The Word of God gives us road signs by
which to live, and like the prophet Jeremiah we often discover that the road work
ahead is mentally and spiritually challenging.
To prepare for our road work, it will be helpful to understand
Jeremiah’s call from God. He did not attend Seminary. He did not write a thesis
for an advanced degree in Theology. He did not pray and asked God to choose him
as a prophet. He was a young boy, as indicated by his response when God called
him in Jeremiah 1:6-8. “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for
I am a child.” But God made his instructions to Jeremiah clear: “Say not, I am
a child. Go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou
shalt speak.” (KJV) Jeremiah had
some road work ahead.
Have you had that experience? Have you been content with life as is
when without warning your world turned upside down? Did you believe that life
was progressing just as you wanted but God… Did you find yourself in an unexpected
situation? If so, perhaps you can better understand Jeremiah’s reluctance to
answer God’s call to a work that would take him into situations from which he would
need to be delivered, rescued, or saved. Jeremiah’s obedience called him to
trust God with his life—so does yours and mine.
While we may be different from others in our vocation, our personality,
our dreams and goals, we are alike in this; God desires each of us to know Him
and to lead others to know Him. That requires us to be vigilant, watchful,
alert—mindful of the road signs God places along our path. We must care enough
to weep and warn those who do not have a relationship with Christ of the perils
of living a life outside the will of God.
The road that we take, our conduct, our way of life, our lifestyle, must
be deliberate, pro-active, and purposeful. We must pay attention not only for
our sake but also for the sake of those who will watch and follow after us—family,
friends, co-workers, strangers. We are leaving a legacy. Our legacy is either
of faith and obedience or of unbelief and disobedience. The choice is yours and
mine. Let us pray and ask God to help us choose wisely for there is road work ahead.
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