Jeremiah

Week of Jeremiah

Coming into this week was a bit overwhelming for a few reasons, first considering the week of Esther that I was just getting out of, and second the book is flipping huge - but honestly I knew that God was up to something huge.

We were able to get an amazing speaker who’s name is Ron Smith he is actually the man who started SBS (School of Biblical Study 9 month). So to say the least we were honoured to have as our speaker for two days. I think it is safe to say that Jeremiah could be my favourite book that I studied because of the relationship that God has with Jeremiah and the Heart of God that comes through this book – it is beautiful. Out of everything the first chapter in the book is AMAZING (look it up after you have read this!) but it just talks about how God is going to use Jeremiah in ways WAY bigger then him and that he has had this plan over his life from the very beginning it has just come to the moment for Jeremiah to choose it. I wont get into the context of the book but it is such a beautiful journey that God takes him on. Of course it is hard, who ever said that living God’s will was going to be easy? It should never be easy. I love the realness of this story and the obedience of Jeremiah; he just lays it out so clearly with how we should be living if we are living for God -> obey what he says NO matter what.

Okay so pretty much the big news that God spoke to me this weeks has something to do with me staying Australia. Now I feel like I need to say something… I’m not just staying on staff because there is nothing else for me to do and that this is an easy out for me to just “hang out” the only reason I am staying is because God has called me to (just need to get that out there). Anyways early on in the week the base director had talked to me about this café that is being built and his dream/vision about it, which was really good and put a heavy thought of staying to staff on my mind. That same day Jonathan (my school leader) and I had a talk about (what I thought) my life J, which I guess in a sense, is true but just not what I was expecting. He ended up asking me to stay on staff with the BCC bringing in my strength in interpretation and application of scripture; this also includes a two-year commitment – crazy. Honestly I was not okay with the thought of this at first but the more is started seeking God in the matter I started realizing that I had a lot of fear in trusting God with something so huge. But that is where the beauty of the book of Jeremiah came in; God spoke in such a huge clear way – living a life set apart and obeying the voice of God, even if it feels to big or crazy. God has spoken so much to me through Jeremiah because even with how young he was and how God doesn’t see that as a hindrance. I mean it has always been hard for me being the youngest in my family, I have loved it but I have also felt the aspect of not overly taken seriously or sometimes heard loudly because I am the baby in everyone’s mind – which is totally fine, I guess at times when a big challenge is placed in front of me my thought/mind goes to not being good enough because I am too young. But honestly when it says “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” Jer 1:7 and then in v19 “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you.” BAH so flipping encouraging and beautiful – why would we NOT what to serve and do what ever God is saying. I don’t understand why we get so caught up on our own selfish wants and fully lose the sight of God’s will in our lives. I like to think about God’s call in this way; he has this amazing plan A that he has been working on and perfecting forever and certain moments in our lives he faces us with the choice to follow his plan or our own. But the fact is when we pick ours over his that changes God’s perfect plan from pretty much plan A to now plan B because we didn’t follow him. I want to live God’s plan A in my life, even looking back through out the Old Testament all we see is people turning their backs on God while he cries out to them to turn back to him! Oh my gosh it hurts my heart still as I think back on it, why do we put him through so much. I’m not saying that I am ultra Christian but some how, anyway that I can I want to give God “a break” to try my hardest to let my life not be another life that turns away from him always making him run after me. My whole desire in life is to serve God with not half of my heart but with my whole life, I am not going to give the minimum one-tenth of my life that he is asking for but I will give it all to him, and if that means stay in Australia when I would way rather run away from it then staying it is.

He has called us to be Holy - set apart and with that comes fear of the Lord which is so simple put love what God love and hate what God hate. I am overwhelmed with what God is doing in my life and sometimes I'm scared to even move but he keeps reminding me (at least trying to - I might not always listen) that as long as I have my eyes focused on him I will be okay.