Walking With Jeremy

I am beginning a new series of sermons on Sunday at Liberty entitled "The Walk, Conquering Life One Step at a Time."  This morning I spent some time with the Lord reading Jeremiah 1.  Here are a few things we can glean from his walk.

1. What do you see?  Jeremiah is an unusual "prophet" book in that there are no miracles or fantastic visions for interpretation.  God told Jeremiah to look at things he sees along his path everyday, but to look at them in a new way.  God asked Jeremiah a simple question, "What do you see?"  I see an almond branch.  I see a boiling pot.  Suddenly Jeremiah really began to take notice of things he saw everyday.  God used those mundane things to speak into Jeremiah's life.  As you pass through your day today, what do you see?
    
2. Never stop the conversation.  The most tragic thing about our "quiet time" is that often it becomes our "only time" with God during the day.  If your quiet time is in the morning, this should only be the beginning of your conversation with God for the day.  If it is in the evening, it should merely be the final talk of the day, not the only one.  As Jeremiah walked along his path he was in conversation with God.  Let's talk about what you see.  Let's talk about your fears.  "Your only a youth (Jer. 1:7)?"  Let's talk about that.
   
3. Dress for success.  God told Jeremiah to "dress yourself for work (1:17)."  Walking with God is not a Christianized version of empty spirituality.  God does not speak to us so that we may be merely blessed, or calmed, or deep.  God speaks so we know how to serve.  There is a mission to be accomplished.  Look for ways throughout the day to fulfill God's commands.  
   
4. Keep it Biblical.  Notice that Jeremiah was not allowed to go off on the tangent of his feelings, nor was he left to artistic interpretations of life.  Jeremiah was told to keep focused on God's commands (Jer. 1:17b).  It is important to fill our minds with Scripture instead of merely filling our minds with thoughts.  Notice Jeremiah was not left in his conversation with God to begin his sentences with qualifiers that have become all to common in Christian lingo, "I think God is . . " or "I feel like God is . . ."  Jeremiah's path was marked with divine revelation not human reasoning.
   
5. Don't be afraid of a less than good day.  Too often our Bible reading and our time with God in prayer is set on one grand and selfish accomplishment, "Help me have a good day."  I'm not saying that God is opposed to good days, but I am saying that God is also not opposed to difficult ones.  God prepared Jeremiah for a fight (Jer. 1:19).  What if we were less concerned about a good day and more concerned with being prepared for what is coming our way?  "Do not be dismayed by them, lest I may dismay you before them (1:17).  God did not promise Jeremiah a good day, but He did prepare him to fight a good fight, to be a great prophet, to preach a great word!

Walk with God today.  Take notice of things you see everyday, but see them in a new way.  Never stop the conversation with God.  Get ready to respond to the work He has for you.  Ground yourself in the Word.  Trust less in your own thoughts and feelings.  Take every thought captive for Christ.  Don't be afraid of a less than ideal experience.  God is not looking for good days, he is looking for great people who walk with Him throughout the day.