No Excuses

Jeremiah 1: 4 - 7, Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. NKJV

Don't you find Jeremiah's response to God to be a little humorous? Jeremiah thought he was too young to be a prophet of God, but God told him that while he was being formed in his mother's womb, He had ordained him to be a prophet. Now that's young!

Did you know that God has given you the power to overcome anything or anyone whom Satan might use against you to prevent you from fulfilling God's purpose for your life? Doesn't Paul teach us in Romans 8 that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose? 

You may ask, "Where is this power, and how do I access it so that I can move forward in my walk and purpose in Christ?" Romans 12: 3 says that God has given to every man (person) the measure of faith. With that faith, we can stand on God's Word and overcome our accuser when he tries to stop us from obeying God's will. God has also given us His Spirit, who will empower us to obey... once we choose to accept and fulfill God's purpose on earth.

Look at young Jeremiah's response to God when He declared to him that he would be a prophet. "I cannot speak for I am a youth." It was as though Jeremiah didn't give time for God to finish His thought before he jumped back at God with an anxious response. It would be the same as one of us reading this word today, saying to God, "I can't do what you've called me to do for you on earth because I'm ___________. Fill in the blank with your excuse.

We must understand that our faith has given us power over the Devil, our past sins, and changed our eternal destination, all because we chose to trust in Jesus as our Savior. If our faith in Christ has done all these things for us thus far as children of God, don't you also think that our faith in God's Word can empower us to be successful in our purpose as well?

It's true that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but it's also true that God looked through the blood of Christ and saw our need more than our faults, and for His sake, He forgave us. When we place faith in Christ, it becomes the great equalizer. Our faith in Christ and God's Word makes us acceptable and worthy to serve and represent God in the earth. You can do all things through Christ because it is He who gives you the strength.

Grace is given to all who place their faith in Jesus as God's only begotten Son. Grace gives us the power to do successfully what was impossible to do before grace was granted. Therefore, we don't have to measure up to someone's standards in order to carryout God's will in our lives. All we must do is have faith in God, humble ourselves as Jeremiah had to do, and accept the plan that God has for us with thanksgiving.  A thousand mile journey begins with the first step. If you're not serving God according to His divine purpose because________, then you can begin today. Just be willing, and He'll be there to help you succeed.

One Step at a Time,
Pastor Asa