CALLED TO SERVE

by Pastor Mitch
February 24, 2013

The Lord’s Calling Of Jeremiah To Serve

We were born into this world for a definite purpose. According to God’s will, none of us are here by chance. Before Jeremiah was even formed in his mother’s womb, the Lord God had already known him. He had plans with reference to his life and ministry.

“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 1:5

The Lord God had already set Jeremiah apart for the distinctive work of serving Him. He was ordained as a prophet to bring words of great warning to Judah and the erring nations. The Lord God had a definite purpose for Jeremiah’s life. This was what Jeremiah was created by God for. The Lord Jesus was also called by the Lord in the matrix of His mother (Isaiah 49:1) to serve Him. We too have been set apart by the Lord to serve Him.

Struggles With Self-Doubt

“Then said I: 
‘Ah Lord God! 
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.'”
Jeremiah 1:6

Jeremiah was still a young man when he was called to serve. He struggled within himself concerning the inadequacies that he felt as a young person. His main concern that he raised to God was that he was still young and could not speak well. How often we have seen servants of God struggling with this inadequacy! Jeremiah at this point of time was lacking in knowledge, wisdom and experience. He was certainly lacking in faith. Many of us also struggle with self-doubt when we tend to take our eyes off the Lord and to place them on ourselves and our inabilities.

Dispelling Of Self-Doubt

“But the Lord said to me: 
‘Do not say, “I am a youth,” 
For you shall go to all to whom I send you, 
And whatever I command you, you shall speak.'” 
Jeremiah 1:7

What ought to guide our mind and our heart should be the Lord’s word rather than our own personal subjective thoughts. The Lord’s word to Jeremiah was to stop thinking that he was only a youth. Despite being a youth, the Lord saw the potential of Jeremiah in being trained and guided to be a good servant of His. The Lord would specially send him to where He wanted him to go and to speak what He commanded him to speak. The Lord God would teach him what to say. Young people, let no man despise our youth. Our challenge is to rise up to the call of serving Him, to see the potential that we have in serving Him one day and to seek to be trained further.

Great Faith In The Promise Of God’s Presence

“‘Do not be afraid of their faces, 
For I am with you to deliver you,’ says the Lord.” 
Jeremiah 1:8

Another problem that Jeremiah must have struggled with was fear. Because he was young, he must have feared those who were older than him and the challenges he would face ahead. The challenge for Jeremiah was to trust in the Lord’s promise that He would be with him. The Lord touched him in a special way. Jeremiah found a greater faith in the Lord and sought to be trained further. With God on our side, there is nothing to fear. The Lord’s presence is our mainstay for ministry. He will deliver us in our times of need. Let’s seek to be touched by the Lord in a special way. Let’s trust in the wonderful promise that the Lord will be with us. Let’s learn to exercise great faith in the Lord and His presence.

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