From Jennifer: On our fourth video gathering, we went back to chapter one. If you got to see it, you know what I mean. If you didn't, hang on, it will make sense!
We talked about how sometimes doing the right thing and obeying no matter what doesn’t turn out how we hope.
The very things we think will be remedies for discouragement can actually lead to greater discouragement. And Jeremiah was a great example of this.
We got to hear from the prophet Jeremiah, who was one of the last prophets to prophecize to Judah before they were hauled off to Babylon in 586 BC. His book records the final warning of the destruction that would occur if the nation didn’t repent. And, we all know how that turned out! We know Jeremiah as the weeping prophet, but after we got to know him better, we decided he is no weeny prophet! He is a profile in courage. For 40 years, he was rejected, neglected, isolated, and persecuted all because he was faithful to God. So, we heard what discouragement sounds like through his words in Jeremiah 15:18. And then we heard God’s response which was a little confusing. God told him to return and then God would restore him (Jeremiah 15:19). So, we asked the question, “return from where?” We looked at where Jeremiah was and what he was up to in order to determine why he needed to return. First, In Jeremiah 15:15, we saw he was faithful to proclaim God’s truth. He proclaimed the truth to a people who did not want to hear it and the result was persecution. But Jeremiah wasn’t hiding away in a retreat center getting massages. He was out there, preaching and paying for it dearly. He was being active in the ministry God called him to. So, if he hadn’t retreated, why was God telling him to return? Hmmm… Secondly, we saw in Jeremiah 15:16 that he relied on God’s Word. He wasn’t a passive sufferer, he was actively seeking God’s Words. He was nourished by them and they were his only real joy. He did not reject truth during this time. So, what was he to return to? Hmmm… Third, we saw in Jeremiah 15:17 that Jeremiah did not compromise. He wasn’t running with the wrong crowd or living disobediently. He even said it was because of God’s hand on him that he was so alone. Jeremiah could have, but did not, replace His relationship with God with relationships with others, which could have helped him feel less isolated. He was faithful to God and it cost him friends. So, why the call to return? Hmmm… We determined that Jeremiah was to return to chapter one, back to the first things, the main things … Jeremiah 1:5. We too need to return to chapter one when we are discouraged. So, we did and we landed on Jeremiah 1:5—it reminds us of the genesis of our courage … we are created, concecrated, AND called . Here’s a brief summary: 1. You are created. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” This is a statement of your value. And, your value has nothing to do with what you do. Sometimes we get discouraged because we link God’s love for us to our service to Him. But, we discussed the truth that God loves us because we are His—He created us (Isaiah 43:1). 2. You are consecrated. “Before you were born, I set you apart.” To be consecrated means to be made holy, sanctified, or set apart. God did that for you when you were born into His family as His child. He made you holy through the righteous nature of His Son, Jesus. He looked at your life and He saw a “holy” person of worth—and He still does. We decided that when the Samaritans get loud or when we’ve got a bad case of small things syndrome, we don’t judge our life by the chapter we’re in right now. Instead, we go back to chapter one and see who we are. Who we are and how we feel may be light-years apart. But, we are courageous women who will alter our feelings to match the facts, not the other way around. We are who God declares us to be!
3. You are called. “I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah was appointed a prophet, that was his call. We discussed how we each have a call too. Discouragement tries to convince us that we are too small for our call, or the call itself is too small. But, there are no small calls! We determined that all of us have the primary call to love God and do what He says. Yet, I also encouraged you to consider your call. Determine what you're passionate about. Think about what you’re proficient at, and then see where those two things intersect with a spiritual purpose. Chances are, that’s your call! Each one of us has a call of God on our lives, something He has appointed for us. Don’t let discouragement diminish the call God has determined for you from the dawn of time. You are just too special and too important to God to let discouragement steal your influence from a world who needs what your calling can bring to it.
When we return to the truth of who God is, who we are, and what He has called us to do, we are restored to the courage that is rightly ours in Him. And all the sisters said … amen! Love,
Jennifer Rothschild