The Hard Way

It could be said with certainty that the call of God is different for every person who hears it and dares to go.  When we come to the call of Jeremiah, we hear a God who hardly gives Jeremiah a moment to respond.  And, of course, another thing to consider is that the prophet perceived himself as one who had not yet reached his manhood which meant he figured no one would be listening to him.  When he heard the voice of God, Jeremiah said, "Ah, Lord God!  Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."  (Jeremiah 1:6)   But, as in the case of others who had stood in similar moments, the Lord God would have nothing to do with the excuse Jeremiah offered.     

One of the unique things about the calling moment of Jeremiah is the way God proclaimed that Jeremiah was known by His creator before he was formed in the womb, consecrated in the darkness, and appointed to be a prophet before he was born.  (Jeremiah 1:5)  With such a Word heavy upon him, Jeremiah surely felt as if his future as one one who would serve God had been decided.  But, as is the case with everyone who hears the call of God, it was still up to Jeremiah to go and do God's bidding.    

As we get into the life of Jeremiah as it is revealed in the book which bears his name, we come to understand that it was a hard life for the prophet.  He was not liked.  No one wanted to hear his message.  There were times when the whole experience seemed more than he could stand.  Yet, Jeremiah continued to speak the word no one wanted to hear.  Many a preacher of our own day would benefit from studying the life of this prophet.  Like Jeremiah every preacher wants to be liked and applauded for their words, but such is not the goal for which the one called is called to seek.  The call is not a call to be popular, but a call to be faithful to the One who called and faithful to the task set out there in the road.  Being liked may be something desired, but it has nothing to do with what God is about when He does the calling.