Tapped on the Shoulder

TAPPED ON THE SHOULDER

"Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.'"
(Jeremiah 1:4-5)

Not often enough can I say, "The word of the Lord came to me." Yet, that is what Jeremiah remembers. The truth is, that word comes to all who are in a relationship with God. He still speaks to His own people: through the scriptures, through circumstances, through other believers.

When the word came to Jeremiah, it was a very specific word. God told Jeremiah that he was not an afterthought. Before Jeremiah was even born, God knew him and had a plan for him. God set him apart. One could say that Jeremiah never had an opportunity to be a rebel. He was set up by God from his pre-natal days. What a way to think about life. Instead of thinking we are accidents or unplanned surprises, let's think of ourselves as products of God long-range planning.

The God who has formed Jeremiah also calls Jeremiah to speak in God's name. Jeremiah's response is that he is not qualified to speak for God. Have you ever felt that way? Perhaps we should leave the speaking to other people. "God could not possible use us," we say. In fact, Jeremiah says he cannot speak for God because he is only a child (verse 6). However, if God has decided to use you, you dare not tell Him he cannot.

The God who calls us delivers us from our fears. Both for Jeremiah and us, the call is not to go into the world with our own words. God put His words in Jeremiah's mouth and he'll do the same for us. Our effectiveness comes not from our cleverness or education but, rather, from our having been given God's words.

The most disturbing part of the account of Jeremiah's call is in verse 10. It appears that Jeremiah is to go to people and situations and tear them down. Be deliberately offensive? Actually, we are not only to be firm and address wrong (tear down) but to encourage, motivate, and to stimulate, building people up.

You and I are like Jeremiah: planned in the mind of God, called to speak for Him and useful to Him. -- Dr. Richard Allen Farmer is a friend of America's KESWICK and will be one of our conference speakers in 2009

God's WORD for YOU : Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5

Great Quote: "If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost certain you won't ...

Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But soon or late, the man who wins Is the man who thinks he can!"

Credo that hangs on the wall of Arnold Palmer's office