May 24th

May 24th -- Jeremiah 1:1-9 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%201:1-9&version=NLT)

Go read for a summary. I don't feel like summarizing (exhausted after my spring arts festival at school so doing this and then sleeeeeeeeeppppinnnggggggggg... *zzzzz*).

So we have these messages carrying on through a family line, until all those living in Jerusalem are one day taken as captives. Then Jeremiah gets a message from God saying God set him aside to be a prophet for Israel. Jeremiah tries to argue he is too young, but God will have non of it, telling him he must do as God tells him, and God will go with him and be with him. God even then reaches out to touch Jeremiah's mouth and speak through him (what he says wasn't included in this passage, but it's in verses 9  - the end of it - and 10). I find that awesome. I think one of the bigger problems with ministry nowadays is that adults seldom allow youth to be involved. We're either never encouraged or sometimes even outright discouraged to participate in ministry-related fields/events. Why? We're seen as young and therefore unable to be used for God's glory. That's obviously also what Jeremiah thought, too. God, however, thought otherwise, just as He does with other people. He realizes that age, size, name, culture, ethnicity, education, etc has no meaning in His plan, because He can use anyone - that's one of the many awesome things about our God; NOTHING is impossible for Him! So if you're like me, and you're often seen as incapable of making any difference for God because you're not yet an adult, just remember God uses ALL people who are willing.

Also, as a side note, I was at a youth retreat this past weekend (as I've mentioned before and I will honestly get around to posting on my personal blog about my experience there) and God confirmed my calling to ministry to me three times while I was there. Then I felt this need to fast forward so I could make a difference in ministry. Yet, by chance I met a girl from Tumblr and her friend wandered over so we ended up exchanging cell numbers and texting. She told me a lot about her past, and said God had told her she was going to find someone this weekend who was going to help her change her life/was going to make a difference in her life, and she feels that that is me. That was incredibly neat for me, because God was showing me He can use me even where I am. This girl and I had a really great discussion, actually, about her coming to know God, and she was saying that the retreat (which she was forced into attending) convinced her of His reality. Now we're more just working on breaking the chains of her past, and helping her come to know God as a friend, rather than some sort of existent but distant and unreachable entity. So if God can use me, He can use you, too.

That's all for tonight! God bless! Shalom!