“Stay comfortable.” “Do not step out of your comfort zone.” These are instructions that we will never find in the Bible. In fact, what we do find in the Bible are messages to step out of our comfort zone and do things that are hard, risky, and often seem scary. This is the story of many underdogs throughout Scripture. God called these people to step out and leave their lives of comfort behind in order to accomplish a greater purpose for Him. He not only calls people throughout Scripture to step out of their comfort zones, but He also calls you and me to do the same.
Jeremiah understood that God often calls His people to step out of their comfort zones in order to accomplish His purposes. He knew this truth because of first-hand experience. God called Jeremiah out of his normal routine and his own comfort to boldly share His message, even if this message would be unpopular. We find in Jeremiah 1 that God spoke to Jeremiah, the prophet, one day saying, “You must go everywhere I send you and say whatever I command you” (verse 7). God promised him that He would put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth so that He could share His message to the people of Judah and surrounding nations. Throughout the rest of this chapter, Jeremiah learned that the messages he would be sharing were messages of judgment because God’s people had forsaken Him and turned to worship other false gods (verse 16). These messages of judgment were certainly not going to be popular. After all, no one wants to be told that they are going to receive judgment because of their sinful actions. This, most certainly, was not going to be an easy task, yet it is exactly what God called Jeremiah to do.
Jeremiah 1 ends with a promise that we must be careful not to miss. Throughout all of the challenges Jeremiah would face as he shared God’s messages, God promised, “I am with you and will rescue you” (verse 19). Jeremiah was not alone to face this task of prophesying messages of judgment from God to Judah and surrounding nations. God would be with him every step out of his comfort zone that he took. Because of this, Jeremiah could have peace throughout every circumstance and challenge ahead of him.
What was true for Jeremiah is true for you and me as well. God has not called us to live comfortable, safe lives. He often calls us out of our comfort zones to accomplish His purposes. Like Jeremiah, we can hold on to the truth that we are not alone. We have hope that God is with us. Yes, God calls us to step out of our comfortable lives, but He promises to be with us every step of the way.
It is time today to stop letting our desire to stay comfortable hold us back from fully living out what God is calling us to do. Begin today by taking one small step out of your comfort zone. Take a moment and decide what that step will be for you today. What is something that you know God might be leading you to do, but you have been nervous to do it? Make plans to boldly and courageously do it! The more you step out and do hard things, the easier it will become to take these bold steps.
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August[b] of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.
Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions
The Lord gave me this message:
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
Today I appoint you to stand up
against nations and kingdoms.
Some you must uproot and tear down,
destroy and overthrow.
Others you must build up
and plant.”
Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?”
And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,[c] and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”
Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?”
And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”
“Yes,” the Lord said, “for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord, have spoken!
“They will set their thrones
at the gates of the city.
They will attack its walls
and all the other towns of Judah.
I will pronounce judgment
on my people for all their evil—
for deserting me and burning incense to other gods.
Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!
“Get up and prepare for action.
Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say.
Do not be afraid of them,
or I will make you look foolish in front of them.
For see, today I have made you strong
like a fortified city that cannot be captured,
like an iron pillar or a bronze wall.
You will stand against the whole land—
the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah.
They will fight you, but they will fail.
For I am with you, and I will take care of you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
