God is Calling You… Yes, You!
Read Jeremiah 1:4-10
Take some time this week to engage further with the sermon and this passage of Scripture from Jeremiah. Set aside moments with family or friends to discuss the call of Jeremiah and God’s calling in our lives. On the second page, you’ll find questions for kids and youth.
You’ve got the wrong person, God!
God often calls the reluctant. Several times in the Old Testament, we see the people whom God calls attempting to persuade God to call someone else.
- Jeremiah objects by saying he’s too young. “I’m only a boy,” he protests. “No one will listen to me.”
- When God calls Isaiah (see Isaiah 6:1-8), the prophet tries to explain to God why God has picked the wrong person. “I’m a man of unclean lips,” Isaiah says, “and I live among a people of unclean lips.” Does he mean he’s got a foul mouth? Possibly. At the very least Isaiah doesn’t feel worthy of this high calling.
- God calls Moses from the burning bush, telling him to go to Egypt and demand that Pharoah free the Israelites from slavery. Moses has lots of reasons for God to find someone else. (see Exodus 3:1-20)
How does God respond to these objections?
In response to Jeremiah, God promises to be with the prophet in the face of hostility and intimidation. God then touches the prophet’s mouth and says, “I have put my words in your mouth.”
Isaiah’s bad language is forgiven. God sends a seraph (an angelic being) with a burning coal to touch Isaiah’s lips and show that his guilt has been purged.
For Moses, God sends Aaron (Moses’s brother) to do the talking. God empowers Moses to do signs and wonders with his walking stick. And God shares the Divine Name –“I AM” with Moses.
In each case, God demonstrates that what matters most is not the ability of the person but the faithfulness of God.
Questions for reflection
- Is God calling you to do something which frightens you, something that could be costly or difficult? What keeps you from answering this call?
- There’s a saying that’s been around for several years: “God doesn’t call the equipped. God equips the called.” What do you think of this statement?
- What kinds of things do you think God is calling our church to do? What kind of church is God calling us to be?
For kids and youth
- Jeremiah was afraid to do what God asked him to do. Can you think of a time when you knew the right thing to do but were afraid to do it? What was scary about it?
- Jeremiah was worried that he was too young to stand up and speak God’s word. But God told Jeremiah not to worry about that. You don’t have to wait until you’re an adult to do things for God. God has work for you to do right now.
- How is God calling you to make a difference right now, in your school and where you live?