A Gift and a Summons

In the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah himself writes, “ Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’”

God’s word to Jeremiah is a gift, but not only a gift. It is also a calling!

In his commentary on this verse in the Spiritual Formation Bible, scholar Will Willimon writes, “We read every verse of Scripture lovingly and attentively because every verse is a potential summons from God. Perhaps when we read, we ought not to ask ourselves, ‘What do these words mean?’ but ‘What is God summoning me to do through these words?’ God speaks a word because God has an assignment for us.”

Willimon goes on to remind us that in the Bible, God almost always calls people who are too old, too young, too timid, or too immoral. Ultimately, these call stories are not about the virtues of the one being called. The stories are about God, who will use anyone and equip them with all they need to answer the call.

I pray today that you would spend some time in God’s Word. Take just a psalm or a small passage from one of the Gospels, and read not for information, but listen instead for a summons.

God says to you, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And, I appointed you…”

Let us pray: Loving God, open our ears to hear your voice, and open our hearts to answer your call. Amen.