THE POWER OF VISION (1)

“SEE, I have this day SET YOU OVER the nations and over the kingdoms – Jeremiah 1: 10a

Beyond learning how not to make excuses, the story of Jeremiah’s Call reveals THE POWER of VISION: “SEE, I have this day SET YOU OVER the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant” (Jer.1:10). Jeremiah’s family background and how life was in his time might have accounted for his reluctance to be a prophet. Judah was in an era of moral decay. Rather than take heed of God’s message of repentance, the people followed carnal desires and even persecuted the prophets. God tasked Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah’s impending doom, a message they surely hated! The young Jeremiah couldn’t imagine himself doing this; hence the excuse: “Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth” (v.6b).

God encouraged Jeremiah to not be afraid of the people’s faces. He might not be calling us to be prophets, but we are called to be the salt of the earth, light of the world, and beacon of hope to the hopeless (Mt.5:14-16). We must stop making excuses. Whatever excuse we have is not good enough for us to avoid Gods Call. We must put fear to flight knowing that God is with us and will deliver us from all danger and harm: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom.8:31b). Thankfully, Jeremiah answered God’s Call. Though he made an excuse, he eventually embraced the Divine Vision and assignment. He went and proclaimed God’s message, courageously walked the streets of Judah and showed them the way to life! Though we might have made excuses in the past, it’s time to accept our heavenly Father’s Purpose.

Jeremiah’s encounter shows that God’s knowledge of us precedes the womb. His plans for us began to take shape before we ever saw the light of day (Psa.139: 13-18). Jeremiah was consecrated for his task from the womb. God had set him aside for a purpose, to be the prophetic voice amidst growing geopolitical unrest that would threaten and ultimately lead to the destruction of the temple and the exile to Babylon. The time had now come for Jeremiah to lay hold on his Reason for Being, by means of a Divine Vision; hence the command to “SEE”!

The Vision of Dominion that God gave Jeremiah was detailed: To root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build, and plant! In order to hear and follow God’s Purpose, we too must pluck up, pull down, destroy, and overthrow all excuses that keep us from building, planting, and becoming who God has called us to be! Our human limits are not beyond God’s Power to overcome. These very limits create the opportunity for His Glory to be seen through us: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2Cor.4:7).