Jeremiah 1:9-10

Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

Being a prophet is a tough job, and Jeremiah was just about to learn how demanding it was going to be for him. We all love sharing good news and saying nice things about people, but much of Jeremiah’s job was almost the complete opposite. He had to declare words of judgment to a nation that had abandoned God’s way. It was going to be a hard road for him, so he needed to be absolutely clear that what he was passing on was from God himself. In a moment which reminds us of the call of Isaiah, the Lord reached out and touched his mouth as he gave him his marching orders.

God’s words are always full of love, but they are often tough both to hear and to share. It is tempting for a preacher or prophet to say what people want to hear. People are always happy to be entertained and to hear words of comfort and affirmation, and it is a pleasure both to share them and listen to them. There comes a time, however, when what is needed are uncomfortable words of warning and even of judgement. The prophecy of Jeremiah is full of such words, and that gave the prophet a huge burden to bear.

We need to pray continually for those who have the awesome responsibility of sharing God’s word. We must pray that they, like Jeremiah, will have a close relationship with the living God, and then we need to pray that the people who listen to them will have the grace, humility and wisdom to be obedient to God’s voice.

Question

Why do you think it is particularly demanding to share God’s word?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank you for those whom you have called to communicate your word today. Keep them close to you and give them courage to share your word of life, however tough that might be. Amen