The Cost of the Call

Great heroes of the faith in scripture are rightfully lifted up as examples of living a life completely devoted to God and His kingdom. What may be overlooked sometimes is the personal cost of their devotion.

While reading through Jeremiah, the personal suffering of this prophet really stood out to me this time. Jeremiah chapter 1:4-19 has the details of his calling. Notice that Jeremiah did not go to bible school in order to become a prophet nor was he seeking this position, instead he was told by God that he was created for the purpose of prophesying to the nations. We can see his apprehension to his calling in his Moses-like response in verse 6. Imagine what he felt as God spelled out the terrible message Jeremiah would bring to the nations, in which He promised an aggressive response from the people in v.19.

Thankfully for Jeremiah, the Lord promised deliverance from those who would kill him, but he still suffered at the hand of those who hated his message (11:18-23; 18:18;ch26; & 32:2-5 for example).

Proclaiming the coming judgement to the nations was taxing on Jeremiah. Several times in this book, we see Jeremiah sorrow over the coming judgement of his people. The most poignant passage to me that illustrates the struggle Jeremiah had with his message is found in chapter 20 verses 7-18:
7. O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
Jeremiah had come to the point where he could no longer bear the persecution and decided to stop prophesying in order to bring relief to himself, only the message burned within him and that burning overtook him to the point he was compelled to proclaim it. How convicting it is to read of this struggle Jeremiah had with proclaiming his message. I have a message to proclaim, does it burn within me to the point where I can no longer hold it in? We see his agony in the remainder of chapter 20: Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me! Let the man be cursed who brought news to my father, saying, "A male child has been born to you!" making him very glad. And let that man be like the cities which the LORD overthrew, and did not relent; Let him hear the cry in the morning and the shouting at noon, because he did not kill me from the womb, that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb always enlarged with me. Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Wow! The conflict raging within Jeremiah caused him to despair of his own life. I can't help but think of Job when reading these words who suffered greatly in the outworking of God's will in his life. It seems there is an underlying theme in scripture; The Call Costs.