“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV
There are passages in the Bible that are part of our faith background. One to which I am particularly attached is this one addressed to Jeremiah, a young priest serving in the temple in the time before the deportation of the people of the kingdom of Judah under the Babylonian empire. It is taken for granted to think that one is a child of one's parents, that one is a product of their relationship, even if for some a mistake or “accident.” Jeremiah received the revelation that it is the Lord who formed us in our mother's womb. Those who fear God believe that there is a will above two persons, which transcends sexuality or laboratory manipulation, and which the human mind cannot grasp: the will of God. Behind a birth I always see a divine work, because I believe that life proceeds from Him. Those who have escaped an abortion, intended or unintended, or the result of a complicated pregnancy will have no difficulty in confirming that there is always something extraordinary behind a birth! Jeremiah perceives that it is God's will that called him into existence, having established a plan for him. The believer should have no difficulty in declaring, “If I live it is because God willed me.” How difficult it is for some to affirm that our life is linked to God's will.
The young prophet might have believed that the purpose of his existence was to perform temple service. He had not yet known God's motive. The revelation “fell on him” like a cold shower: “I have established you as a prophet to the nations.” The prophet cries out to prepare the way for the Lord, announces that the kingdom of God has come to dwell among us, calls for repentance and conversion. This is what the church is called to proclaim. We are all called to be prophets to the nations, a voice that breaks the silence. Yet before such a call, some make excuses. Jeremiah replied that he was a boy and had no capacity for such a calling. The best words will always struggle to speak of God without the intervention of the Spirit conveying them to hearts. It is necessary to recognize this limitation and rather to be ready, like John the Baptist, to put his head on the line. The latter did not fear for his life; he denounced Herod's sin without qualms. Jeremiah, too, as a priest and son of a priest, will have to denounce the actions of the priests and speak out against his own family. We are called to be a voice for God in the place where we are. The LORD stretched out His hand over Jeremiah's mouth and laid His words in him, making up for his inability to speak. The LORD does the same with us, but faith is required to believe that our mouth can communicate God's word. Certainly from the same source dirty water and clean water cannot come out. That is why someone hides and claims to be a boy.
Those who are ashamed of Him, refusing to put their mouths to proclaim the word, will one day not be recognized in the sight of God. Are you aware that you have been reached by God, who has transformed your life by opening horizons inconceivable to human minds? His grace fell upon us as a gift and we grasped it. Then did we also consider that Christ's sacrifice required taking His cross on our shoulders every day? To those who were not ready Jesus asked, “Do you want to leave?” He does not hold anyone back. Like Peter I want these words to come out of my mouth, “Lord to whom we will leave You alone have words of eternal life.” There is a call addressed to every God-fearing and God-fearing heart: to divulge and eradicate sin and all that is unworthy of His presence. We are called to expose sin and, when necessary, tear it down and destroy it. Such actions require physical commitment and time to see walls of oppression fall, tearing down which we can begin to build, sow and water by proclaiming His word. There is no vocation as special as this one. My hope is that we can stand up and declare, “Lord, here are my hands, my mouth and my legs. Do with me what You will, my desire is to be in Your will. Knowing that You are the One who has known me since before my birth, makes me aware that my life is in Your plans to be part of Your story.” You were not born by accident!
Weekly Bible Reading Plan No. 52
December 23, Habakkuk; Revelation 15
December 24, Zephaniah; Revelation 16
December 25, Haggai; Revelation 17
December 26, Zechariah 1-4; Revelation 18
December 27, Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19
December 28, Zechariah 9-12; Revelation 20
December 29, Zechariah 13-14; Revelation 21
December 30, Malachi; Revelation 22
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