He was somewhere between thirteen and sixteen years of age. Born in a priestly family, his father was proud to see him carrying on the priestly duties, which had been designated to their family for generations.
Not being aware he would be faced with the challenge to rise above the norm and deal with situations, which would bring his own people against him, had not come to his mind. After all, he was proud of the heritage and the traditions of his culture. Was there not the possibility he might be chosen some day to take over the priesthood as a leader of his people? Who could desire anything more? The roadmap of his life had been mapped out.
- If someone had told him a change was about to take place in his life, he would not have believed him.
- If someone had said he would renounce family traditions and turn away from the rituals he loved, he would have proclaimed the person as insane.
- If someone had told him his inheritance would change over into the hands of another, he would have laughed at the absurdity of the man who dared speak to him in such a way about such things.
He was in the temple when it happened. The day had started like any other day. There was no forewarning, no blowing of the trumpet, and no loud cry of a siren. The voice he heard crashed suddenly, uninvited and unwelcomed into his consciousness and revealed himself in his surrounding.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
Before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.[1]
What would you have done if those words had sprung up in your consciousness? Would you have taken the time to stop, and think, and consider the source, or would you have flooded the room with noise to block out the voice?
The young man stuttered, not sure of himself. He knew who it was. He had heard enough about him, but he knew he had not made any appearances among his people for some time. Why now? And why me? He thought and he mumbled to himself,
- What did he say?
- Am I being challenged to step outside of my small circle, and do something which surpasses my own capabilities?
- Can He not see that I am too young?
The excuses came quickly and easily from his lips. I have deficits, LORD. My speech is impaired, and besides, I am much too young. Choose someone else.
But the rebuttal came just as fast. Do not say I am only a child. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them for I am with you and will rescue you.[2]
The mysterious ways of God are baffling to many people. That He has a plan for every individual is a fact that reveals itself, after the individual has put on the cloak of unconditional obedience and surrender, which are the keys that open the door to your best life.
This is the hardest decision of any person who decides to walk the Christian journey. The difficulty lies, in not knowing what will happen, before you say YES. God does not paint you a picture or give you a roadmap and say now at this point you must do that. No ––– He accompanies you on the entire journey and only gives you the information you need at the time you need it. You are no longer in control. Are you prepared to embark? Are you prepared to say, YES, in unconditional surrender and obedience?
Then he reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See today, I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.[3]
When God puts words in your mouth, you have no other option, but to let them out, with whatever device he has given you to use as your modus operandi. If you are a mouth, you may be a writer, singer, preacher, teacher or whatever. I can hear you saying, but that cannot be possible! I don't have the education, or I don't come from a rich family, or I am too young, or I am too old. Isn't it true that a little bit of Jeremiah incubates in all of us? I find it fascinating that God does not address Jeremiah's excuses. No, he ignored them and asked him only one thing?
Jeremiah, What Do You See? Tell Me, What Do You See?[4]
God was concerned about Jeremiah's vision! When we look at our capabilities, our strength, our knowledge, what we have and do not have, then we need our vision corrected. Our future lies in allowing God to correct our vision, so that we can see the same things that he sees. If he could correct Jeremiah's vision, he can correct ours also.
So tell me What do you see? People, What do you see?
Ciao,
Pat Garcia
[1] Jeremiah 1:5, New International Version, (1984 Edition) ZONDERVAN
[2] Jeremiah 1:7, New International Version, (1984 Edition) ZONDERVAN
[3] Jeremiah 1:9-10, New International Version, (1984 Edition) ZONDERVAN
[4] Jeremiah 1:11, New International Version, (1984 Edition) ZONDERVAN
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