BY JOSHUA LIN
Have you ever felt underprepared for a task? In my experience, the feeling is always an unwelcome one. In these moments, it can feel like the only certain thing about the task is your inadequacy to complete it. That is how Jeremiah felt when God came to speak to him, appointing him as prophet to all the people of Judah. And yet, Jeremiah faithfully went on to deliver many an important message, well-received or not. Let’s take a look at how Jeremiah was able to do so, despite his youth and inexperience at the time.
The Lord Speaks to Jeremiah
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
God starts by proclaiming Jeremiah’s life in relation to him. Not only did God approve of Jeremiah before he was even formed in the womb, God, at that time, had already set Jeremiah aside to speak his words. Right after, we see the task before Jeremiah to serve as God’s appointed prophet to the people of Judah. Just four verses in, we see that it is God who speaks the first words. From this, we can extract a core idea present throughout the rest of the book. Though Jeremiah is a human and very much limited in ability, the everlasting and infinite God is the one who will be speaking through him.
But let’s see how Jeremiah responds:
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am [only] a young man.”
Jeremiah candidly replies that “he does not know how to speak”. Jeremiah was probably around the age of a college student at this time. To him, speaking for God likely seemed an impossible task; maybe he thought an elderly, more “spiritually experienced” person would be a better fit.
But God isn’t satisfied with Jeremiah’s answer. He doesn’t shrug his shoulders and say “oh, maybe I’ll come back in a few years”, much less go off to find someone else to be his prophet. Rather, God reinforces the statements he made earlier (verse 5):
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am [only] a young man,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 “Do not be afraid of them [or their hostile faces], for I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you,” says the Lord.
God dismisses Jeremiah’s assessment of his own youth, telling him how Jeremiah shall be speaking to the nations, and he assures Jeremiah that he will be with him to protect him (v.8). In these two verses, we glean something amazing about the nature of a relationship with God. Jeremiah sees himself as unqualified to speak for God, and he is. Nonetheless, the Lord assures him that words will be given for Jeremiah to speak; his ability to speak as a prophet is not rooted in his own ability, rather it is wholly rooted in God.
In these few verses, we see what the book of Jeremiah is and is not. It is not the self-made story of a guy training his whole life for the prophet life. It is the story of a thoughtful God speaking to his people through a chosen servant who, by any other means, would be unable to speak for God. It is good and important for all of us to reflect on what we rely on to do what we do. Who or what is it? What are its strengths and what are its limits?
For me, this passage was a humbling reminder of what it means to rely on God. There are still tasks which I feel unprepared to tackle whether it is applying for internships or sharing my faith with others. But in light of Jeremiah’s conversation with God, I know that it’s not my personal qualities but God’s presence with me that matters the most in any endeavor. And, by the grace of God, we can find comfort in knowing that Jesus promises to be with us when we seek him (Matt 28:20).
So, like Jeremiah, how can I keep quiet of the joy I’ve found in having a relationship with God? How can I keep quiet about this fleeting world’s attractive but deceiving hopes that lead only to death? And in light of that, quiet of God’s still greater mercy and steadfast love to those who lean on him? It is my hope that we can all live every moment of every day for Jesus who provides a better and permanent life through his death and resurrection; I don’t believe there could be any greater reason to live. God’s goodness goes beyond understanding, and, for me, he is the only one worth speaking for.
Prayer for Speaking:
Dear Lord God,
Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.
Who am I to speak for you, Lord of All, Creator of the Universe?
Yet, you are changing my life and giving me a purpose to speak
Help me to humbly live for you each day and every day,
Speaking life-giving words to the people in my life -
Repenting for the times I’ll fail to rely on you.
May all the praise go to you
In Jesus name,
Amen
Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor (written by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa)
Christ the sure and steady anchor,
In the fury of the storm;
When the winds of doubt blow through me,
And my sails have all been torn.
In the suffering, in the sorrow,
When my sinking hopes are few;
I will hold fast to the anchor,
It will never be removed.