Jeremiah 1:4-10 The Calling of Jeremiah
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before though camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Those are some powerful words to hear from the emouth of the Lord. It’s something so empowering and freeing when you know that God really does know you.
And not only does He know you, but He has sanctified and ordained you. That means He has a plan, a purpose, and a specific reason for your very existence.
But look at how Jeremiah responds in verse 6:
“Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”
Let’s take a moment and put ourselves in his shoes. Imagine someone of immense importance just told you they have massive plans for you—that you have been handpicked for a monumental assignment. Many of us would react exactly like Jeremiah. We would immediately catalog every single reason why we aren’t qualified. We begin to second-guess and question the task before us, saying, “But Lord, I can’t.”
I can’t because I’m not a good speaker…
I can’t because I don’t like crowds…
I can’t because I’m not old enough…
I can’t because I just stumbled last night…
I can’t because I just got saved…
You can fill in your own blank. But guess what? It is never our own strength, qualities, talents, or gifts that qualify us for God’s work. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us, it is His grace that qualifies us.
In verse 7, the Lord gently corrects Jeremiah: “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.”
All we have to do is rest in the Lord and His grace. He isn’t asking us to be perfect or to have everything figured out; He is simply asking for our obedience. We see why just a few verses later in verse 9: “Behold, I have put MY words in thy mouth.”
Jeremiah didn’t need to panic about what to say because God had already supplied the words. God provides exactly what we need for the assignments He ordains us to carry out.
And look at the sheer scale of what Jeremiah was being called to do in verse 10: “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”
God gave a massive, kingdom-shifting assignment to someone who felt like an unequipped child. If He can do that for Jeremiah, He can do it through you. You don’t have to carry the weight of the calling, you just have to rest in the grace of the One who called you.
🤍 Prayer & Connection 🤍
A Prayer for the Week:
Lord, thank You that my qualifications do not determine my calling—Your grace does. Forgive me for letting fear tell me I am not enough, when Your Word says Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. Help me to stop striving in my own power and to simply rest in Your grace today. Amen.
I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below sharing your favorite takeaway from today’s devotional, or simply leave a “🤍” if you are choosing to rest in His grace today. If this message blessed you, please share it with a friend who might need this reminder, too!
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