During the Lenten season, members of Faith Lutheran Church have written our daily devotions. Today’s writer is Kristen Krueger.
4Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”9Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:4-10
“One day you will wish she would be quiet.”
As we waited for our speech-delayed preemie to speak, we heard that phrase often. I would smile and then silently vow to never take her words for granted. And I would remember the story above, that God put words into the mouth of a child.
One year after finishing speech therapy, there are indeed days that I wish for quiet but I do not forget the gift of a child’s words. Each Sunday during the prayers of intercession, Cora and I whisper our own prayers to help her connect to worship. She prays for rocket ships, bunnies, and our dog Abby. I say prayers of thanksgiving for all the people who worked to help her learn to form those words and express her every thought (even the ones I’m not so fond of).
When God called Jeremiah, God blessed his prophet with the gift of words. In the same way, God gives each of us the things we need to answer our own calls through our conversations that demonstrate our faith to others.
Let us pray: Dear God, Thank you for the gift of words, particularly the words that come when we do not feel prepared to speak on our own. Just as you equipped Jeremiah when you called him to serve, please bless us with words and actions to share your story. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Daily Devotions 
March 25, 2014 at 5:07 am |
This was wonderful. Thank you so much.
March 25, 2014 at 6:24 am |
Kristen, I like your personal story of your daughter Cora learning to speak. It parallels Jeremiah’s story of the Lord’s command for him to speak the words of the Lord. Your message reminds me to heed the words of the hymn, “I love to tell the story”.
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
Refrain
I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
Refrain
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
Refrain
March 25, 2014 at 11:04 pm |
A personal application is always nice. It reaffirms that God still acts today, not just in Bible times.
May 16, 2014 at 6:50 pm |
On remarque immédiatement que vous connaissez bien le thème
June 3, 2014 at 2:38 am |
J’аi trouvé ton bloց par hasard et je ne le reǥrette
nullement !!!
June 20, 2014 at 8:43 pm |
Bon je n’ai pas fini de regarder par contre je reviens dans la soirée
June 21, 2014 at 3:02 am |
Bon јe n’ai pas eu l’occаѕion de terminer de lire cependant
je pasaserai dans lla semaine
July 9, 2014 at 6:29 pm |
Je peux dire que c’est infiniment un bonheur de vous lire