I Remember You Before You Were Famous!

“He just looks too plain”, She said critically.

"I think He looks good enough, it is just the question of will the world think he looks good enough”, the man sitting next to her in that smoke filled audition room grumbled.

It was not like he could not hear them as they were sitting no less than four feet in front of him. He was a seasoned actor, but mostly in soap operas and not a lot of people could tell you his name. This was hopefully the “Big break” he had dreamed about.

"Alright”, said a man slouched against a tired looking file cabinet. “Let’s see you raise your right arm, kinda like your flying you know?”

 

 

As soon as his arm was raised, they all looked at each other with a glance that said it all.

Christopher Reeve had just become Superman!

 

This was the unknown becoming known.

 I have been reading the book of Jeremiah in the mornings lately and talked about him quite a bit in the post, “The Message in The Mire”.

He was a great man that God used to do great things for Him. I noticed something in the first chapter that really encouraged me. It was the about the known back when he was unknown. It was Jeremiah’s audition if you will.

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

                                                                                                                ~Jeremiah 1:5

What a spectacular recording of a very private and personal encounter between a very young and timid prophet to be and the God that he has been chosen to speak for.

The calling of God is a very powerful thing.

In the first chapter of Jeremiah we see God outlining both Jeremiah’s purpose and direction.

“See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”                                                                                                     ~Jeremiah 1:10

If you were just to read this one passage it would make you ready to hit the field and drive for the touchdown!

Then, as it goes down the chapter, I can see Jeremiah’s grin begin to fade as he stops taking notes and lifts a finger as if to say, “Umm, what was that part about being afraid of their faces? Whose faces exactly should I not be afraid of? You mentioned that twice now and I just want to be on the same page here.”

“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.”

                                                                                                                  ~ Jeremiah 1:17

Then the Lord gives a surprising answer.

“For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.” ~Jeremiah 1:18

The whole land? As in everybody???

"This “Word of God speaking stuff” is going to be a bit of a lonely road huh?"

Then God gets specific.

“…, against the kings of Judah,..”

Ok. Kings I get. Their power and agendas go to their heads and they very easily start to think that it is them and not God.

“…the princes…”

Check! Princes are just little kings in training. Assistant kings that get the “Malice in the Palace” lessons from the king.

Then the air gets thick and heavy.

“…Against the priests…”

Huh?

 

“Aren’t we supposed to be on the same side here God?” I can hear him ask.

I mean we all have the keys to the church so to speak right? So the priests have the same problem as the kings and the princes? (Read Ezekial 34 to get the picture of what the priests had become)

They all have an agenda that opposes yours and they all in their hearts are fighting against you God?

It is a trickle down rebellion.

“…and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.”                                                                                                 ~Jeremiah 1:18-19

This is the Gideon test here.

There are no specifics of exactly what is entailed in the words, “…Fight against thee…” means.

Jeremiah did not have the book of Jeremiah to read the details and outcomes of his journey with God.

He could not have seen the mocking, the beatings, the torture, the prisons or even the mire that he would be allowed by God to be placed in because of the words that God had placed in his mouth.

That was all covered back before he was famous in the statement:

“And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” ~Jeremiah 1:19

That phrase covered any event that was on the path ahead.

Jeremiah was prepared for the walls on his path before he had ever reached them because he had a promise.

What promise is that?

“for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” ~Jeremiah 1:19

Think about that!!!

That promise was not to take him around the mud puddles, but rather to take him through the mud puddles!

That meant that there was a divine purpose for any obstacle that would be on his path.

“GOD’S PURPOSES, NOT HIS FAIRNESS DICTATE THE EVENTS OF MY LIFE”

God is not angry with you. He is writing the story of your life!

God is preparing you for what He has purposed ahead.

You have been called, equipped and your provision and protection has been guaranteed!

And this all took place back before you were famous!

 

 

Climbing with you,

~Dan