May 7 at sundown - Day 38
Today is day 38 of counting the Omer
Today is day 38 out of Egypt
Today is day 38 of Messiah Resurrected
Oh Yes You Can! (Jeremiah 1:1-19)
The Call of Jeremiah
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the kohanim who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
2 The word of Adonai came to him during the days of King Josiah of Judah, son of Amon, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It continued during the days of King Jehoiakim of Judah, son of Josiah, until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah of Judah, son of Josiah—until the exile from Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 The word of Adonai came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I set you apart—I appointed you prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Alas, Adonai Elohim! Look, I don’t know how to speak! For I’m still a boy!”
7 But Adonai answered me, “Do not say ‘I’m only a boy!’ For to everyone I send you, you will go, and all I command you, you will speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them! For I am with you to deliver you.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
9 Then Adonai stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and Adonai said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms: to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 Moreover, the word of Adonai came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I answered, “I see an almond branch.”
12 Then Adonai said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”
13 The word of Adonai came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a boiling pot that is tilting away from the north.”
14 Then Adonai said to me: “From the north, disaster will be poured out on all the inhabitants of the land.
15 Behold! I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “So they will come and each will set up his throne at the entry of the gates of Jerusalem, against all her surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.
16 I will pronounce My judgments on them for all their wickedness—they have forsaken Me, offering incense to other gods, worshipping the works of their hands.
17 Now, you, gird up your loins! Get up and tell them everything that I order you! Do not be terrified by them, or else I will terrify you before them.
18 Look, today I have set you up as a fortified city—an iron pillar and bronze walls—against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes against its kohanim, and against the people of the land.
19 Though they will fight against you, they will not win, for I am with you, to deliver you.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
Reflect:
We can learn a lot from this passage about God’s commissioning of Jeremiah’s ministry. Here we see a young man filled with doubt about his abilities. It is important to note that God didn’t answer Jeremiah’s doubt with good advice. Instead, He answers Jeremiah’s “but I cant’s” with a series of “don’ts”: Don’t say you can’t do it, don't say you're too young, and most importantly don’t fear. He reminds Jeremiah at the end of his commissioning that He made Jeremiah and that overshadowed any of his limitations or circumstances. The same is true for us today. Instead of looking at ourselves and what we lack, we can take hold of who God created us to be. We can become people created by Him to tell others of His love and the salvation that they can have when they invite Yeshua into their hearts. This is at the core of being Yeshua’s disciple and our calling here at Restoration.
The Call of Jeremiah
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the kohanim who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
2 The word of Adonai came to him during the days of King Josiah of Judah, son of Amon, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It continued during the days of King Jehoiakim of Judah, son of Josiah, until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah of Judah, son of Josiah—until the exile from Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 The word of Adonai came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I set you apart—I appointed you prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Alas, Adonai Elohim! Look, I don’t know how to speak! For I’m still a boy!”
7 But Adonai answered me, “Do not say ‘I’m only a boy!’ For to everyone I send you, you will go, and all I command you, you will speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them! For I am with you to deliver you.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
9 Then Adonai stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and Adonai said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms: to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 Moreover, the word of Adonai came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I answered, “I see an almond branch.”
12 Then Adonai said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”
13 The word of Adonai came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a boiling pot that is tilting away from the north.”
14 Then Adonai said to me: “From the north, disaster will be poured out on all the inhabitants of the land.
15 Behold! I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “So they will come and each will set up his throne at the entry of the gates of Jerusalem, against all her surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.
16 I will pronounce My judgments on them for all their wickedness—they have forsaken Me, offering incense to other gods, worshipping the works of their hands.
17 Now, you, gird up your loins! Get up and tell them everything that I order you! Do not be terrified by them, or else I will terrify you before them.
18 Look, today I have set you up as a fortified city—an iron pillar and bronze walls—against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes against its kohanim, and against the people of the land.
19 Though they will fight against you, they will not win, for I am with you, to deliver you.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
Reflect:
We can learn a lot from this passage about God’s commissioning of Jeremiah’s ministry. Here we see a young man filled with doubt about his abilities. It is important to note that God didn’t answer Jeremiah’s doubt with good advice. Instead, He answers Jeremiah’s “but I cant’s” with a series of “don’ts”: Don’t say you can’t do it, don't say you're too young, and most importantly don’t fear. He reminds Jeremiah at the end of his commissioning that He made Jeremiah and that overshadowed any of his limitations or circumstances. The same is true for us today. Instead of looking at ourselves and what we lack, we can take hold of who God created us to be. We can become people created by Him to tell others of His love and the salvation that they can have when they invite Yeshua into their hearts. This is at the core of being Yeshua’s disciple and our calling here at Restoration.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, empower me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can move forward with courage, conviction, and tenacity. I give all my fears to You and I want to trust that You have good plans for me. Amen.
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At Restoration, we have made it a priority to seek God first in prayer. During this season of counting of the Omer, we have decided to do this collectively as a congregation in the days leading up to Shavuot. Together, we want to trust in His power to impact our lives, our congregation, our city, and our world. The last 10 days we will encourage a corporate time of fasting and prayer, which starts the evening of May 9 and ends the evening of May 19. The conclusion of this season of prayer will culminate in a congregational picnic on the 50th day, the day of Shavuot - Sunday, May 20 at noon.
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