Many of us remember the Watergate scandal which resulted in the downfall and eventual resignation of President Nixon. One of his closet advisors was Chuck Colson who was known as Nixon’s ‘hatchet-man’ and who described himself as a ‘young ambitious political kingmaker.’ After pleading guilty to the Watergate coverup scandal, he was sent to prison and, while there, encountered Jesus. After being released, he established Prison Fellowship and was directly or indirectly responsible for leading thousands to Christ. He was once heard to say, ‘I was ambitious and I am ambitious today, but I hope it is not for Chuck Colson. But I am ambitious for Christ.’ Ultimately, there are only two controlling ambitions: one is for our own glory and the other is for God’s glory.


We need to make our relationship with God our number one priority. This relationship is based on the many ways we experience God’s help and gives us the ambition to ‘walk before the Lord’ as the psalmist declares in Psalm 116:9. He also reminds us that, as we walk before the Lord, he hears our cry for mercy (v.1.), he saves us when we are in great need (v. 6) and he delivers our souls from death and our feet from stumbling (v.8).


Jeremiah was one of the most ambitious prophets to speak God’s words. In today’s Old Testament reading, Jeremiah 4:10-5:31, the Lord speaks through Jeremiah and says, ‘For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are scottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.’ (4:22). Jeremiah even turns to the leaders believing they will surely know the way of the Lord. But they, like the people, ‘refused to receive correction’ (5:3c) because their ambitions were focused on the false gods of money, sex and power.


God calls Jeremiah to a new level of powerful speaking when he says, ‘Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire.’ (5:14a). We too can have this experience of speaking God’s powerful life-changing words. May our Godly ambition be to speak words like fire to those who need to receive the saving grace of knowing Christ Jesus as their Savior.