Passion for Souls

Do you have a passion for souls as Jeremiah did?

“Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for those slain of the daughter of my people!”—Jeremiah 9:1 NASB

Jeremiah was often very emotional. His writings are filled with moments of passion and intense weeping because he cared about the things of God and the souls of His people.

He dedicated his life to serving the Lord, and he shared His compassion. He cared deeply about people. He knew they would experience the consequences of their actions … unless they changed.

It pained Jeremiah to realize what was about to come upon his nation. How he wanted them to repent and return to God! Yet he also felt wounded and even ashamed of the choices they made.

God showed him how readily people lied; truth did not “prevail in the land” (v. 3). People didn’t know God or trust others, and they dealt craftily with each other. Evil and deception were everywhere. Jeremiah wrote that God’s people had “taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing wrongdoing” (v. 5). This realization brought Jeremiah to tears, and he wept openly.

God felt the only option was to “refine them” by punishing them to “avenge” Himself, to shake up their lives and test them—hoping they would change (v. 9).

Today, put God first in your life. Let Him give you a passion for souls—around you and throughout the world. Burn with a desire to bring them the Gospel. May this be your prayer, your commitment, your burden. It’s okay to be emotional when God gives you His heart!

Reflection Question: Whose life can you impact with the Gospel today?