[Editor's Note: This article is the third in a series on the theme “Being a Man of Faith.” Click here to find the first article and the second article.]
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet at a very young age (Jer 1:4-10) with these words from God:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah was reluctant to accept this calling because he knew it would only lead to trouble. And he was right. Yet, in a bold act of faith, Jeremiah accepted this call. He knew that whether he lived or died, he could trust in God’s care. He was less concerned about himself than he was about the people of Jerusalem. He knew that God had spoken to him, that He had promised to be with him, and that God’s message had to be proclaimed.
Throughout his life, Jeremiah experienced much suffering. He prophesied from approximately 626 to 580 B.C. — a period over which the kingdom of Judah went from spiritual restoration to collapse and destruction.
During those years, Jeremiah warned the people about God’s impending judgment and called his countrymen to repent of their sins and return to the Lord. As you might expect, his message was not well received and Jeremiah was severely mistreated. He was publicly humiliated, threatened, put on trial for his life, placed in stocks, and thrown into a muddy cistern where it was hoped he would drown.
Throughout these challenges, Jeremiah proved to be a man of great faith, as well as a man of courage and humility. He remained faithful to God and united to Judah and its people. He did not judge or hate his friends for their infidelities, which threatened to destroy the country.
An innocent man, he continued to identify with the people. “We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,” he said in a moving prayer for mercy (Jer 14:20). His prophetic messages were severe, but they came bathed in tears of compassion, love and faith in the living God who had called him.
God’s initial words to Jeremiah are the same words he speaks to each one of us: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart” (Jer 1:5). And like Jeremiah we are free to accept or reject the God that created us. God knows us intimately — our strengths and weaknesses, our virtues and vices and our needs as well as our wants. He even knows what we will freely choose to do with our lives. God has a plan for us, yet in each moment we are free to go our own way — to choose our own will or put our faith in His will and embrace His grace and the perfect plan He has prepared for us.
God wants to awaken in us the faith of Jeremiah, a faith which will enable us to follow Him wherever He leads.
(This article is part of NFCM's sponsorship of the Catholic Man channel and originally appeared as part of the Catholic men’s E-zine, Being a Man of Faith, (Jan-Feb 2003 issue) which is available on the NFCM website. You may email them at info@nrccm.org. Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to include some material from various daily meditations.)
Reflection/Discussion Questions on Page 2
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. What are some of the attributes of Jeremiah that made him a man of faith? What do you think sustained and strengthened him through all his sufferings?
2. Do you believe that God has a call and a plan for your life? Describe some events in your life that have confirmed this.
3. How has your faith and trust in God’s call and plan sustained you during difficult times or suffering in your life?
4. What are some obstacles to your own faith that you need to overcome?
5. What steps can we take as men of faith to better understand God’s call and plan for our lives and strengthen our faith in this plan and call?
