Note: I had a great birthday yesterday here in the Dominican Republic. I want to thank all those who sent me birthday wishes. I sincerely appreciate the outpour of love!
Today we continue our series entitled “Destiny’s Child – You Are Not a Mistake!” We have looked at Jeremiah’s call for the past few days. I want us to back back to it today.
(Jeremiah 1:5-9 NKJV)
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
7 But the Lord said to me:
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”
So what does this mean for you today? I will share a few thoughts around the fact that God made provisions to address your concerns.
1. Jeremiah thought he was not equipped to speak.
Jeremiah said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak.
— Prophets speak for God on this planet. They reveal God’s plans and purposes by openly declaring what God reveals to them. If Jeremiah thought he could not speak, that would be a problem because prophesying is all SEEING and SAYING what God reveals.
— When God reveals to you what He sent you to this planet to do, it’s easy to feel like you can’t do it. But you are not called to walk by feelings. You are called to walk and live by faith. Faith believes what God declared, whether you “feel like it” or not.
— To live by faith, you must get to the point where you believe what God believes about you!
2. Jeremiah thought he was too young.
Jeremiah said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” Jeremiah was speaking against the assignment because he saw himself as too young. The Lord responded, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth.” I will address the “speaking against the assignment” part later. For now, I will address the issue of age.
— The issue of age is often tied to a level of perceived qualification. People see a young person as “not qualified” for certain positions because they think the young person lacks either the education, the experience, or both. The problem with this logic where being a Prophet is concerned is that God was not asking Jeremiah to operate in human wisdom. Therefore, education and experience did not matter. All God needed from Jeremiah was a willing vessel. If Jeremiah provided the mouth, God would provide the words. If Jeremiah provided the voice, God would provide what to say.
— The point I am making is that God will provide everything you need to accomplish whatever He has called you to do. The provision of God is already stored up for His vision.
— Paul said to his spiritual son Timothy, “You are young, but don’t be intimidated by those who are older than you; simply be the example they need to see by being faithful and true in all that you do. Speak the truth and live a life of purity and authentic love as you remain strong in your faith” (1 Timothy 4:12).
3. Jeremiah was afraid that he would not know what to say.
There are two things I will say about this point.
a) God’s wisdom exceeds all human wisdom.
Paul said, “For in his wisdom, God designed that all the world’s wisdom would be insufficient to lead people to the discovery of himself. He took great delight in baffling the wisdom of the world by using the simplicity of preaching the story of the cross in order to save those who believe it” (1 Corinthians 1:21). He went on to say, “Brothers and sisters, consider who you were when God called you to salvation. Not many of you were wise scholars by human standards, nor were many of you in positions of power. Not many of you were considered the elite when you answered God’s call. But God chose those whom the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise, and God chose the puny and powerless to shame the high and mighty. He chose the lowly, the laughable in the world’s eyes—nobodies—so that he would shame the somebodies. For he chose what is regarded as insignificant in order to supersede what is regarded as prominent, so that there would be no place for prideful boasting in God’s presence” (verses 26-29).
— God can use anyone in a way that exceeds their education and experience. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt unqualified, unprepared, and halfway terrified, only to have God fill my mouth with His wisdom. He has given me wisdom that exceeds my education and experience. As a result, I have operated on levels that far exceed what is “expected” for my age for decades. I was always one of the youngest, if not the youngest, operating at whatever level I found myself at. Age is not an issue when you open your heart to God and His wisdom.
— God uses people the world would consider unqualified, so the glory will be ALL HIS!
b) God always provides for His purpose.
When Jeremiah was afraid that he would not know what to say, the Bible says, “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”
— Jeremiah was called to be a Prophet. A Prophet speaks God’s words. Therefore, God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth.
— You may not be called to be a Prophet, but you are called to do something. No matter what it is, you can rest assured that God has already prepared the provision.
— If the vision is from God, the provision is already yours.
— Wherever God leads, He feeds. Whatever God guides, He provides.
— You will never lack when you are doing what God called you to do. Lack comes from misalignment with your divine assignment.
— When you are not aligned with God, you will need and ask for things that God did not already prepare. These prayers are not answered because they are selfish. James said it this way, “Or when you ask, you don’t receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure” (James 4:3).
I have more to say, but that is enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of LEVELING UP for me! As I seek to LEVEL UP, I open my heart to Your call. As I walk and live by faith, there are moments when I don’t feel qualified for what You called me to do. Thank You for loving me enough to address my concerns. You love me enough to work with me, to get me to the point where I believe what You believe about me. I am on this journey. I am very excited. I will not stop until I arrive at Your expected end. You are with me every step of the way! GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
