Have you read the biblical account of Jeremiah, or any history about him? How would you describe this prophet’s life? I mean, here’s a guy who had been given the job of prophesying God’s judgment on His people for turning away and breaking their covenant with God. And God’s judgment is nothing to sneeze at. God is done with the whole nation’s disobedience and rebellion, and He is sending other kingdoms to “set up their thrones in the entrance of our gates … they will come against our surrounding walls and towns … He has pronounced His judgment” (Jeremiah 1). Who of us would raise our hand and say, “Okay Lord, I’ll do it. I’ll tell the nation they’ve had their chances to repent and now judgment is coming. They’re gonna hate me, some will want to kill me because they don’t want to hear what You have to say. But sure, I’ll do it.” Can you put yourself in Jeremiah’s shoes? I venture none of us would judge Jeremiah’s sarcasm, his complaint about the day he was born, “a man with whom the whole land strives and contends,” Jeremiah said in chapter 15 verse 10 (emphasis mine). Sounds like Job when he regretted the day he was born (see Job chapter 3).
As believers, we have a specific voice God has given us, a path He has before us to share His truth and be His testimony. He says to pick up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). So what does this mean? In the context of when Jesus said this, He was talking with His disciples about the many things He must suffer, including rejection, and ultimately choosing the cross to fulfill the promise of being our Savior. Daily He chose to look beyond the what-ifs and not let fear take hold, to focus on teaching truth and reaching those who would listen, to trust the Father even though His path was hard. It’s understandable to want the path to be easy, to be tired of the spiritual battle, to want to stay in a quiet space. Jeremiah says in chapter 1 verse 6, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” And later in 12:1 he says, “You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” Jeremiah often needed God’s affirmation that He was with him. In the introduction to Jeremiah’s account, in the NIV Study Bible (1973/2011), it states that “the memory of [Jeremiah’s] divine call (1:17) and the Lord’s frequent reaffirmations of his commissioning as a prophet (see, e.g., 3:12; 7:2,27-28; 11:2,6; 13:12-13; 17:19-20) made Jeremiah fearless and faithful in the service of his God (emphasis mine).
So now I ask, How can you use your voice? What is the path God has given you? Is it through music, writing, building friendships at work that open the door to sharing Jesus, visiting nursing homes, serving in the community, boldly declaring truth on social media? Is it through drama and acting, through artwork and other creative forms, is it through coming alongside people and helping carry their burdens? If we won’t use our voice for truth, then are we any different from those who are being a voice for the wrong things?
“When you believed, you were marked in [Christ] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit … to the praise of His glory. For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus … I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you … and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:13-20).