F O O T H O L D
READING
83 GOD'S CALL
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PRAY Please help me to be
listening for your voice today, dear Lord
God.
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READ Jeremiah 1:1-19.
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THINK What did God promise
to Jeremiah?
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FOCUS 'I can't do it. I just
can't do it'. Do you talk like that
sometimes; when a call comes
to serve God in some way? jeremiah
did. He gave God two reasons:
1. HE SAID HE WAS NOT OLD
ENOUGH (6). He was very young maybe in
his late teens. We all make
excuses of age. As teenagers we are
'too young'; as adults 'too
busy'; when we are retired we are
'too old'! What reasons are
you using now to avoid some
opportunity for service? Are
they reasons or excuses?
2. HE SAID HE WAS NOT CLEVER
ENOUGH (6). But if he had thought he
was clever, it would have
ruled him out! It is hard for God to
use self-confident people.
It is not the gifts you
think you have, but the ability God is
able to give you. If God
wants you to do something, he will give
you the strength to do it.
Your job is simply to believe it and
go ahead.
God answers Jeremiah's
excuses with a challenging view of the
task and a couple of visions.
In fact these visions depict such
ordinary natural objects
that they almost seem like the parables
of Jesus.
The almond tree means in
Hebrew, the 'watchful tree' because its
blossoms are the first to
appear in Spring. this speaks of God's
watchfulness over his
promises (12).
Jeremiah faced forty years
of unrelenting opposition. (Notice
verses 18-19). Yet God kept
him steadfast and saved him from
becoming bitter and harsh.
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PRAY Ask God to point out to
you whether you are avoiding an
opportunity for service. Be
ready to obey!
