ODJ: please excuse me
October 12, 2011
You must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you (v.7).
READ: Jeremiah 1:1-10
At the library, I noticed an elderly woman browsing in the large-print book section. She shuffled down the aisles with a walker, stopping frequently to drop a book into her bulging tote bag. Despite less-than-perfect eyesight, limited mobility, and failing strength, she was hauling home a hoard of books! Any one of her limitations would have been an ample excuse for staying home.
Jeremiah had what sounded like a solid excuse when God called him to be a prophet. He tried to back out by saying, “I’m too young!” (Jeremiah 1:6). But God responded, “Don’t say ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you” (v.7). Like Jeremiah, some of us try to excuse ourselves from Christian service because of our relative inexperience. God cares more about our obedience, however, than our experience level.
He anticipated Jeremiah’s next possible excuse by advising, “Don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you” (v.8). God’s presence and protection are more significant than the people problems we may encounter in His service. Paul expressed it like this: “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
While it’s true that our excuses are unacceptable with our heavenly Father, He doesn’t just demand obedience, promise protection, and leave it at that. In Jeremiah’s case, the Lord reached out and touched his mouth, saying “Look, I have put My words in your mouth!” (Jeremiah 1:9). Later, God told Jeremiah, “Today I have made you strong” (v.18).
When we surrender our hesitant hearts, God often gives us a glimpse of His enabling power. His supernatural support helps us to step forward and serve Him . . . without excuses! —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Do you view Christian service as a duty or a privilege? What’s holding you back from serving God?
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