The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, 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. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 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. Jeremiah 1:1-10

Reflecting on the responsibilities taught so far this week, this is a pertinent question to ponder over. Every truly called child of God has many reasons to feel inadequate! The contrary would be outright presumption! (Hebrews 5:4). We thus understand the reaction of Moses in Exodus 3:1-22 as well as the reaction of Jeremiah in our text of today.

When you come to the recognition of your inadequacy, you come to the place of dependence where His abiding presence is available to empower. So, I ask again, what is keeping you from being the ambassador, an influencer and change agent that God wants you to be? Jeremiah pleaded age, Moses pleaded lack of ability to communicate, what is yours? Worries about how to make ends meet, about tomorrow? Verses 8-9 of our text reveals that God not only knows those fears but has already taken steps to overcome them. He knows what makes us afraid but we probably are afraid or too proud to acknowledge and verbalise them to Him! David was not afraid to do so. He did and confessed his dependence upon the salvation that God brings (Psalm 27:1-5).

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. Psalms 27:1-5.

Beloved until we do and are ready to depend on Him, His mandate for your life is not revealed. The revelation of His mandate follows your acknowledgement of you knowing you can only do as He empowers you! (Philippians 4:13). Please think on these things and act wisely. Shalom.

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