Jeremiah 1:4-10 (NRSV)
Read Jeremiah 1:4-10 on biblegateway.com
Verse 4Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, Verse 5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Verse 6Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." Verse 7But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, Verse 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord." Verse 9Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. Verse 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
Devotion
Presbyterian theologian Frederick Buechner is perhaps best known for his observation, "The place to which God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet." Jeremiah's vision reminds us, however, that God often calls the unwilling and the unexpected—in this case, a reluctant, tongue-tied boy.
We have all heard people object when offered an opportunity to serve: "I don't have time." "I'm too old." "Others are far more gifted." "I could never deal with ...." From Jeremiah, we learn that not every vocation is rooted in our personal gladness or allows us to exercise gifts we believe we possess. Our vocations, like Jeremiah’s, might even be difficult. But an ill-fitting undertaking may be no less our vocation than one we are eager to pursue. Secure in God’s providential care for all creation, we trust God to create in us whatever we need to serve.
Prayer
Ever-patient God, the sound of your voice often surprises us. Help us hear your call to love you by serving our neighbor. Amen.