The prophet Jeremiah (son of Hilkiah) was called by God, ordained by God, and sanctified by God as a prophet to the nations. The Lord put His words in the mouth of Jeremiah to rebuke a nation of people that had forsaken Him.
The Lord promised Jeremiah that the people who fought against him would not prevail because the Lord would deliver him (see Jeremiah 1). Jeremiah’s ministry was extremely unpopular. Even those close to him persecuted him and he became offended with God and accused Him of deception.
Jeremiah 20:7-9 (NET) Lord, you coerced me into being a prophet, and I allowed You to do it. You overcame my resistance and prevailed over me. Now I have become a constant laughingstock. Everyone ridicules me. For whenever I prophesy, I must cry out, “Violence and destruction are coming!” This message from the Lord has made me an object of continual insults and derision. Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of His message. I will not speak as His messenger anymore.” But then His message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it.
I can relate. His word is in my heart like a raging California wildfire burning uncontrollably that cannot be contained. When Jeremiah tried to hold back his ministry, it burned on the inside until he had to let go and preach. Whatever God has called, ordained, and sanctified us to do will always have a compelling reason to keep us interested.
God called the prophet Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh but Jonah decided to flee in the opposite direction to Tarshish instead. The Lord sent a storm that rocked the boat so badly that Jonah ended up being thrown overboard. He was swallowed by a whale and was in his belly for three days and nights until Jonah’s earnest prayer was to be released from the deep pit of darkness that ravaged his soul. The Lord spoke to the whale and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Jonah completed a three-day journey to Nineveh in one day, and preached the word God spoke to them.
Jesus said, “You didn’t choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”
When I asked the Lord to let me be a singer He said, “I’m sorry Daddy can’t make you a singer. Since you were a little girl I have orchestrated your life (people you met, teachers you had, things that interested you) were molding and shaping you for what I called you to do. If I let you sing, you will destroy all of that.”
This is why Jeremiah sensed a wildfire burning in his soul. The Lord said, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you.”
Psalm 139:16 (NLT) You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.The manifestation of the Holy Spirit is given to every believer so we can edify and help each other.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (NLT) To one person the Holy Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.Recently, I received a reality check in my spirit about why I do what I do (blogging, teaching, etc). Is it for selfish ambition, or for the glory of God? Why do I judge others by the little bit God is doing through me, compared to the greatness He is doing through them? I am reminded of the words of John the Baptist, “He must increase but I must decrease.” And after I have done all those things which I have been called to do I must say, “Count me an unprofitable servant just doing what God called me to do.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His calling on your life. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove