Obedience...it's generally the best way.

I had to preach a 5-10 minute sermon in class today.  This was to be instead of a final exam for Communications class, which was basically on preaching and writing papers.  Hence, the aforesaid sermon. 

I've known for weeks what I wanted to speak on--a passage that God has been using to speak to me a lot lately.  It's Jeremiah 1:4-9, 17,19.  I'm not going to quote the entire thing here, but I would encourage you all to read it.  How ironic to get the material for your first sermon from Jeremiah... :S

Basically, it's on being obedient.  At least that's the angle I took on it.  God is telling Jeremiah that He has had a plan for his life since before he was born--He is calling him to be His prophet to the people of Israel.

Honestly, what I love about this passage is that Jeremiah is so human.  Basically, his response goes something like this:  "Oh God, why me?  I'm too young!  I'm inadequate.  I can't do it.  God, I don't think I'm the right person for this job."

Isn't that what we do so many times?  God asks us to do something that is in some way either a little or a lot out of our comfort zones, and we respond with, "Please, God, pick someone else!  I'm so inadequate.  Please don't make me do it!"

God didn't let Jeremiah get away with that response, and I don't think it's any different for us.  When God calls us to do something, we'd better obey.  He probably won't strike us with lightning from heaven immediately if we don't, but I can say with complete confidence that we are the ones going to be suffering for it.  God knows what He's doing.  And He will never ask us to do something that He won't also give us the strength to fulfill.

This is what I've been learning.  And it came true in the preaching of this sermon.  Just another example of something that I didn't think I could do, and God showed me that with His help I could...that's my story.  What's yours?