By Michael C. Mack
1. In what specific way have you seen God’s love, compassion, and faithfulness at work in and through your life over the past week?
2. Imagine God says to you, “Do not be afraid of ___.” What would he put in that blank for you today?
Ask two people to read aloud Jeremiah 1:1-19 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
3. Look through the passage again and respond:
- Where are God’s purposes (for Jeremiah and for Israel) displayed?
- How does God reveal his presence?
- How is God’s power demonstrated?
4. Look at verse 5 and verses 7-10, focusing on and emphasizing the words I and my, where God is referring to himself. What do these verses tell you about what God wanted Jeremiah to learn?
5. In his study for this passage, Mark Scott refers to the almond tree (v. 11) as a “wake-up” tree, based on the meaning of the word almond in Hebrew. How do this vision and the vision of the boiling pot poured out show Jeremiah and the people what God wanted them to see?
6. What do you learn about God from this passage?
7. What do you learn about people?
8. God calls you to serve him in a way that may be risky, dangerous, and/or difficult.
- What excuses might someone in your life circumstances make to get out of it? For instance, “I don’t know how to . . .” or “I’m too . . .” (Keep a list of the excuses mentioned.)
- Now, using some of God’s replies to Jeremiah in this passage, or other biblical responses, provide a comeback for each excuse.
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. What are you facing this week for which you need reassurance that God is “with you” and “will rescue you”?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Jeremiah 2:1-13, 26-28; 4:1-2. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
I am not a frequent user of this study resource but “by coincidence” it always speaks into my present circumstances.
I have been dreading our church’s Habitat for Humanity service week. It requires personal space sacrifices, physically hard work in the heat and requires me to set boundaries. I do not like any of these circumstances individually but my husband thrives in all of it. And I thrive being with him so I go every year.
So I know God has set me on this path. I need to trust Him to gird up my loins (which is why I’m studying today), to arise from my comfort zone and be not dismayed by their faces. He will protect me as I do the work He has ordained. Thanks for the reminder and glory to God for His word and His faithfulness.