Today we move on to Jeremiah and this book starts with a bang. Jeremiah is chosen by God to be a messenger of truth. God makes it clear: “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you”. Was Jeremiah special? Absolutely – created in God’s image for a specific purpose. But wait, so were you and I. God shaped us in the womb. He knew all about us. Before we saw the light of day, He had plans for us that are unique and important in His world. We are God’s creation and have a job to do for Him. We are not on this planet to take up space and breathe the air around us. We have a purpose.
I love how God empowers Jeremiah in his fear. Jeremiah says “I’m only a boy” and God say “so”. Catch the power God has for Jeremiah: “I’ll tell you where to go…..I’ll tell you what to say…..I’ll be right there….I’ve given you a job to do”. God is not sending Jeremiah out on his own to figure it out. God has a plan, and He will enable Jeremiah’s success. The only catch – Jeremiah has to listen and obey. God gives a couple visions of what is to come with a “walking stick” and a “boiling pot”. He has some pretty intense work lined up for Jeremiah.
But at the end of the day, it boils down to these instructions from God: “Stand up and say your piece. Say exactly what I tell you to say”. It all comes down to obedience. Funny how that seems to be the defining moment for most things from God. We have to listen and act based on what He tells us. But it is in the taking action that we align with the Father and get His work done. The cincher: “I’ll back you up every inch of the way”. What a promise from God. He spoke it to Jeremiah but it holds true for us today. If we walk in obedience to the Father, we cannot fail. If we speak His truth and spread His love, we will achieve His will. We need to recognize we are created by Him for a purpose, find that and then live it. Life matters – we need to get after it.
Posted by asorensen 
