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 200

October 06, 2025 • Aneel Aranha • Season 3 • Episode 200

0:00 | 19:47

Discover how faithful obedience to God's Word matters more than grand ambitions through Jeremiah's contrasting examples, Psalm 133's call to unity, and James 3's warning about the tongue's power.

Day 200 – The Word That Would Not Burn

Jeremiah 25, 35, 36, 45
Psalm 133
James 3

We all have ways of tuning out what we'd rather not hear. Maybe we change the subject, scroll past a hard post, or skip a verse that stings. Today we meet a king who took that to the extreme. In Jeremiah 25, after twenty-three years of ignored warnings, God announces seventy years under Babylon. In chapter 35, Jeremiah offers wine to the Rechabites, and they refuse. They're still keeping a command from their ancestor, generations later. If they can honor a human ancestor's words, God asks, why won't His people honor His? Chapter 36 brings the shocking scene. King Jehoiakim sits by a winter fire as Jeremiah's scroll is read. Every few columns, he cuts them off with a knife and throws them into the firepot. So God has Jeremiah dictate it all again, with many similar words added. In chapter 45, God speaks to Baruch, the weary scribe. Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. James warns that envy and selfish ambition bring disorder, while peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. And Psalm 133 celebrates how good and pleasant it is when God's people live in unity. Together, these passages remind us that God's word lasts, and so does quiet faithfulness.

These passages point us to one clear lesson. No one can silence God's word. And the people who carry it best aren't chasing greatness. They're content to serve faithfully, even in the background.

What does this look like once the day begins? Try these three steps.

First, name the ambition that's been quietly shaping your prayers. Maybe it's recognition, a promotion, or influence. Say it out loud to God today, and ask Him to make you content with being faithful.

Second, when tension starts rising in a conversation, pause before you speak. Ask yourself, will my next words sow peace or feed the fire? Then choose peace.

Third, think of a passage you've been quietly cutting out because it makes you uncomfortable. Read it slowly today. Let it say what it says.

As you go through your day, remember this. A scroll can burn, but God's word never will.

Thank you for joining me today. May God give you a contented heart, a peaceful tongue, and a deep trust in His unfailing Word. Until tomorrow, do your part faithfully and leave the greatness to Him.