In today’s Daily Devotional by Allen J. Huth, we will talk through the fifty-two chapters of the Book of Jeremiah, beginning with Jeremiah 1. As we take a deeper look into the rich tapestry of this prophetic work, we will uncover the life and ministry of Jeremiah, a man called from youth to speak God’s truth to a wayward nation. Despite facing rejection and persecution, Jeremiah remained steadfast in delivering God’s message of repentance and restoration. Let’s talk about Jeremiah 1 | God’s plan for my life. You can read more about God’s plan for you life in Luke 5.
God Calls Us to Tell Others about His Love
Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry spanned over four decades, marked by his unwavering commitment to God’s calling. Through the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah tirelessly proclaimed the consequences of disobedience and the hope of God’s enduring love. His words echo through the ages, urging readers to turn from sin and embrace God’s covenantal promises.
Jeremiah 1 Calls us to Seek God’s Purpose for Our Lives
As we reflect on Jeremiah 1 and the profound impact of his life, we’re reminded of God’s sovereignty in shaping our destinies. Like Jeremiah, we’re called to seek God’s purpose for our lives and to trust in His faithfulness. Through prayer and introspection, may we discover our unique role in God’s grand design and boldly step into His divine plan.
Jeremiah 1 Commentary by Allen J. Huth
Today, we begin the fifty-two chapters of the Book of Jeremiah. We will look at my English Standard Version Study Bible book introduction to learn more about the Book of Jeremiah. It is attributed to the Prophet Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch. Jeremiah was called to be a prophet in 627 B.C. and served over forty years. He was called as a youth, became a priest, and lived in an area of Israel allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. He lived close enough to Jerusalem to understand its people, their worship, and their daily habits. Yet he was far enough away from Jerusalem that he was not afraid to criticize what he saw there.
Jeremiah had a difficult life
His messages of repentance were not well received. His hometown plotted against him, and he suffered much persecution during his forty-year ministry. At God’s command, he never married. Though his ministry spanned four decades, he apparently had only two converts. He is known as the weeping prophet, for weeping over the condition of Israel. He became a prophet during the reign of Josiah, the last faithful king of Judah’s history. Other prophets of his day were Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.
Jeremiah Was Called to Speak God’s Word
He was called to speak to the people of Jerusalem during the revival under King Josiah and continued this prophetic ministry through the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. His task was to hammer home the message that the fall of Jerusalem was not God’s fault, rather, because of Judah’s unfaithfulness to God and listening to false prophets. The theme of the Book of Jeremiah is God’s judgement on breaking His covenant, as well as His displeasure with sin.
In his book, Jeremiah asks people over one hundred times to turn around or repent. He also illustrates God’s determination to restore people and establish new covenants. Jeremiah was a biblical theologian. He used truths found in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Hosea, and Psalms. He gave plenty of advice on what pleases God and what does not.
Though rejected by neighbors, family, and friends, this book teaches acceptance by God as far more important. We will learn man’s heart is desperately wicked, but we will also see God loves with an everlasting love. Please read or listen to the nineteen verses of Jeremiah 1.
Comments
To help us through the Book of Jeremiah, I selected three of my personal Bible reading journals. I picked the first one in 1991, the second one from 2004, and the third one from 2016. There are thirteen years between 1991 and 2004 and twelve years between 2004 and 2016. So, these journals will reflect various ages and stages of my life.
We will cover the fifty-two chapters of the Book of Jeremiah in thirty-one days. Some days, we will look at one chapter. Some days, it will be two. Let’s begin our look at Jeremiah 1 from my journal from 1991, when I was thirty-six years old.
God Had a Plan for Your Life Before You Were Born
In 1991, I read Jeremiah 1 and 2 on the same day and wrote concerning verses 4-9 of chapter 1, “I hope they are my words, too. I have always wanted to be a speaker for God. Lord, stretch out Your hand and touch my mouth and put Your words in my mouth for You.” Stepping aside from the journals for a moment, friends, that was 1991. I was thirty-six years old. I was not a speaker for God at that time, but you can see the desire of my heart was there.
In 2004, I was forty-nine years old when I read Jeremiah 1-3 on the same day and wrote in my journal, “Jeremiah was chosen and appointed by God, referring to 1:5, 9. We too have a task to perform from God. In the womb, He programmed me as well. We should seek His purpose for our lives and do it. Finding out does not guarantee success as we define it. Jeremiah was not successful in the world’s eyes, but he sure was in God’s eyes.”
Jeremiah 1 | God’s Plan for My Life
I wrote an interesting prayer after reading Jeremiah 1-3 that day. “Your purpose for my life. If it’s what I’m doing, provide resources to accomplish it. If it’s not what I’m doing, help me be willing to change.” That ended my journal entry from 2004, so let’s jump to 2016 when I was sixty-one years old.
In 2016, I read Jeremiah 1 on April 1st, which is a significant date of the Ezra Project. It is our anniversary date. It was our fourteenth anniversary on April 1, 2016, and I read Jeremiah 1. You are going to be amazed at what happened that day! Let’s look at the journal.
I wrote, “Jeremiah started under the last good king of Israel, Josiah, and ended with the demise of Israel under Babylonian captivity. He understood he was appointed a prophet by God before he was even born. Was I destined to be president of The Gideons International in 2020 before I was even born? Though he was a youth, God put His Word in Jeremiah’s mouth. God watches over His Word to perform it. Judgment is coming to Israel because, ‘They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands’ (v. 16). Jeremiah is to dress himself for work, say everything God puts in his mouth, and stand rock solid. God will make him invisible if he does. Wow!”
Pray for God’s Favor
After reading Jeremiah 1 that day, I began to pray and wrote my prayers in my journal, “Thanking God for this powerful passage. Praying for its application in my life. Thanking God for fourteen years of Ezra Project, His favor, His faithfulness. Saying I wanted March to be the month of discovery for the new direction of Ezra remembering I met with American Bible Society, Biblica, two pastor forums groups and no clear direction. Sought the Word.”
In the middle of my praying, He asked me to read the passage again. I did and began to pray more, but God wanted quiet. Like Jeremiah, He asked me, “What do you see, Allen?” Nothing was clear to me. I saw a vibration back and forth, like some of old and some of new. He said, “You will do both.”
A Direct Answer from God
Again, He asked, “What do you see, Allen?” I saw earbuds, wires around people’s necks. “Yes, Lord, I see it.” “Record daily Bible readings with your journal entries. People listening to their daily Bible reading every day, everywhere (can be translated into other languages)”. A new app, subscriptions to pay for it. Doing this will free me up for Gideon leadership. More flexibility. Now I see a recording studio. All this fulfilling my passion. I’m enthusiastic. It has high impact. The answer to all my needs, sustainable beyond me, on and on. On April 1st, the anniversary, Ezra 2.0. Board meeting today. I wanted to have the new direction by this day to announce, celebrate, but I had nothing. Now I have it directly from God! Hallelujah!”
Digging Deeper
Yes, that was my journal entry on April 1, 2016, the fourteenth anniversary of the Ezra Project. God gave me our new direction. We had been ministering primarily by speaking in churches for fourteen years and the Lord led us to consider recreating the Ezra Project. I wrote in my journal, I had thought about it, visited various organizations, had pastor focus groups, but had nothing.
We spent months in prayer and seeking the Lord on this. As I mentioned in my journal, I hoped to have something to offer the board on the anniversary date and the board meeting that day and I had nothing until that morning. In my daily quiet time, the Lord opened Jeremiah 1 to my heart. That passage changed everything for the Ezra Project.
I took the message to the board meeting that afternoon. They got excited with tears in their eyes and said, “This new mission, this new direction, fulfills our purpose. Even Ezra himself read the Word to the people.” So on that day, the board approved pursuing this new direction, but we had no idea what to do. I am not a techie so for me to record podcasts or create an app was incredibly unbelievable to me. But God guided our steps all along the way. The product became ADDBIBLE, Audio Daily Devotions.
Jeremiah Obeyed the Voice of the Lord
Like Jeremiah, we obeyed the voice of the Lord. God watched over His Word to perform it through the Ezra Project and ADDBIBLE. Today, ADDBIBLE is played in countries and cities across the globe. To God be the glory for the practical application of His Word. Jeremiah 1 transformed the ministry of the Ezra Project. I hope it has a transforming impact in your own life. God had a plan for Jeremiah. God had a plan for the Ezra Project. God has a plan for your life. Let’s pray.
Prayer
Father, we thank You for the power of Your Word. We thank You that before You formed us in the womb, You knew us and You knew what our purpose was on this earth. We thank You for creating us, putting breath in our bodies, and giving us a purpose for life.
Today, may we take some time to pursue the purpose You have made us for. Show us, Lord, what You had in mind when You formed us in our mother’s womb. Then Lord, give us the courage to pursue it. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
