Made for This MomentSample

MADE FOR THIS MOMENT: JEREMIAH

Follow Him Anyway

WARM-UP

“And they will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.--Jeremiah 1:19 NASB20

ON THE PITCH

Sometimes, the opponent feels too big. The strategies and the game plan won’t work against the person or team you are going up against. Sometimes, winning just doesn’t seem possible.

Jeremiah was maybe 20 years old when God came to him and called him to speak on His behalf as a prophet. God knew what He was doing, but Jeremiah thought otherwise. “I can’t speak for You. I’m too young,” he told God (Jer. 1:6). Jeremiah was hesitant and reluctant. Not only did Jeremiah think he was too young, but as the son of a priest, he was aware of the world around him.

Jeremiah was born during the reign of King Manasseh, the most evil king to reign over the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 21:1-18). The people had been rebelling against God, not obeying Him. While the kingdom had changed hands and was being led by a new king, repentance and wholehearted devotion to the Lord had not followed. Their behavior may have changed, but their hearts have not.

In one sentence, Jeremiah told the Lord he couldn’t do what He was asking; however, God lovingly told and showed Jeremiah that he was the choice –not because of who Jeremiah was, but because of who God was (and is). God told him how He would be with him, care for him, and protect him. God’s amazing love and compassion showed Jeremiah what had to be done and why it had to be accomplished. The call on Jeremiah’s life had everything to do with God. All Jeremiah had to do was follow Him.

God told Jeremiah to tell His people they needed to repent and return to following Him because His judgment was coming. He also told Jeremiah that it wouldn’t go well for him; the people would fight against him. Jeremiah would not be received well by his own people.

I don’t know about you, but standing alone and apart from the crowd doesn’t feel safe. It can feel impossible, desperate, and lonely. Jeremiah lived this type of life for forty years, but he followed God anyway. Because of God's call on his life, Jeremiah believed what God said was true and walked in His will for his life. Jeremiah would weep and grieve over the lack of repentance and hard hearts of his fellow Israelites, but he would keep doing what God asked him to do anyway.

Are you willing to follow God anyway, even if it feels impossible?

Do you trust that, in the moment, He has called you, will equip you, and walk with you in the journey?

EXTRA TIME

Jeremiah 1:1-19; Matthew 16:24-28

PRAYER

God, help me to see Your will and call for my life. Help me to walk into the moment knowing that You have called me because of who You are and not because of who I am. Don’t let me miss how You want to use me to bring glory and honor to You. Let me be a light for You so others can see You through me. Amen.