Jeremiah 1:4-10
This is what God said:
“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations - that’s what I had in mind for you.”
But I said, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me. I don’t know anything. I’m only a boy!”
God told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’ I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there. I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it. Don’t be afraid of a soul. I’ll be right there, looking after you.” God’s Decree.
God reached out, touched my mouth, and said, “Look! I’ve just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered! See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do among nations and governments—a red-letter day! Your job is to pull up and tear down, take apart and demolish,
And then start over, building and planting.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One of the earliest lessons we teach our children is how to speak and do things for themselves. Timothy will say to me, “I want Uncle Greg to come downstairs and see what I built with blocks.” For a long time, he was not permitted to go upstairs alone, because we were afraid he would fall on the steps. Now he is big enough to go up and down independently. Still, when I tell him to go and ask his Uncle Greg to come and have a look, he sometimes says, “But I can’t!” When I either ignore this or remind him that he can indeed do it himself, he usually decides to go alone to summon his uncle. Sometimes he will ask, “Come with me?” And I will usually oblige. My point is not to make him do things by himself as much as to teach him that he is developing capabilities for accomplishing new things.
We will start to walk somewhere together, and Timothy will say, “Carry me!” I often remind him that he is a big boy – almost too big now for me to carry – that he is perfectly capable of walking. Sometimes, he will come back with… “But I’m too little… I’m just a little boy!” And I have to laugh at this ploy for my sympathies and concession. This is exactly what Jeremiah said to God. But God had equipped Jeremiah for these tasks and knew his capabilities – and He was not buying this excuse for one minute!
If we are truly serving God, there will be plenty of times when we feel inadequate to accomplish what He has called us to do – in our own strength and wisdom. We will want to throw up our hands and say, “But I am too young/old/poor/sick… I’m not smart enough… I don’t have time… I don’t have any talent for this. But with God, all things are possible. He has equipped us to do far beyond what we ever dreamed possible. And it is time for us to realize just how ridiculous our excuses must sound to Him.
God has called me to do several things in even the last few months that I would never have dreamed were possible. There is no way I could have accomplished many of them under my own power… or even with the help of my husband, family members, friends and acquaintances. There have been too many instances where I had to stop and say, “Only God can get this done.” And I will admit… there were a few times when I wanted to throw up my hands and say, “But wait! I’m only human…I’m not strong enough… this is too hard… there is NO WAY this can ever work… I am ‘just a boy!’” And yet, God has proven to me over and again that HIS power and purpose far exceed mine. With God behind me (and beside me), I can do far more than I ever expected!
So what is God calling you to do today that seems daunting and/or impossible? Where is He sending you and equipping you to serve, even though you feel anything but adequate for the task? What is your excuse for turning Him down… and have you considered how preposterous you seem to Him for doing so? Will this be the day you step up and out - and ask, “Where, when and how, LORD?” instead of merely “Why me?” Or will you leave Him shaking His head in disappointment as you offer yet another argument as you try to justify your hesitance or refusal?
Do you really believe in the power of God to do all things? Are you confident that He formed you for His purposes… that He will equip you to handle anything and everything to which He calls you? Isn’t it time to tear down the walls of insecurity, uncertainty, and excuses… to allow God to work in and through you? Are you ready to build and plant wherever God sends you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label feeling inadequate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feeling inadequate. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 10, 2013
April 10 ~ Exodus 20:18-20
When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Will you talk to So-and-so about this for me?” Every one of us has uttered a form of this question at one point or another. Whether we are asking a sibling to talk to a parent for us… or we ask someone to put in a good word for us with a potential employer… or we want a friend to find out if that special someone really likes us…we don’t even realize how often we are asking someone else to intercede on our behalf – in a myriad of circumstances. Some requests are innocuous, as in “I’ll ask my husband what he thinks would be the best way for you to handle that repair job”… or “I’ll ask Mary who she recommends for washing machine repair.” Others represent our inability – for whatever reason – to step up and face the person directly, as in “Will you find out if Jim is still mad at me?” or “Will you talk to Sue for me and find out what the plan is, so that I don’t have to talk to her?”
In much the same way, many of us are unable – or unwilling – to speak directly to God. Like the Israelites, we are scared to death of what God might say to us… and we most certainly do not want to face Him in person! So we ask others to pray for us… we base our limited faith in God on the word of friends, acquaintances, and the occasional televangelist. We fail to develop a strong, well-rounded relationship with God… and our excuses run the gamut. “I’m not really that religious… I don’t know the Bible like others do… I prefer to experience God in nature… God doesn’t want to hear from me… I don’t know how to pray and/or talk to God – I wouldn’t know what to say… I’m not good enough for God… God is mad at me”…all of these – and countless more – are the excuses we offer.
The truth is that intercessory prayers have their place, but nobody can communicate with God on your behalf like you can. We will never be worthy… good enough… or “religious/spiritual” enough! Still, God wants to have a relationship with us. God is NOT mad at us… He loves us. Experiencing God in nature and a variety of other ways has its place… but fellowship with other believers, prayer, Bible study and worship all are important, too.
The bottom line is that we do not want to have a “second-hand relationship” with God. We need to communicate with Him directly, humbly, yet boldly. We need to come before Him with anything and everything… we need to hear from God in person! You might not always like what He has to say to in return… but remember, God doesn’t like everything we say and do –yet He loves and welcomes us. All you have to do is start the dialog… simply say, “LORD, I’m here… I need you…and I'm listening...” and He will answer.
What are your excuses? Isn’t it time you stopped having a “second-hand relationship” with God and got to know Him for yourself? Isn’t it time you heard His word for your life directly from Him instead of a third party? Don’t you think it’s time to build your own relationship with Him and cut out the middle-man? What are you waiting for… what is your excuse this time?
©2013 Debbie Robus
When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Will you talk to So-and-so about this for me?” Every one of us has uttered a form of this question at one point or another. Whether we are asking a sibling to talk to a parent for us… or we ask someone to put in a good word for us with a potential employer… or we want a friend to find out if that special someone really likes us…we don’t even realize how often we are asking someone else to intercede on our behalf – in a myriad of circumstances. Some requests are innocuous, as in “I’ll ask my husband what he thinks would be the best way for you to handle that repair job”… or “I’ll ask Mary who she recommends for washing machine repair.” Others represent our inability – for whatever reason – to step up and face the person directly, as in “Will you find out if Jim is still mad at me?” or “Will you talk to Sue for me and find out what the plan is, so that I don’t have to talk to her?”
In much the same way, many of us are unable – or unwilling – to speak directly to God. Like the Israelites, we are scared to death of what God might say to us… and we most certainly do not want to face Him in person! So we ask others to pray for us… we base our limited faith in God on the word of friends, acquaintances, and the occasional televangelist. We fail to develop a strong, well-rounded relationship with God… and our excuses run the gamut. “I’m not really that religious… I don’t know the Bible like others do… I prefer to experience God in nature… God doesn’t want to hear from me… I don’t know how to pray and/or talk to God – I wouldn’t know what to say… I’m not good enough for God… God is mad at me”…all of these – and countless more – are the excuses we offer.
The truth is that intercessory prayers have their place, but nobody can communicate with God on your behalf like you can. We will never be worthy… good enough… or “religious/spiritual” enough! Still, God wants to have a relationship with us. God is NOT mad at us… He loves us. Experiencing God in nature and a variety of other ways has its place… but fellowship with other believers, prayer, Bible study and worship all are important, too.
The bottom line is that we do not want to have a “second-hand relationship” with God. We need to communicate with Him directly, humbly, yet boldly. We need to come before Him with anything and everything… we need to hear from God in person! You might not always like what He has to say to in return… but remember, God doesn’t like everything we say and do –yet He loves and welcomes us. All you have to do is start the dialog… simply say, “LORD, I’m here… I need you…and I'm listening...” and He will answer.
What are your excuses? Isn’t it time you stopped having a “second-hand relationship” with God and got to know Him for yourself? Isn’t it time you heard His word for your life directly from Him instead of a third party? Don’t you think it’s time to build your own relationship with Him and cut out the middle-man? What are you waiting for… what is your excuse this time?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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