Call Their Bluff!

“Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded [him] to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.  Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.” (Jer 26:8,9 AV) Then Jeremiah said…  “As for me, behold, I [am] in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears. Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man [is] not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” (Jer 26:14-16 AV)

Sometimes all it takes is calling the Devil’s bluff!  Big words, no action!  The people, priests, and prophets tried to intimidate the man of God into silence.  All he did was tell them it wouldn’t change his calling!  If there were going to kill him, they were going to kill him!  He wasn’t daring them to kill him.  He was simply accepting it as a possibility and that if he was, he had a clear conscience.  If they were going to kill him, he could face the LORD knowing he did his job.  They would be the ones to have to account to the LORD for the murder of His prophet.

We give up way to easy!  We compromise way too soon!  I say we do what we should do and suffer whatever consequences may come our way!  If the devil threatens our liberty or life, so be it.  He was going to take it anyway. Better we stand and call his bluff.  If he is bluffing, we might just get him to back off.  The world is the same.  Sue us! What can you possibly do.  The only reason the world persecutes the believer is because it gains it something.  If there is no gain, then it stops.

Time to grow a bit of a backbone!  Time to call the bluff!  Time to say we are not afraid to suffer for the cause of Christ!  Time to say that eternity, and not the world, is the final say in all that matters!