“The word of the Lord came to me saying, “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.””
I was in church one day, and they were giving away some prizes. Yes, my church does this every now and again. They called on all the people who had kids to stand up. Then they said, “All who have a son or daughter over the age of, say, 20, stand up.” A few more rounds later, the final question was, “If you are paying for a wedding right now, stand up.” I was the only one left standing. I went forward to the front of the church and received my prize—a gift card to Academy. It was great to be the one who won the prize that day. That was awesome. If only the wedding had anything to do with Academy, that would have been a miracle.
To be singled out in a large crowd for a prize is a great feeling. Jeremiah was that guy. God singled him out for the purpose of speaking His word to the people of Israel and Judah. The only catch? He had to speak all of what God revealed to him—both the good and the bad.
Can I start by saying that you are called? Called to serve the living God. 1 Peter 2:9 says:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
That is you! Not some other person who has graduated from the best seminary schools or rubbed shoulders with all the bigwigs. You. The common, everyday Joe or Betty. You are called.
Jesus calls you a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. The Lord told Jeremiah that before he was formed in his mother’s womb, God had already singled him out to be a prophet. Some of you are caught up in the lie that God cannot use you. I bet Joseph had to deal with that too. His brothers wanted to kill him but ended up selling him into slavery. He was framed by his master’s wife and sent to prison. He was forgotten by his cellmate and spent two more years rotting in jail before he was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.
Joseph waited years in prison before becoming second in command of Egypt to rescue his family. Similarly, Jeremiah was called at a young age and prophesied that in 40 years, Babylon would come and take the Israelites into exile. Even Jesus waited until He was 30 years old to begin His ministry.
You don’t have to worry about the timing or the place. God will direct you to the perfect spot where He wants to use you—on His timing, not yours. Joseph, Jeremiah, and Jesus were all being prepared for the call on their lives for years before they were used in mighty ways.
You are called by God today. Don’t confuse your current life issues with the calling of God. Pastor Paul Shepard says, “God may have some people mess you up for a time before He puts you into your destiny.” If God does not come through on your timetable, you get to wait on God. Yes, wait with grace, humility, and patience, knowing He is setting things up for you to be a witness for Him in His timing, not yours.
Jeremiah was not a bullfrog but a called man of God at a young age for God’s people. All he was supposed to do was tell the people everything God told him, and the Lord promised to protect him and keep him.
Today, start by telling yourself and others around you what God’s word says about “it,” no matter what “it” is. The time to speak about God’s Word will only come when the Lord has prepared you. Luke 12:12 tells us:
“The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them.”
Jeremiah never had to come up with what to say; the Lord gave him the words. We have that Word today—the Bible. The Holy Spirit will be there, giving you the words when you need them. In the meantime, study the Word. Get it inside of you so it is written on the tablet of your heart.
You are called. Don’t forget it.
Prayer: Father, many times we just feel defeated and useless, like we are of no use to anyone. I declare that we are all called by God to spread the good news of the gospel. I declare that we will use our mouths to speak Your words we find in the Bible because our words are spiritual containers. We fill them while our faith moves them into action. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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