“Then the LORD put forth
his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put
my words in thy mouth.” ~Jeremiah 1:9
I have really enjoyed reading the book of
Jeremiah over the past several mornings, and there is so much to notice in
chapter one that it can make your head spin. This past Saturday I posted, “I knew you before you were famous” and it dealt with this early calling of the prophet
Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was chosen to speak for the Lord and
deliver His message to a spiritually backward nation. This was on the side of
the cross where the Holy Spirit was not permanently with every believer and so
Jeremiah was the one people went to in order to hear from the Lord. (This
side of the cross allows every believer the privilege of the permanent indwelling
Holy Spirit)
Jeremiah would have an audience that ranged between peasants
and kings and would have a message for each of them. He preached in stalls,
prisons, elaborate temples and palaces beyond compare.
He went through a lot in his journey with the Lord and
for the most part it was because of the message that he spoke. This was well
before the days where the quote, “Don’t shoot the messenger” was adhered to.
So before anything about his journey would ever be known,
We find God calling Jeremiah to speak for Him.
That calling is not unusual nor is it unique to just Jeremiah.
I believe with all my heart that God has a message for
you and for me to deliver to a people this morning. As you read the first
chapter, Jeremiah reacts similar to the way you and I react when the Holy
Spirit nudges us to “Speak” in both word and action.
It could be a co-worker that God has placed on your heart
and He will even provide an opportunity today for you to “Speak” on His behalf.
Maybe it is a child under your roof? A spouse or a friend that you have been
burdened about?
A good place to start is just to take a sincere look
around you every day and notice who the Lord allows you to come into contact
with. There is no such thing as coincidence. I firmly believe that our steps
are ordered by the Lord and I firmly believe that He is big enough to do that.
At my work I have the privilege of overseeing an area and
that means I have the priviledge of creating the atmosphere. I posted a huge
sign just over the entrance that you cannot miss when you come in.
You talk about an door opener!
I have had the opportunity to explain that sign multiple
times within just the last three weeks. When people compliment the work area I want
them to know who made that possible! The responses have been as varied as
people nodding their heads to people taking pictures of my sign.
It does not have to be a large sign with blue marker for
you. It can be as simple as a text of scripture with an encouraging word or a
phone call. Who has God placed around you today? Out of everyone on this
planet, why have you been selected to be surrounded with the faces you will
look into today?
So what do we do about this?
Here is the thing that we have in common with Jeremiah.
God gives us everything we need to be the person He made us to be in order to
express Himself to those around us.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God:” ~Romans 8:16
“But God hath revealed them unto us
by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God.”~1 Corinthians 2:10
“Know ye not that ye are
the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”~1
Corinthians 3:1
The powerful thing about it is that God completely equips
Jeremiah on what to say and even how to say it. He equips Jeremiah to see His
message and how to hear His voice and understand what he sees and hears.
“Now we have received,
not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” ~1 Corinthians 2:12
We get nervous and we ask God to really be clear on this
one. “Are you sure you want me to stop by this person’s house? Are you really
sure you want me to call this person God?” Let me just point out something
really quick!
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” ~John:17
God gave you His Spirit at salvation. The Holy Spirit,
part of the Trinity, now resides within you! You walk in Him and you move in
Him and you breathe in Him!!! God speaks and you confirm His voice through what
He has already said. He will never tell you to do something that contradicts
His word. Take a look at God’s Spirit equipping us to “speak”.
“Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself
to this chariot.” ~Acts 8:29
So God really does speak to me through His Spirit? You bet He does!
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was
stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.” ~Acts 17:16
“And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was
Christ.” ~Acts 18:5
“And finding disciples, we
tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he
should not go up to Jerusalem.”~Acts 21:4
The Spirit
does not always prompt us to do what is comfortable. In fact, sometimes it is
way out of our comfort zone but it is Him and He is asking us to “speak” in
both word and action. Let me explain.
I was
driving home one Saturday when God told me to stop and buy someone some coffee for
a man who had suffered from a severe stroke and had been bed ridden for many
years.
I had
visited him off and on and always enjoyed my conversations with him, but I had
no idea what kind of coffee to get him. I asked the Lord, “Really? Coffee? Like
just walk in for an unannounced visit with a bag of coffee? What kind of coffee
should I get him?”
Just as I was
asking Him my question I saw a Starbucks on the left side of the road. I guess
this was my answer. I never buy Starbucks coffee because I cannot really afford it, but this is where I felt I was
supposed to stop so I stopped. I walked in and told the man I needed to buy a
bag of coffee. I then asked him what coffee I should buy. He asked me if this
was for me or someone else. “Someone else” I replied. He selected a bag and
said, “This is what you need.”
I paid for
the coffee and left for the man’s house and thinking the whole time, “Lord, I have
no idea if this man even wants coffee.” Again, the Spirit does not always
prompt us to do what is comfortable or even within our comfort zone.
I walked up
to his door holding my bag of coffee and rang the bell. His wife came and let
me and the coffee bag in. I walked over to his motorized chair and said, “Hey
Bro.Ray, the Lord said you needed some coffee.” And I held out the bag. He
looked astonished and began to tear up in the corner of his eyes.
“That is my
favorite coffee in the whole world, but I have not been able to afford that. I
just told God the other day that I really would like some of that.”
If God can literally
arrange to have coffee delivered to a paralyzed saint's doorstep because of a
whispered prayer what is He going to allow you to be part of today?
“But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”~1
Corinthians 6:17
“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father.”
~Ephesians 2:18
~Ephesians 2:18
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