Availability Over Ability
Reading: Jeremiah 1:1–10
“Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ …
You must go to everyone I send you to.”
Jeremiah 1:7
When God first speaks to Jeremiah, He does not wait for him to feel confident, seasoned, or prepared. Instead, He tells him, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Yet Jeremiah immediately points to his limitations: “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” Like him, we often wait for a surge of confidence or a polished résumé before we feel fit for God’s service. We focus on our lack of experience, our trembling voices, or our fear of failure, forgetting that God is not looking first for our expertise, but for our availability.
The beauty of God’s call is that it is anchored in His presence rather than our prowess. God does not argue with Jeremiah’s weakness; He answers it with His promise: “Do not be afraid… for I am with you.” Then He reaches out and touches Jeremiah’s mouth, saying, “I have put my words in your mouth.” The work does not rest on Jeremiah’s confidence but on God’s faithfulness. When God sends us, He also supplies us. When He calls, He equips. His power becomes most visible when we reach the end of our own resources and learn to depend fully on Him.
Today’s passage invites us to name the fears that keep us silent or hesitant—fear of rejection, fear of inadequacy, fear of getting it wrong. God does not dismiss these fears, but He refuses to let them define us. He reminds us that we were known before we were formed, shaped by His purpose, and sustained by His Spirit. As we surrender our “not enough” to His “more than enough,” He transforms our hesitation into obedience and our uncertainty into a courageous “yes.”
Practice
Name one fear or insecurity that holds you back—at home, at work, or in your relationships. Offer it honestly to God and ask Him to replace it with trust.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You do not call the equipped, but equip the called. Forgive us for the times we have let our fears shrink our obedience. Place Your words in our mouths and Your courage in our hearts today. Help us rely not on our own strength, but on Your constant presence. Amen.
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