Listen to this conversation between God and a young man who later became one of His prophets.
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: “Ah, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
God: “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.” (Jeremiah 1:4-8)
While it would have been a privilege to be chosen by God to be one of His prophets, it was not a call to a life of glamour or glitz. The following is a sample of the hardships these men endured.
Early in his ministry, God told Isaiah that, in spite of his efforts, not very many people would listen to him. He must have been discouraged at times with this advance knowledge that his personal labors would have very little effect upon his nation. Though Isaiah experienced periodic miraculous interventions by God, he lived with the realization that very few people would appreciate his years of faithful service.
God gave Jeremiah a tender heart. He is known as the “weeping prophet”. He lived with a broken heart that his nation was unfaithful to God. To shut him up, Jeremiah was dropped into the mud at the bottom of an abandoned well. Unable to get out, and in the dark, Jeremiah was left to starve to death. Fortunately, some other men pulled him to safety.
To depict His withdrawal from Jerusalem, God takes away Ezekiel’s voice for seven years. He has Ezekiel lie on his left side for 390 days, and then on his right side for 40 days. He has him eat bread cooked over cow feces for that time, to depict the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem. In addition to all this, he is told by God not to show any public grief when his wife would suddenly die.
God told Hosea to marry a woman who would later become unfaithful to him. She would bear him children before she’d run off. This marriage was to portray how Israel had committed spiritual adultery against God. Later, after his wife had spent years of loose living, God told Hosea to take her back as a portrayal of His love and grace toward Israel.
John the Baptist was God’s last prophet before the arrival of the Messiah. John’s adult life was spent living alone in the wilderness, wearing clothes of camel hair, and eating locusts. In addition to calling common people to repent and get right with God, he also rebuked a government official for marrying his brother’s wife. As a result, John was thrown into prison. Later, at the whim of this woman, John was beheaded.
Jesus was the Ultimate Prophet. He served the Father perfectly and healed thousands of people, yet He was rejected and crucified.
As you can see, God doesn’t guarantee His followers smooth and comfortable lives. I’m assuming that you have found that out. Like His conversation with Jeremiah, God isn’t looking for your approval nor is He looking for excuses. He simply wants you and me to be obedient and faithful to Him, regardless of what He allows into our lives. The comfortable life will have to wait till Heaven.
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