March 13

Despise Not Thy Youth

“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!” But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak. — Jer 1:6-7 BSB

Jeremiah was young and naturally hesitant when the Lord sent him on a great mission; but the One who sent him would not allow him to say, “I am only a child.” What he was in himself was not important; what mattered was that he was chosen to speak for God. Jeremiah didn’t have to come up with a message or choose his audience; he was to speak what God commanded and go where God sent him, and he would be empowered to do so with strength that was not his own. Isn’t this the same for some young preacher or teacher reading these lines? God knows how young you are and how limited your knowledge and experience may be; but if He has chosen to send you, it’s not for you to shrink back from the heavenly call. God will magnify Himself in our weakness. Even if you were as old as Methuselah, how much would your years help you? If you were as wise as Solomon, you might be just as prone to wander as he was. Stick to the message God has given you—it will be your wisdom. Follow His instructions—they will be your guidance.