July 28 – Today’s Readings – Jeremiah 1-3 and Psalms 28
We find here a beautiful introduction to this prophetic penman, and the book named after him. Jeremiah was obviously a very young man when God called him and commissioned him – “Ah, Sovereign LORD’, I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” (Jeremiah1:6)
He was told – “do not be afraid of them, (the people) for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:8)
God told him that the message he was to share would “uproot and tear down, – destroy and overthrow, – build and plant.” Words – (especially inspired Words from the Lord), have the incredible power of doing just that. When listening to an anointed preacher, you may feel stripped bare before the Lord at times, only to be rebuilt and reaffirmed. Remember, this entire book was written as God’s message to a people who had been taken captive and were in exile because of their unfaithfulness. They were living in Babylon as a dispossessed, enslaved nation.
Out from the shambles of this moral and physical disaster, God affirmed a young man, Jeremiah – “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.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
Pause and think about what has just been spoken. You are not just a product of your biological mother and father. You are in fact a well thought out, created being with a purpose attached to your life before you were conceived! God even gave Jeremiah a life ministry before he was born. The only thing missing from the realization of this dream was for Jeremiah to say “yes” to God.
Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Here’s the kicker – the only thing missing from the realization of God’s dream for your life is for YOU to say yes to God. You were predestined and created to do good works for God. God already has those good works ready to go. We need to learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit so that when one of our assignments from God comes, we can be quick to accomplish it. Otherwise some of the works we were predestined to do for God may go undone!
Questions:
1. How does it make you feel to know you were predestined to good works since before you were even born?
2. Make a short list of “good works” you feel you are still supposed to be involved in. (Hint – What is Our Heavenly Father Busy Doing)
3. What “other activities” will have to be dropped from your schedule so that these good works can be accomplished?