God had brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt and he brought them to the promised land of Canaan. However, instead of going to the land of Canaan and living a righteous life that would be pleasing to God, the people polluted the land with sin and did evil in the sight of God. They served other Gods and totally forgot about the living God who brought them out of bondage to a land of freedom, a land flowing with milk and honey.
So God was angry with his people who had rejected him. He called the little boy Jeremiah to prophesy judgements against his people. The life of the prophet Jeremiah can be found in the book of Jeremiah.
Lessons learned from Jeremiah's calling:
1. Each of us have a purpose to fulfill on this earth, a kingdom assignment from God - As we saw in the book of Jeremiah, God established that he knew Jeremiah before he even existed in his mother's womb. God had already ordained him to prophesy over Isreal. God knows the heart of man. He knew that Israel was going to be unfaithful to him and he already had a plan to punish them for their sinful nature and also to redeem and restore the promised land to them. We serve an awesome, all powerful God who is eternal, a God who was, is and is to come. He spans through eternity and time is no limit to him. He moves and works out of time.
So it is important that we acknowledge that God has an assignment for us and we need to identify and align our works and our lives to fulfil our assignments. The enemy, the adversary wants us to live out of balance by preventing us to live in alignment with God's plan. So we have to be very careful so that we do not fall into this trap.
2. When we come to the realization or revelation of our purpose, we often focus on our limitations - When Jeremiah discovered his purpose/assignment, the first thing that he did was to find all the excuses to justify that he was not the right candidate for the job. He said he was just a little boy and that he cannot speak.
In the same vein, sometimes we think that we are inadequate and insufficient but God does not make mistakes. He knows the very end from the beginning. God only wants to use a vessel that will be obedient and faithful. He does not focus on our capabilities or abilities but instead focuses on our heart, our availability and our faithfulness. If you are not able to perform the task, God will give you the ability to do it. He placed his words in Jeremiah's mouth to speak. All Jeremiah needed to do was to be obedient and trust in God and God would do the rest.
3. God's will for our lives is often opposing to the plans that we want or desire to have for ourselves - Jeremiah would never have imagined that he would have to go to the leaders of his country and prophesy judgements of defeat that would befall his nation. He was a young man who I imagine would have envisioned a normal life for himself. But instead, it was the opposite.
Similarly, when God calls us, we have to move in accordance with our calling. We have to live a life of righteousness, obedience, trusting God whole heartedly irrespective of the consequences and uncertainties.
4. Our existence is not accredited to our parents, it is not by chance that we are given to the family that we have - God told Jeremiah that he knew him ahead of his existence. So it clearly tells us that he was not born to his parents or in his nation by chance. Everything was planned and orchestrated by God. God purposefully placed Jeremiah where he did. He was born in a priestly lineage as an Isrealite.
God knows about everything that happens before it does, he is omniscient. Nothing happens by chance. The fact that you are going through a difficult and uncertain season in your life is enough for you to draw closer to God. He can turn your mess into a message, he can turn your sorrow into joy. Whatever you are going through, God knows about it and has already made plans for you to endure and come out of the situation.
5. The tasks we are given to do often has challenges with it, you will often have a lot of oppositions - Jeremiah did not have an easy assignment. It was one that would come with a lot of opposition, hatred, mockery, suffering and pain. No one wants to hear prophesies of defeat, suffering, punishment and death against them. The leaders hated him for his prophesies. The worst thing about it was the fact that the prophesies would take years to be fulfilled.
Some of us face oppressions too, but do not give up on God. He does not work with our timing but his promises are for sure. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. It's not over till it's over. God will never fail. He is not a man that he should lie. If he said it, it will come to pass. If you are facing sufferings, this too shall pass.
7. God will never give you more than you can handle - The assignment became overbearing for Jeremiah. He was only human and the mockings and ridicule got to him as well. At one point when he was beaten and felt ashamed, he told God that he was not going to speak in his name anymore.
Life gets hard at times to the point that we too want to give up on everything especially when we feel forsaken and feel like God is not listening to us. But the devil is a liar. God is always there, he is just a prayer away. When life gets hard, that is the time when you should be praying more. The fact that God has brought you this far means that he will not leave you, he will bring you to the end. He does not work in our timing but rest assured that his time is the perfect time. Trials and sufferings are not meant to destroy us but instead make us stronger in faith and draw us closer to God. Be not dismayed, God is with you and he will supply every single one of your needs.
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