Finding Safety in God’s Will

“The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.” —Corrie Ten Boom

“But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.” —Jeremiah 1:7–8

We all tend to know our weaknesses well—and that’s nothing new. I think most of us would love to possess the intense, excited, curious, and fearless spirit we often associate with David. But Scripture is full of examples of people who didn’t seem particularly heroic, yet were used by God in remarkable ways to accomplish his purposes.

Jeremiah, a prophet, ministered from the days of King Josiah (whom we recently discussed and who was also very young) until the fifth month of Jerusalem’s captivity. As we’ve said before, God’s plans are often not our plans—and this story is no exception. Jeremiah doubted and questioned God, but God already knew what he intended for him (v. 5).

God Reveals His Plan for Jeremiah (vv. 6–10)

“But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’” (Jer. 1:7–10)

Then in verse 17, God warns Jeremiah to be prepared and to obey his instructions. He explains more of what will take place—and young Jeremiah was likely feeling overwhelmed. But God assures him in verse 19:

“They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

How many times do we see people in Scripture who were clearly weak in themselves, but God provided the strength and resources they needed to carry out his will? These individuals didn’t have some hidden potential that just needed to be tapped into. No—they learned that God’s power is made perfect in weakness. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

So let’s ask ourselves:

• Are we praying about God’s will in our lives?
• Are we truly committed to following him?
• Are we relying on his strength to accomplish his plans?

The safest place to be really is in the center of God’s will.