The Call That Comes With a Companion

Just as a translator provides the right words at the right time, so the Spirit of God speaks through us with timely wisdom.

Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Today’s devotional from Ray Stedman invites us to look into Jeremiah’s initial hesitation when God called him. Jeremiah, feeling too young and too unqualified, responded in much the same way many others have throughout Scripture. Like Moses, Gideon, and Isaiah, he shrank back in fear and insecurity. But that hesitation, far from disqualifying him, placed him in a long line of servants whose strength came not from self-confidence but from divine companionship.

Jeremiah was about thirty when this calling came, the traditional age to begin ministry in Judah. To some modern readers, that might seem mature. But in his own eyes, Jeremiah still felt too tender, too inexperienced, too fragile to stand before kings and declare judgment. His life would not be easy. His heart would often break. And yet the Lord’s answer was steady and unfailing: "I will be with you."

This reassurance wasn’t about improving Jeremiah’s self-image. It wasn’t about convincing him that he had untapped potential. Instead, it was about God’s presence. The Lord promised to be Jeremiah’s voice, his power, his wisdom, and his courage. He didn’t remove the difficulty, but He assured Jeremiah of companionship through it all.

And this same promise is now ours. Through Jesus, we are participants in the New Covenant. That covenant is not a demand for performance, but a declaration of presence. Whatever we are called into, no matter how daunting or unfamiliar, we rest in the same word that calmed Jeremiah’s trembling heart: “I will be with you.”

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

Beloved, I have not called you because you were strong. I called you because you are Mine. I never expected you to stand in your own power. My strength is made perfect in your weakness. I do not send you alone. I go with you. I speak through you. I uphold you with My hand.

I have placed My Spirit within you, and He will remind you of all that is true. When the path feels too steep, I will carry you. When the words seem too hard, I will give you utterance. I am your sufficiency. Your newness of life does not come from your resume. It flows from your union with Me.

You are not too young. You are not too late. You are not ill-equipped. I am with you, and I am enough. So do not draw back. Do not speak the words of fear. Yield instead to My life within you. Trust that every place I send you, I have already gone ahead of you.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 1:6–8, 2 Corinthians 3:5–6, John 14:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 13:5, Isaiah 41:10, Exodus 4:10–12, John 15:5

Real-Life Analogy

Imagine being asked to read a script in a foreign language, unfamiliar and filled with accents and grammar you don’t know. Just before you begin, someone steps up beside you with an earpiece and whispers the translation into your ear line by line, word by word. You’re not left alone to perform. You are guided moment by moment.

The life of abiding in Jesus is just like that. When He calls you into a situation that feels beyond your strength or experience, He doesn't leave you to figure it out. He supplies His words, His love, His presence. You do not need to impress. You need only to trust.

Today, as you face a conversation that feels too complex, or a task that feels out of reach, pause and say, “Lord, I trust You to speak through me in this moment. You are my wisdom. I yield to Your presence within me.” Then step forward, not in self-assurance, but in surrendered confidence.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, thank You for never sending me into anything alone. You are not watching from a distance. You are within me, ready to be all I need. I rest in Your sufficiency. Where I feel uncertain, You are steady. Where I feel small, You are mighty.

You have already promised to be my strength, my voice, and my courage. I receive that promise with joy. I don’t need to shrink back, because I am not standing in my own power. I am standing in Yours. Thank You for being with me, not just beside me but in me. Amen.