Reflection

Tonight on Eli Stone his spiritual guide (I call him that because I don't really remember the character's name) said something really profound. It was along the lines of "You had to know when you took back the mantle of prophet, that there were going to be some dark times."

I'm writing my exposition paper (that's overdue) for Old Testament 2 on Jeremiah 1:4-12. Verses 4-10 are the account of Jeremiah's calling by God. Most folks who grew up in church would recognize verse 5 which says:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

As I continued on in the passage though, I picked up on something I had completely missed before, in verse 8 after telling Jeremiah he's going to have to go wherever God says and say whatever the Lord tells him to say, God tells him:

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.

No where from verse one on does Jeremiah express fear. He had concerns about his ability to speak, and acted with humility when God called Him (see also Solomon's claim of being "just a child" before his accession), but he never alluded to being afraid. Yet the Lord, in a ominous tone offers comfort that the Lord will rescue him.

By accepting the call of the prophet, Jeremiah was accepting the fact that there would be some "dark times" in his life and ministry, which we see throughout the book of Jeremiah.

I guess I can take note from Jeremiah, and Eli, (not that I am a prophet) and prepare myself that be accepting God's call on my life, there may be some dark times ahead, however I believe that as God promised Jeremiah, the Lord will be with me.