Wednesday: Reluctant Prophets
Despite the Lord’s assurance that Jeremiah had been divinely chosen for this task, the young man was frightened and didn’t feel up to it. Perhaps knowing the spiritual state of people at the time, which wasn’t good, and knowing what needed to be done, Jeremiah didn’t want the job.
Compare Jeremiah 1:6 with Isaiah 6:5 and Exodus 4:10-15. What common points do all these incidents have?
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None of those men, for whatever reasons, felt up to the task. Perhaps that was a crucial prerequisite for the job of a prophet: a sense of one’s own unworthiness and inability for such a crucial and important task. A spokesman for the Creator? No wonder they all shrank from the task, at least at first.
Notice Jeremiah’s first response after being called. He immediately talked about his inability to speak well, as did Moses. Isaiah, too, in his response, made mention of his mouth, his lips. In all cases, they knew that, whatever else their calling involved, it would involve speaking and communication. They were going to get messages from God and, as such, would be responsible for proclaiming those messages to others. Unlike today, where they could build a Web site or send a text message, this communication would so often have to be face to face. Imagine having to stand before hostile leaders or unruly people and give them sharp words of rebuke and warning? The reluctance of these soon-to-be prophets is understandable.
Read Jeremiah 1:7-10. What is God’s response to Jeremiah? Why should that response hold some hope and promise for us in whatever we believe we have been called by God to do?
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God promised support and perseverance doing His errands despite their rejection, ridicule and persecution but eventually deliverance when the conqueror from the North would destroy Jerusalem, with this assurance it gives;
1). courage despite the enormity and danger of the call;
2). fortitude despite the depressing and rejection of the people to receive the message of warning and call for repentance;
3). reassures the mind and soul that God calls a weak and disadvantaged sinner to deliver divine message
4). It comforts and gives a sense of belonging to the beholder;
5).It not only assures him of his citizenship of Heaven as an Ambassador but also confirms his?her dual role as a citizen of his country and his rights to its nation building and rescue
6). Finally it confirms his/her rights as an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven as well. This is enough motivation and contentment to go forth as commissioned.
The Holy Spirit may use those best who are conscious of their inadequacy at the start, throughout and at the end of ministry for the Lord. Some begin humbly (1 Samuel 15:17) or guardedly and with experience acquire a sense of competence and confidence in self, almost as if qualified by seasoning to represent God or speak for Him. Such course of development reduces the capacity for use and sets up failure.
Moses is described in scripture as the meekest man on the earth, at least in his time (Numbers 12:3). Yet in a weak moment self-assurance overcame him and he exclaimed, “hear now, you rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10) Angered by difficult, complaining and ungrateful people he assumed the role of provider (Numbers 20:2-5).
That which followed, that is the striking of the rock twice contrary to Jehovah’s explicit instruction (Numbers 20:8), kept the Lord’s friend out of the promised land (Numbers 20:11-12). Of course the Redeemer would restore the prophet who stumbled and for whom He had something better than an earthly inheritance (Hebrews 11:16, 40; Jude 1:9).
With confidence firmly anchored in the Rock of Salvation (Psalm 62:2) and maintaining a meek spirit the faithful may remain on the narrow way and enter the Promised Land, the Heavenly Canaan and New Earth (Matthew 5:5)
We have been called like the Prophets, we excuse ourselves like them remember God told Jeremiah that He knew him before he was formed in his mothers womb. It also applies to us Christians we have been called and we give excuses like the prophets did. Let us go out and give good news to people to who do not know him. Amen.
Jeremiah was human just like us, he had doubts about his abilities but not about the LORD. His doubts are recorded to show us that initial doubts are followed with certainty and life long dedication to the calling from the LORD.
I like the contrast of Jeremiah, Moses and Isaiah. Jeremiah thought that he was too young, which tells me that God can use the youth to do His will. Isaiah thought he was not good enough, he had unclean lips, but God can also transform us to do his work. Finally Moses had speech impediment and he was afraid to speak, but what a mighty work he did for the Lord.
God can assign us the tasks or the jobs in terms of preaching reaching out to someone, dispite our status we can manage and preach his words. For God to appoint someone to do the job for sure he knows that you cant fail. We can feel inferior preaching to the highly educated people in the society but God can't fail us when it means his business everything is posible. Moses was a stammer but he managed he delivered Gods work.
we are given the same mandate also to go and preach the gospel snd baptize them in the name of the Father Son And Holy Spirit. However we are stil afraid to take the task like the prophets why are we afraid? Evn though we are assured of God's protection at all times.
Here we see examples of men not reluctant to serve God because they did that well, but they didn't want to be the mouthpiece for God because the spotlight would put them in a position of scrutiny and because of this awesome responsibility they felt unworthy to represent a holy God with their imperfections!!
We must never forget that God chooses us based on what He sees in us! Our view of ourselves when trying to represent Jesus will always revert back to our failures because that's what the enemy does throw our past in our faces ! We must always remember God will never give us a task that He doesn't equip us for!! Surrender totally serve faithfully and allow the Holy Spirit to do what is needful for whomever God directs us to! Like He told Jeremiah don't be afraid of their faces there will be opposition but rest assured there will be acceptance as well! Trust God in all things He truly knows the end results of every situation !!
Those that feel most "qualified" to take part in God's work, seem to be the very ones that God CANNOT use to any large extent. But those that feel their ignorance and their inefficiency are much more employable.
Peter felt confident that he would stand with Jesus no matter what. He seems to have felt pre-eminently qualified to stand as a defender of the faith. But to me it appears this attitude made his failure/fall almost inevitable. Fortunately Peter was not half-hearted (not "lukewarm" in his assertion), and he was recoverable.
Fortunately too, Jonah was not "lukewarm" in his relationship with God. And neither were Moses, Jeremiah, or Isaiah "lukewarm" in their relationships with God.
I enjoys the verse 8 of Jeremiah 1:8 when it says: I am with thee to deliver thee. so first its me the LORD whom he want to deliver he want to walk we me such that I will be like Christ and I will go to the world with Him and the world will know him
All these examples are of men that were not reluctant to obey God, they did that very well, but they were reluctant to be Gods mouthpiece due to their imperfections!! Whenever we are put in the spotlight we're bound to come under scrutiny and that's when our minds always revert back to the things that we've done wrong and feel unworthy to fulfill that calling!! It's noteworthy to remember that God 's view of us is totally different than our own because He looks beyond our faults and sees our potential unlike the enemy who tempts us to do wrong and then points the finger constantly to remind us of our wrongs but if Jesus is willing to forgive and forget why can't we? If we can ever learn to surrender totally and serve faithfully and trust unwaveringly it is then that we will without hesitation say here am I lord send me!! If God chooses us for any task we should just obey after all He is our creator and He does know us better than we'll ever know ourselves!!
How often I've felt the same when given the opportunity to preach His message. But God faithfully helped me and blessed others, in spite of my inadequacies.
The inadequate feelings are the result of being meek and lowly of heart, with no high opinion of self. This calls for faith, and it can only be this way IF we have a right concept of God's character, government and purposes. Anything less than this will unfit anyone for faithful service. We need to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Prov 2:1-5)
Thank God for His infinite wisdom in choosing us for the task because of our imperfections that make us unique for the job at hand. This shortcoming in each of us allows us to complete the task in our special way. Whom God calls He equips, even with imperfections.