By Reverend J. Loren Russell
Jeremiah 20:9 KJV
“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
In an article published in Readers Digest on February 2, 2022, author Kelly Kuehn says that the phrase “break a leg” actually means “good luck.” The phrase is believed to derive from the superstitious nature of the theater. She says, “performers believed saying ‘good luck’ would actually bring bad luck on stage, so they would tell one another to ‘break a leg’ instead.”
This phrase came to mind when I read Jeremiah 20:9. I thought of the power that is burning in the bones of the prophet Jeremiah. He was given an assignment that was extremely difficult. He was given the task of telling the people that their idolatrous behavior was leading them to severe judgement from God unless they repented. This was a call to evangelism.
He did not like his assignment, but he knew that God’s directive must be honored. The intensity of his message got him branded by the people as a traitor because he told them to submit to Babylon, a nation God appointed to discipline Israel. This label constantly put his life in danger. The chief governor eventually beat, imprisoned, and chained him in the gallows. While in that dark, damp, vermin infested place, he grieved bitterly, saying “never again will I make mention of, or speak anymore in the name of the Lord.” He was quitting!
But Jeremiah had a genuine call of God in his life. He says it was like fire shut up in his bones! The very thing that put Jeremiah in harm’s way was the very thing that would compel him not to quit. The fire that was in his bones was filled with power. By not quitting, Jeremiah would unleash the power that was shut up in his bones.
At the beginning of this new year, if you have been given an assignment by God, I want to encourage you to stay on course and claim the blessings the Lord has for you. The pathway may be difficult, and the people may be resistant, but be obedient. Like Jeremiah, there is fire shut up in your bones just waiting to be released. Let loose the fire and ‘break a leg!’
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of both LaGree Baptist Church and the Evangelical Church of God, all in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096), and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook Live. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on YouTube and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smash words.com/books/view/993177.
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