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Today's Devotional

Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child — Jeremiah 1:6 (KJV).

Jeremiah, the great prophet, who “spoke” so much for the Lord, said this.

God sent him to “speak” to the Jews, to bid them repent of their sins, and turn to God, and to warn them that if they did not obey, the anger of the Lord should be poured out on them. When God told him that he had “ordained” him “to be a prophet,” Jeremiah was frightened. He knew what a great work it would be, and he felt too weak and childlike to have so much laid upon him. He said, “Behold, I CANNOT SPEAK, for I am A CHILD.”

He only thought of his own want of strength, and the Lord answered him by reminding him that he was not expected to speak in his OWN strength, but BY THE POWER OF GOD. God would be with his mouth, and would enable him to speak. Jeremiah found it was so, always.

Each of us has also a message from the Lord to speak. Perhaps not to give to many people, as Jeremiah had; but whether it be to many or few, unless we give it, we are not obedient children of God. What is our message? Simply to say, “Come.” There may be many ways of saying it, but there is the same message for all. Think if you have not some little friend to whom you could give your message to-day, and bid him “come” to Jesus as you have!

Perhaps you feel afraid to speak,— you feel that you are a very little child to have such a great message to give. So did Jeremiah. But he gave his message in spite of his fear, and trusted God.

When you have spoken your message, God will take care of the rest. He will see that not one word spoken for him is lost. And, oh! how glad you will be to meet in heaven, safe and happy, those to whom YOU gave the message, “Come!”

About the author and the source

Frances Kershaw, “Sister Isabella” of the Roman Catholic Apostoline Sisters, was a nineteenth-century British author who wrote books for young people as well as a biography and a temperance novel for more mature audiences. Among her writings was a month-long cycle of 31 meditations on Scriptures for children. Today’s thought is for day sixteen and serves as a good introduction to her style.