- Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9 – Starting this new book together we see the powerful call of the Lord on young Jeremiah’s life. As this time he was likely in his late teens to early twenties, living the land of Judah that had woefully turned away from the Lord. God chose Jeremiah as his mouthpiece by putting His own words in the mouth of Jeremiah to speak to this wayward nation. As we see though in the chapter, Jeremiah thought himself too young and too inexperienced for such a calling. In scripture we see the Lord select individuals for His work that we may not have chosen. God chose David, a teenage shepherd that even his family didn’t see as amounting to anything, to be His king of Israel. God chose Paul, enemy number one of the Chrisitan church, to be His chosen instrument to declare His Gospel. God chose unlearned fisherman and even a tax collector to be His close disciples and to be the Apostles of His church. While unlikely and choices we may not have made, it’s clear God knew what He was doing in calling these individuals. While you may then look at your calling as God making a mistake due to all the “disqualifiers” in your life, know He has made no mistake. God was fully aware of all the things you believe should disqualify you from being a part of His work, yet knowing all that, He still chose you. Knowing all that Jesus still chose to die on the cross and rise again so that you could step into the Father’s work of declaring His good news. If you have chosen to follow Jesus, then God had put His words within your mouth and His Spirit within your life. Go and fulfill the purpose He has for you knowing you were chosen for this. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3230
- Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Jeremiah 1:6-7 – You’re never going to give God a good enough excuse to get you out of the mission He’s called you to. Jeremiah is looking at the mission and sees himself too young to be given such a task. God though doesn’t see him that way and God also gives him all he needs to do the mission as well. Keep this in mind, if God says you’re able to do something, you’re able enough to do it. And whatever you lack God will provide. Like we see in verse 18, God will be the one making us able and strong. So your role is to follow His lead and do what He says. This is our calling in life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 920
- But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. Jeremiah 1:17 – The King James Version begins the verse by saying “gird up thy loins.” Due to the longer garments worn by men of the day, in order to do any sort of active work they would have to bundle up the fabric and tie off so they move more freely. In today’s world imagine someone playing a game and things are getting serious so they take off their jacket and tighten their shoelaces tight so they can go just that much harder at the game. This is what God is saying to Jeremiah. God has prepared him, God had given him his mission, so now it’s time to take off the jacket and tighten those laces and get after what I told you to do. While our mission isn’t to speak to the nation of Judah and to the kingdoms of Jeremiah’s day, we do have a mission. God has prepared us to share the gospel and He’s told us who to share it too…everyone. So, let’s take off the jacket and tighten those laces. Let’s gird up our loins. Let’s get after the work we’ve been called to. I love you, Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2133
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