremiah knew that they would probably kill him after he gave his prophesy...1. He was not discouraged from proclaiming exactly what God had told him to say and 2. He never tried to justify himself before the people and argue why he did not deserve death. He simply stated the prophesy, warned them that it was from the LORD and that the LORD had sent him there to give it to them, and then left it up to them to decide what they were going to do with him without any fight. His focus never strayed from God and what God had given him to do; he didn't think about his own life, his own comfort, or his own reputation. This immediately reminded me of 1 Peter...

1 Peter 2:19

"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is the conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

`He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.'

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."

As followers of Christ, this is what we need to be doing. We can't be worried about our reputation or comfort and should not expect justice on earth. Instead our hearts need to be fully devoted to Christ and set on wholeheartedly serving Him; everyday taking up our cross and laying down our life for our LORD and Savior. We should never let our focus veer from Christ and to ourselves and justifying ourselves before men. We need to entrust ourselves to The One who judges justly for our hope is in the LORD; he is our strength and our fortress. No matter what is thrown us we can stand firm in the truth because God is the one we look to and seek to glorify. In him and only in him is our joy found!