Friday's Camp Devotion

Here's the last one:

"Hearing God's Call"
by Jared Altic

When I was little boy my preacher said to me, "Jared, you're going to become a preacher some day." I wasn't impressed,"how about not?" I would mumble to myself. I wanted to be an aerospace engineer or perhaps a doctor. I had all kinds of ideas that were infinitely better than becoming a minister!

But the words of that old preacher rang in my ears for years as I grew up. By the time I was in High School, I knew I needed to make a decision about what I was going to do with my life. I felt this nagging desire in my heart. It wasn't good enough that other people would go into ministry–maybe God wanted me to go. I had lots of other options but could I be happy with any of them if I didn't do what God wanted me to do?

Jeremiah was an Old Testament prophet that lived about the same time as Ezekiel. When Ezekiel and Daniel were captured and taken to Babylon, the older prophet, Jeremiah, was left behind in Jerusalem. When Jeremiah was younger God called him to serve as a prophet.

Read Jeremiah 1:4-8

Why did Jeremiah object to God wanting him to be a prophet? How did God respond?

God had a difficult mission for Jeremiah. Just as Ezekiel was told that the people would be stubborn and difficult, Jeremiah is told that his audience will fight him and resist his message.

Read Jeremiah 1:17-19

God gives us the strength to serve him. Even if we're young or if we can't speak well. If God has chosen you to speak his Word, then he'll provide what you need to get the job done. Don't resist God's call to serve him because you're frightened. Don't resist his call because you don't have enough money for college. Don't resist the Call of the Lord because your parents want you to have a different career. Pray that God will give you the courage to follow Him no matter what obstacles you encounter.

What else matters?