“Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.'” (Jeremiah 1:9-10 ESV)
Perhaps the single most powerful thought coming from these weeks in the early verses of Jeremiah (at least for me) is how much God believed in Jeremiah…and by extension how much He believes in His people today….US!
I really cannot say that I would not have done the same as Jeremiah. I remember as a young boy, leaders in the local church telling me that preparation for ministry is where I should plan my future. The first time I was asked to do the “speaking” on Youth Sunday, I really do think that was the only way they could be sure where I would be. After the service, the men who served alongside my father in leadership came to me one by one telling my that I was a “natural” for the pulpit. Dad said he was proud of me, but did not wax eloquent, because that was not his style. I remember thinking how nice it was that these Godly men believed in me, but I still thought I should be an architect.
Jeremiah was filled with anxiety, I am sure, as he thought about God’s promise that he was to “pluck up and break down.” You do not pluck up or break down something or someone that is not an institution or individual of real power. Without saying it in these words, God was telling Jeremiah that earthly power does not define God’s Word. Earthly power and prestige never triumph over God’s truth and blessing. Jeremiah could go in confidence, because it was not about Him AND because God believed in Him.
As the church today, we MUST NOT shrink before the powerful. Many in the world wish we would just be quiet or go away, but we must not, because God believes in US. God is the one who will pluck up, break down, build and plant, but WE are His messengers with the ONLY truth that changes the world. Don’t shrink from the challenge! God believes in us! You think about that!
