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Jeremiah 1 Devotional

The Promise Behind the Call

“Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah 1:8 (BSB)

Jeremiah's story begins before Jeremiah does. The LORD says he knew him and set him apart before he was formed in the womb (1:5). When Jeremiah protests that he cannot speak and is only a youth (1:6), God does not flatter him. He sets the excuse aside, repeats the assignment, and gives a promise instead: Jeremiah need not fear the people, because God himself will be with him to rescue him (1:7-8). Then the LORD touches his mouth and places his own words there (1:9).

The two visions that follow keep the focus on God. The almond branch means the LORD is watching over his word to carry it out (1:11-12), and the tilting pot means judgment is coming because his people have forsaken him (1:13-16). The chapter ends where it began, with God's presence (1:19), the same promise Jesus gave when he sent out his followers (Matthew 28:20). What God asks of you rests on his nearness, not on your sense of being ready.

To think about: What has God put in front of you that you feel unready for, and how does his promise to be with you change the way you approach it?

About Jeremiah 1: The Call of Jeremiah

God tells young Jeremiah that He appointed him as His prophet before he was born and meets his protest of youth with a promise of His presence. Visions of an almond branch and a tipped cooking pot show that God will fulfill His word and bring invasion from the north, and He makes Jeremiah strong against all foes.

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