Scripture in Action

Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his app.

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Scripture in Action

Day 195

September 29, 2025 • Aneel Aranha • Season 3 • Episode 195

0:00 | 17:54

Explore Jeremiah 8-10 and 2 Corinthians 11, discovering how authentic faith distinguishes between true worship and false religion, calling us to stand firm in truth despite opposition.

Day 195 – Weeping for the People

Jeremiah 8–10
2 Corinthians 11

It's easy to love people who are easy to love. The real test comes with the ones who push back, drift away, or won't listen. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet, and today we see why. The harvest is past, he writes, the summer has ended, and we are not saved. Then he takes that grief into himself. Since my people are crushed, I am crushed. Is there no balm in Gilead? He wishes his eyes were a fountain of tears so he could weep day and night. These were the very people who mocked and resisted him. He weeps for them anyway. In chapter 10, he sets lifeless idols beside the Lord, the living God and eternal King. Then he admits, Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul lists what ministry has cost him. Beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, sleepless nights. But his heaviest weight is his daily concern for all the churches. Who is weak, he asks, and I do not feel weak? Together, these passages remind us what it looks like when God's heart starts beating inside a human chest.

What connects these readings is this. The closer we draw to God, the more we feel what he feels for his people. We grieve over their wounds and carry their burdens, instead of criticizing from a safe distance.

How do we carry this into today? Let your nearness to God show up as tenderness toward the people he loves. Here are three ways to do that.

First, think of someone whose choices frustrate you. Maybe they resisted your advice or drifted from faith. Instead of replaying what they did wrong, spend five minutes praying for them today. Ask God to let you feel something of his grief for them.

Second, choose one person in your church or small group who's going through a hard season. Reach out today with a call, a meal, or a message. Ask how they're really doing, and then listen.

Third, before your next decision today, big or small, stop and pray Jeremiah's words. Lord, my life is not my own. Then ask him to direct that step.

As you go through your day, remember this. A heart that's close to God will break for the people God loves.

Thank you for joining me today. May God give you a tender heart, a patient love, and grace for the people who are hardest to love. Until tomorrow, stay close to him and let his heart shape yours.