Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord." (ESV)
Thoughts
Have you ever been out in the backyard shooting your guns and decided it was time for your young son to learn to shoot the twelve-gauge? "Here you go son. It's your turn." Silence . . .
As you continue to encourage him he no longer makes eye contact, drops his head and doesn't open his mouth. You're not even sure if he is breathing at this point, as you watch the life drain out of him. It takes you a few moments to realize that he isn't excited about shooting this big gun and that your plans to lead him into the final stage of manhood have just been postponed. He isn't ready.
(Mike T)
Action Point
When God calls each of us into a life of ministry we are often like the young and intimidated hunters when we say, "I'm not ready!"
We tend to focus on the things that we can see, hear and rationalize in order to tell ourselves that we aren't ready, or that we aren't qualified. We ask ourselves lots of questions hoping to build a case that makes sense and justifies our fearful response. Questions that start off as questions and quickly become statements like, "How could I ever be like these other great Christians? Who am I to serve God? I'm not qualified . . . I have past sins . . . I don't know much about the Bible . . . I don't speak very well . . . I'm not that smart . . . I'm too young to serve God . . .
Look at God's response to the prophet Jeremiah when Jeremiah told the Lord, "I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." God responded, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord."
God knew you before He knit you in the womb. God knows that even today your faith is like that of a youth. He knows you have weaknesses, but God knows your strengths too. He knows you are afraid that's why God is the one who sends you, and commands what you should speak.
Let's pray that God would help us conquer our fears as He calls us to serve Him in whatever capacity He has called you to this day.
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
When shooting guns with younger hunters always practice proper gun safety. But also try to be encouraging, don't pressure them to shoot the big guns if they are not ready. Build confidence in them first. Start with smaller rifles like the .22 and let them shoot a twenty gauge before handing that dreaded twelve.
