The prophet Jeremiah of the Old Testament is often referred to as “the prophet of doom and the prophet of restoration.” God called Jeremiah and commissioned him at a young age. Jeremiah was often characterized by his anguish, so often that he is sometimes referred to by scholars as the “weeping prophet.” However, because of his clear and unquestionable divine calling and the Lord’s constant reaffirmation of his commissioning, Jeremiah was fearless and served the Lord wholeheartedly!
Pay close attention to a portion of God’s call and commission to Jeremiah:
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth; Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,’ declares the Lord. Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, ‘Behold I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms; To pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.’” Jeremiah 1:7-10
If the Lord has called you to be one of His children, He has called and commissioned you to be a disciple of Jesus. He has called you to Himself to do the many works He has prepared for you before you were even born (see Ephesians 2:10). Jeremiah was a great example for us in our high calling as disciples of Christ. We are never to use the excuse “I am too young” or “I just don’t know enough” or “I just don’t have the experience” to keep us from the work of the Lord. Neither youth nor inexperience disqualifies us to do His great work or speak His amazing truths to others. The Lord has commissioned YOU and therefore will sustain you and equip you with everything you need to the job He has called you to do. Your confidence and self esteem MUST abide in the Lord your God alone! You have not been called to live in fear of your high commissioning because God, who has brought you right to the place you are now, will deliver you from the hand of evil and of this world. He does not promise, however, that you will not face persecution or difficult times (He actually tells us the opposite in John 16:33 and elsewhere in the New Testament), but that He will be with you and deliver you in those challenging times. Then in Jeremiah 1:9, the Lord tells Jeremiah He will even give him the words to speak! Wow! And He has likewise given us the Holy Spirit so that we may know what to speak in times of uncertainty!
So now I ask, “Are you doing the job that God has put you on this earth to do? Are you living the life He has called and commissioned you for? Or are you hiding behind a veil of fear and uncertainty?
My prayer for you this week comes from Ephesians 1:17-19
“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe…”
