Jeremiah 1:4-10
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:4-10 (NIV)
Wow!
There certainly is a lot going on in this passage. And several things that would raise doubts for us in today’s world if we were placed in a similar situation.
First, God tells Jeremiah to go to everyone He sends him to and to do and say whatever He commands. And He tells Jeremiah not to be afraid because He is with Jeremiah and has Jeremiah’s back. In any context, the “ask” of Jeremiah is no small undertaking. God tells Jeremiah that he is appointed “over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” This is certainly not a task for a novice and a very big undertaking in Jeremiah’s time. Is this a task we would want to be told by someone else out of the blue to lead and be responsible for? I highly doubt it. We would want the opportunity to choose this path for ourselves (if the circumstances were right for us or generated a significant benefit for us) or opt out if we thought it was too dangerous or involved too much effort for the perceived benefit. We would want things on our terms.
Secondly, God tells Jeremiah that He has (and most likely will continue to) put words in his mouth. Without elaborating, none of us like to have anyone put words in our mouths. We want our words to be our own. And we also want to control when and to whom we speak. Again, we want things on our terms.
The question remains, however, as to how we should view this passage. What is expected of us? We know what Jeremiah did. He put God first. God called and Jeremiah responded with action, regardless of the magnitude of the “ask”.
I realize that God may not approach any of us in the same way that He approached Jeremiah, and that He may not have the same magnitude of an “ask”. But, as Christians, we should be prepared to respond if, and when, God or the Holy Spirit calls us. And we should be prepared to act; no matter what we are asked to do, say or become involved in. Even if the “ask” is not something specific, we are called as Christians to love God and love others, to serve one another, and to walk with our brothers and sisters in need. And in today’s world, that may not be an easy “ask”.
So how will you respond when you are called? Will you question the magnitude of the “ask”? Will you put God first?
I already know my answer.
(And don’t forget that it is God doing the “asking”.)
Thanks be to God!
Questions for Reflection:
- How will you respond when God calls you to action?
- Will you question the magnitude of the “ask”?
- Will you enter a situation or take the role of a bystander?
- Has the Holy Spirit spurred you to act when you are on the sidelines?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help us to look to you for the guidance, inspiration, love and hope that we seek. Help us as well to truly appreciate your gifts of love, grace and your Son Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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