Devotional Guide – Jeremiah 1:4-9

Monday:  From Jeremiah 1:4-9

Michelangelo's Portrait of Jeremiah in the Sistine Chapel

, what were those things that could have hindered Jeremiah from responding to God’s call? From verses 6 and 8, what potential liabilities might keep him and us from responding to God’s call?
Tuesday: Have you ever found yourself like Jeremiah resisting the divine call overwhelmed with a sense of your own inadequacy? Where God calls, He equips. He did it for Moses (Exodus 3-4:17). He did it for Jeremiah (1:9), and He did it for the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 2:17-3:6). How might the Lord want to do it also for you?
Wednesday: Look at verse 9 again. What were the two things that equipped Jeremiah to heed God’s call? Would you pray for the Lord to do the same for you? Reflect on this corollary passage from 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Thursday: God’s people have tended to resist the notion of “to the nations” (1:5). Unfortunately, the Jewish Targum paraphrases these words of Jeremiah like this: “I have appointed you as a prophet to make the Gentiles drink the cup of cursing.” No doubt judgment is exactly what we gentiles deserve, but thanks be to God that Jesus drank to the dregs the cup of the curse of sin so that we could lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord and be saved (Psalm 116:12-14). Thank Him today and ask Him to show you where you are resisting His purposes to bless the nations.
Friday: What are the marks of a call to ministry? Don’t just think vocationally. How do you know God is calling you to serve in a particular way in the church? Click on this piece from John Newton entitled: “The Marks of a Call to Ministry.” There are three marks: Affinity, ability, and opportunity. Pray through these three things in terms of your own life. When did God call Jeremiah?
Saturday: What did God’s call involve for Jeremiah? Two things are mentioned in verse 7. Pray about going where He sends and speaking what He says!