
It is not my word, but Thy Word, O Lord!
In the Old Testament reading for this Sunday, it talks about the prophet Jeremiah. This holy man of God was called, by the Lord, to go preach, His Holy Word, to His people. Of course, Jeremiah was rather hesitant about answering the call of God to be His spokesperson. Here is what the prophet says, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” Maybe, Jeremiah did have a good and valid reason to refrain from diving into the opportunity to be God’s prophetic speaker!
I remember when I was contemplating going to the Seminary there was something about the Pastoral Ministry that caused me considerable concern. And just what was it that weighed so heavily on my heart and mind? Preaching the Word of the Lord in a worship service setting. I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how I could be a Pastor and not have to preach a sermon to a congregation. I thought of being a Chaplain in a hospital/nursing home setting. Maybe that way I could minimize my need to have to preach, or at least preach before larger crowds.
As I seriously looked at my gifts and talents, being an effective preacher of God’s Word was not high on the list. I had a very similar, Jeremiah type conversation, with God, about my fear and apprehension to stand before His people and declare His Word. I was in no way qualified to take on such an important assignment. There were certainly other men more gifted than me to carry out the public proclamation of Holy Scripture!
All of what I believed may have been accurate and true. But there is one thing I did not figure into the scenario: When God calls a person to do His work, He also gives them what they will need to do it. Each time I give a sermon I am thankful to the Lord for the blessing of being His mouthpiece. I am also humbled in knowing it is by His power alone I am able to stand before His people and give the message He has laid on my heart. It can definitely admit it is not me speaking folks, but the Lord Almighty speaking through me!
I would like to end this devotion, by sharing a note of encouragement with each one of you, who may be fearful of sharing God’s Word with others. If the Lord calls you to it, He will give you what you need to get through it. The Lord has given us the Holy Spirit to help us tell others about Jesus, and the story of salvation, that is weaved throughout the Bible. It is His message, and He will use various means, even you and me, to get it out into the world. I hope and pray you will faithfully allow yourself to be used for such an honorable task. And do not worry about the details because God’s got it covered (I am speaking from experience). Pastor McCarty