Two surprises

Thoughts based on Highly Favoured, chapter 1:

When we belong to Jesus, two astonishing things are true: We already have God’s favour, and it is both better and harder than we imagine. In today’s passage, Jeremiah gets a very direct, personal word from God. He is being told what God has for him to do. The job will be telling people God’s message. And they won’t like it. People want to hear: “Everything will be fine. God is blessing you.” Instead Jeremiah will have to tell them: “You’ve been doing things wrong! Unless you change and get right with God, you and all your people are in very big trouble.” Nobody wants to hear that, least of all the people who are in charge. But God promises Jeremiah: “I have made you strong.” Just one very young man—“I’m way too young,” he says (Jeremiah 1:6)—but he will be as tough as a fortified city a whole army can’t capture. He will be as solid as iron. So God keeps telling him: don’t be scared! You have me, and I will take care of you, even when everyone is against you. 

Jeremiah has God’s favour, his presence and his power. God says so: “I, the Lord, have spoken!” It’s real, but it’s neither easy nor fun. It will be very, very hard and he will need every bit of that power to do the job God is giving him to do.

Reflect and discuss: 

How about you? Is there something God wants you to do that scares you? Is there something he wants you to stop doing that will be very hard?

Remember God’s favour. He promises his surprising, astonishing power and presence. And it turns out to be harder, and better than we thought.

Thank God for his favour and, in trust, grab hold of his good promise.