I don’t want to, but for You LORD…I’ll Try.
(Part 2)
February 5, 2012

All through the Written Word of GOD, that is, The Bible, there are people who GOD called upon for specific tasks but they didn’t want to do it.  Fear came and doubt came and they were apprehensive to obey GOD.  Fear and doubt are scary emotions and everyone on earth experiences these many times during life, but we serve a GOD who is all powerful and when HE calls upon us to do anything, HE will give us the grace and the means to succeed.  It’s all up to us whether or not we will step out on faith and trust HIM, or let fear rule over us.  Today we will look at some examples in the Bible of ordinary people that GOD used for greatness.  He has a plan for each of our lives and if we will trust, obey and walk in the paths HE has set before us, we can be used for greatness as well, for the Glory and Honor of GOD who rightly deserves all Praise.  GOD Bless you all :O)

Handout:  I Don’t Want To, but for You LORD, I’ll Try

Last week we looked at the lives’ of two men, the first one was Joshua and the second of a man named Gideon.  In both of their lives GOD called upon them to do what seemed impossible.  Their first reactions were filled with fear but The LORD was with them.  They didn’t want to, but for The LORD they tried and GOD brought success because of their faith.  The next person we will look at is a young man named Jeremia

Jeremiah was the son of a priest and when he was around 17 or 18 years old GOD called him to be a prophet. Now we will read that Jeremiah was reluctant to answer the call of God, because he was a teenager when God called him. He is like many of us, who feel incapable to do the task God calls us to.

His ministry covered a period of hard and painful times. Judah is flooded by the enemy and the Hebrews are carried away captive to Babylon. He, as many other prophets, brought warning from God. The people did not heed the warning and were taken. He later prophesies of the return of the Hebrews to Jerusalem.

Here we will read the accounts written by Jeremiah of what happened during his life. Jeremiah was called by GOD to be a prophet during the reign of five different kings.

In reading we learn that Jeremiah preached, as well as prophesied, when the Hebrews were taken captive. Jeremiah was given the privilege of staying in Jerusalem, if he wished, and he did stay. A band of Jews forced him to go to Egypt, and he prophesied there.

Jeremiah did not choose to be a prophet. God chose Jeremiah. God had placed such a burden for the people on Jeremiah, that he was compelled to prophesy to them. God touched his mouth and put His words in Jeremiah's mouth. The message, then, was God's message, spoken through him.

Keep in mind, the name "Jeremiah" means Jah will rise. Jeremiah was alive during the time of Ezekiel and Daniel. Daniel was God's choice to prophesy in the Babylonian palace. Ezekiel prophesied and acted as priest to the rural people. Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem and saw it destroyed because of the wickedness of Israel when they abandoned The LORD and HIS commandments and turned to other gods.

Let’s go to The Word of GOD I have copied here for you and read.

Jeremiah 1:1-10

“ 1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2To 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. 3It 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.
 4Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5Before 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.
 6Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Now as stated before, Jeremiah did not choose to be a prophet at all, and he certainly didn’t choose to be one so young (some say he was in the age around 17 to 20 years old) and at a time when Israel had turned their backs on GOD and were about to be punished for their great sin.  However GOD had different plans for Jeremiah than he had for himself.
Has GOD created a plan and a life for you that you did not choose?  Most of the time, when we are young, we map out how we want our lives to go and we never realize until we are older that GOD created us for HIS good purpose.  HIS plans for us were created way before we were EVER born.  Just like GOD taught Jeremiah, before I formed you in your mothers womb I had a plan for your life, it’s why you were even born.  How foolish for us to try to run from that plan, it’s what we were placed here to do! 
There are so many people today running from the plans and the purpose that GOD placed them upon the earth to do, and they are miserable.  We can run from GOD, but we cannot hide and eventually we will have to stop running and face HIM.  We can cause ourselves so much unnecessary pain by running and trying to live for ourselves and what we want.  It is much wiser to just obey and surrender to GOD. 
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments: HIS Praise endureth for ever.”
Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived, GOD is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
I heart a quote once, it went, “If you want to hear GOD laugh, tell Him your plans.”
So GOD called, and fear and doubt crept into Jeremiah’s mind just like it does to us most times.  Sweet young Jeremiah thought he had a good excuse but he did not, and neither do you and I.  If GOD says go, then we need to go.  He will do in us what we cannot do.
 7But 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. 8Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
 9Then 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. 10See, 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.”
Jeremiah 1:14-19
14Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
 17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
God has warned Jeremiah, now it won’t be easy, but you go and do what I tell you to anyway and I will be with you and I will protect you.  If you don’t I will confound you or make you look foolish in front of them.  Jeremiah was at a cross roads.  He could be enslaved to his fear and doubt, or he could step out on faith in GOD and obey believing that GOD would be with HIM and qualify him to do what HE had called him to do. 
“The LORD GOD does not always call the qualified, but HE does ALWAYS qualify the called.”
When GOD calls you out to do something for HIM, most of the time it will be against your very nature. Your flesh will not want to do it.  GOD will call you out of your comfort zone every time but if you will heed HIS call, you will grow and you will succeed because HE will cause you to succeed!  It’s all in JESUS!
Jeremiah made the right choice and he went on and obeyed The LORD and GOD was with HIM, but just as GOD told him, it was not easy.  Jeremiah is called the crying preacher or the crying prophet because of his emotions.  He cared so much for these people and GOD created him with those emotions and that sensitivity.  GOD creates us and gives us the emotions and the personalities that we need to have to accomplish what HE has called us to do. 

Jeremiah felt must pain and he was very empathetic and emotional and it was exactly what was needed for him to be passionate about this job that GOD had placed him here to do.  He had to care more about these people, and he had to be more passionate about GOD in order to keep going and endure what he would have to endure.

In Jeremiah’s day, young men did not dare scold or rebuke their elders but that is exactly what GOD was having him do and they did not take to it well at all!

Jeremiah 20:1 “1 Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the LORD, heard what Jeremiah was prophesying. 2 So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the LORD’s Temple.”

Jeremiah 20:7-18 “7O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
 8For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
By now Jeremiah was broken down by the hatred toward him by everyone around him, and the beating and the scorning.  He decided I will not prophesy any more and I will keep quiet because I can’t do this any more and I can’t take this pain any more, but he found that his passion was so strong, and GOD’S word was in him so strongly that when he tried to be quiet, it was like fire inside his bones and it came bursting forth and he could not help himself! 
That blesses me on so many levels.  Oh that I and all of GOD’S people would be so over taken by GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT and filled with such love and passion for HIM that when we tried to give up, when we tried to keep quiet, it would be like fire in our bones and we could not contain it, it would come bursting forth like fountains of living water!  Praise The LORD!
 10For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
 11But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. 12But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
 13Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. 
Jeremiah’s task was not an easy one, it was not fun and it was painful, but he did what GOD called him to do because GOD enabled him to do it and because GOD was with him.  Dear one, GOD may be calling on you today to do a job that you did not sign up for, or to endure something that you do not want to go through, but know that if HE has called upon you then it is for a reason and HE will work it out for your good.  You were placed on this earth to fulfill HIS will and HIS good purpose for your life and you will not have to endure it alone.  He will be with you.  He will never leave or forsake you. 
GOD will accomplish in you what HE has begun.
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that HE which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of JESUS CHRIST.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.”
Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world Amen.”
Whatever it is that GOD has placed in your life, or whatever HE is calling you to do, go, do, obey HIS voice and follow HIM.  HE will not fail you or forsake you.  If it were up to our fleshly natures, we would all have a perfect life full of happiness no pain, no suffering, no heartache, no hardships and life would just be fun with no mountains to climb and no valleys to walk through.  Yes that might be nice for some if that could happen, but Beloved, we would miss out on the most amazing adventure of life and GOD’S grace.   Our GOD and this life for HIM is a wild ride and I wouldn’t miss it for anything this old world has to offer because its in those valleys and in those trials when I know HIM and the middle of the storm, I know HIS peace and there is nothing like it!  I wouldn’t trade HIM for anything, so I encourage myself and you in the LORD and say, let’s be honest with HIM when HE calls and say, LORD, I don’t want to…but for YOU…I’ll try!  GOD Bless you all and may HIS peace reign in your hearts and in mine always.
Dear Righteous, Heavenly Father…
LORD, Thank You for loving us and being gracious to us and thank You for allowing us to work through our fears and doubts and for being patient with us.  Help us to always live according to Your plans and not our own and help us to not miss out on this adventure with YOU!  You are everything and we love you.  We praise YOU today and thank YOU for the many blessings You have given to us.  Please comfort Your children today and give us more passion and emotion for You and more faith so that we can follow You anywhere You lead because Your ways are best and Your ways O GOD are peace, joy, and love.  In Your name we pray Sweet JESUS…Amen

Cindygirl
February 3, 2012