Saturday after Septuagesima Sunday
Posted on February 11, 2023 by under
Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10 (NKJV)
1:4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then said I:
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
7 But the Lord said to me:
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 “Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me:
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 “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.”
Devotion
When we think of prophets sent by God, certain names will quickly come to mind: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, etc. What we can easily forget is that God sent many other prophets who are unnamed by Scripture. Many of these unnamed prophets served God just as faithfully as those whose names God has preserved in Scripture. They, too, were ordained by God to be prophets. They, too, were given God’s Word to proclaim to His people.
Today, God’s people are served by countless pastors throughout the world, some of whose names are well known. But most pastors are known only to the people they serve and to the surrounding community. As faithful servants, they have no need of fame. Instead, they are thankful for the faith God has given to the people entrusted to their care. They proclaim to God’s sheep how God knew them before they were formed in the womb. They proclaim how God chose the saints to be in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) and how He baptized them into Christ. As God placed His Words into the mouth of Jeremiah, God’s faithful pastors are honored by God to proclaim His Word into the ears of His people, and to place the Body and Blood of Christ into their mouths.
Faithful prophets, faithful Apostles, and faithful pastors were, and are, God’s gift to His people.
Prayer: O Lord, we beseech Thee favorably to hear the prayers of Thy people: that we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
