Welcome to Nick Stevens, long-time member at Hope Church as well as Chair of the Hope Church Leadership Team. He will share his reflections on the readings from Jeremiah 1-6.
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 1:1-19
OBSERVATION
(ver 1-4) starts out with seemingly trying to give a very clear who, when, and where this is about right from the get go.
(ver 5) God is declaring something ….a truth about God’s already existing relationship with Jeremiah.
(ver 6) is Jer arguing with (challenging) God and offering excuses?
(ver 7) God responds to Jer’s excuses….. maybe with a little irritation in his voice which he quickly relaxes again in verse 8 with words of comfort and guidance.
(ver 9,10) Now, that God has Jer listening with both ears, he gives him his assignment ….as described by Jer himself. You can sense an excitement in how he tells the rest of the story ….the story of how God told him about the task and the details that are part of the task. He feels the anger (power?) of God behind the words (ver16). God tells him what he wants for Jer to do …..even how not to re-act …..with a little threat should he get it wrong.
(ver 18,19) again God reminds Jer of who is behind this message, warns him it will not be easy, and an assurance that the evil will not prevail against him….because God is with him.
APPLICATION:
Is this not a typical sequence of events for us (me) when God asks for us to do something ….we argue and give excuses as if we know better than God. Yet God always shows his love, patience and his kindness when we act this way…..but he still declares his ‘sovereigness’ too in that he does not let us of the hook either.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to argue less and listen more to you.
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Not an ideal job description. “I will protect you as I throw you into the lions den, the pool filled with sharks! I have specifically chosen you be the bearer of judgment, to tell the people that they are spiritual whores!” Think of how long Jeremiah had to do this? I bet you he didn’t receive many dinner invitations. He was probably a lonely guy. Who says that obeying the Lord is easy? It means going against the current, forgiving when everyone else wants revenge. Serving when everyone else wants to be served. Refusing glory when everyone else is demanding it. Saying NO to the things that everyone else is saying YES to.
And yet, if everyone was eating poisonous food, would I feel it a burden or limitation to say NO to joining them? If everyone else was drifting with the current towards Niagara Falls, would I hesitate to warn them? Even if they laughed at me, or mocked me, would I not keep warning them, pleading with them? Not at great job, but certainly an important one!
PRAYER:
Lord, often I forget how serious the plight of the world is, and of how serious my calling to warn people about the dangers of life without God. And often I forget that it is often in the church where people need to hear it most! Remind me that I too am a prophet, a Christ-follower! Amen.
Jeremiah was appointed prophet to the ‘whole world.’ What a challenge! God knows for what purposes He created us but as His people, we always make excuses that we are not able to do the work. Jeremiah did. Moses did. Tony did.
Knowing the will of the Lord in our lives and doing it is our daily task. God doesn’t ask us to go beyond that boundary. We just need to follow the call and go humbly about our tasks because He will supply all our needs. As the Lord gave signs to Jeremiah to help him along the way, so the Lord continues to give signs today for His people to do His will. Signs of encouragement of friends and family, signs of fulfilling physical needs beyond expectations, happiness and joy in doing the daily work, daily peace while walking in His presence, empowering acts to meet the challenges of the day. Thank You, Lord.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.