Daily Devotions
October 11th, 2018 by Pastor SolleyJer 1:1-10
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
KJV
When God called Jeremiah He outlined for the prophet much of what Biblical preaching is today and gave one reason so few people like Bible preaching. Notice verse ten in our reading this morning. (Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.) People want to be built up today, want to feel good about themselves, want to be told all that is good about them. But that is not what the Bible preacher is to do. In order for one to be built up one must first be torn down. Much had to be rooted out of Israel before God could build them up and unfortunately they would not listen to the prophet and God is still waiting to build them up. The next time you get mad at the message that seems to be aimed at you consider the fact that God may be trying to tear something down in order to build you up.