DAY FIFTEEN – Friday, March 5, 2021
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
“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.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak,
for I am only a boy.”
But 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.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.”
Then 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.
See, 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.”
This passage made me think beyond my discomfort with the strong language of “destroy and overthrow”.
Children are born pure and develop by what they see, hear and their life experiences. Having God directing their every move and speech sets them apart from others at every stage of their lives.
When our youth speak, they must be heard. We must listen.
They will learn that when the truth is spoken, some people’s actions will be exposed. Others will thrive in the knowledge that they are God’s people and are not alone. They will be encouraged to be strong and follow God’s directions.
This is a challenge for us at any stage of our lives. We know that God spoke to Jeremiah many times during his lifetime. This is a message for all of us, not just the young.
Liz Fulford
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
“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.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak,
for I am only a boy.”
But 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.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.”
Then 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.
See, 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.”
This passage made me think beyond my discomfort with the strong language of “destroy and overthrow”.
Children are born pure and develop by what they see, hear and their life experiences. Having God directing their every move and speech sets them apart from others at every stage of their lives.
When our youth speak, they must be heard. We must listen.
They will learn that when the truth is spoken, some people’s actions will be exposed. Others will thrive in the knowledge that they are God’s people and are not alone. They will be encouraged to be strong and follow God’s directions.
This is a challenge for us at any stage of our lives. We know that God spoke to Jeremiah many times during his lifetime. This is a message for all of us, not just the young.
Liz Fulford
