Reading the Bible with me? Then grab your pen and journal and join me in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was the son of a priest named Hilkiah. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, raised in a little Judean village called Anathoth. He was set apart by God before he was born. He never married. He had a fifty-year ministry calling the people of Judah to repentance to avoid God’s judgment. They did not listen. That is one reason he is referred to as “the weeping prophet.” His heart was broken over Judah’s collective sin and their unwillingness to repent. He was often threatened, tried for his life, put in stocks, humiliated publicly by a false prophet, and thrown in a pit and left to die.
I love the first chapter of this prophecy because it validates the pro-life movement. God tells Jeremiah in verse six, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (NLT) Jeremiah protested God’s call. His protest was that he was too young. Look at God’s response in chapter one, verses three to six. God spoke to him, overlooked his protest, touched him, and promised His Presence and protection. God gives him a vision and then issued a challenge in verses 17-19. “Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. 18 For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. 19 They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (NLT)
The faithfulness of Jeremiah is a challenge to follower of Jesus to bold in this culture of darkness. Do not be intimidated by those who walk in darkness for they will not prevail over the faithful. Like Jeremiah, we have the omnipotent God as Protector and Rescuer!
