God spoke this to Jeremiah, “Do not be afraid of their faces, For I AM WITH YOU TO DELIVER YOU,” SAYS THE LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I HAVE PUT MY WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH…Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land—Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. THEY WILL FIGHT AGAINST YOU, BUT THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST YOU. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “TO DELIVER YOU.” (Jeremiah 1:8-9, 17-19)
God anointed Jeremiah as one of His prophets before he was born. Read Jeremiah 1:4-5. It says, “(4) Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: (5) ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) God said that before Jeremiah was even formed in the womb, He knew (approved) him and before he was born God sanctified (which means to consecrate, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be separate, to set apart) and ordained (commissioned) him as a prophet. When God informed Jeremiah of his ministry, Jeremiah was believed to be between the age of a teenager but younger than twenty-five – which was considered a very young man as it related to maturity and the respect given to adults. For this reason, Jeremiah did not think he could do the job. Let’s continue reading at verse six. “Then said I: ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.’” (Jeremiah 1:6) Jeremiah told God that he could not speak to kings and other leaders because of his age. Think about how a teenager would feel walking into the office of the President of the United States to deliver a message to him from God. Can you imagine how in awe he would be just walking into the Oval office? I can imagine this is what Jeremiah was thinking when God told him HE WOULD BE A PROPHET TO THE NATIONS.
GOD WAS ALWAYS WITH JEREMIAH.
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham