The Journey of a Priest _ Dr. Sophia Devasahayam

THE JOURNEY OF A PRIEST-

Dr. Sophia Devasahayam

1.    Being Chosen by the Lord

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations”. A Prophet is a man chosen by the Lord to do his service. Let us look in the following study of God’s word, how we qualify to preach God’s word to the nations around us. The following verses after the one I mentioned above, contained a few commandments, which we would see for our Bible study tonight.

2.    Commandments of the Lord:

“For you shall go to all to whom I send you” Jeremiah 1:7

Here the insistence is ‘go to whom the Lord sends you’. Do not visit people and places of your own customization. Why I say this? Having grown up among preachers, I have seen pastors filled with the Holy Ghost and it’s anointing to heal, prophecy, help, and hospitable. BSut go behind the rich. This is only a beginning. Eventually these pastors get adhesive about the rich. Forgetting to preach the word as yea and yea and nay and nay. Soliciting the rich one’s  lives filled with immoral, unscrupulous life styles. Forgetting their work on Sanctification, holiness, righteousness, leading them to God through justifying the ways of man to God. A fallen church is the end result. Repercussions as I have noticed is this “If you forget me I will forget your children”. Children loosing the blessings of God or his grace in the area of education, choosing life partners, being unequally yoked with other partners. The Lord only promises the children of a righteous man will never beg for his food. So if you be righteous his hands will rest on your children. His grace is the only word to describe the process of receiving all blessings. And that grace is given to the humble. And now the humble is not servility! But obedience to Christ through service. The Lord says, “Do not be afraid of them”. (Isa. 1:8) Jeremiah 1:16 he says “wickedness in forsaking me!”.

3.    Building by the Master Crafter

Jeremiah 1: 18 “And I for my part have mad you today a Fortified city or Iron Pillar and Bronze wall against the whole land. Kings of Judah, Princes, Priests and People of the Land”.  “They will fight against you and they shall not prevail against you; for Iam with you”.  Verse 17 “Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them”.

Opening the verse word by word. Next checking the connection between  them we shall soon see what the Lord messaged me straight from his heart to mine. For this is what I wrote as a message. Peeling the layers of the subtext of these lines, I was only able to see the Lord’s training, testing and moulding patterns from the master cutter of stone. Let us take a look:

Fortified City: A person without self – control is like a city without a wall. Fortified city, although it could literally mean Godly protection as “The Lord surrounds and protects his people”. “Iam in the midst of her and she shall not be moved” etc. Still my focus here would remain on inner fortification such as self – control, free from revenge, overcoming, fearless, treachaury free, free from false affections, bribery, greed for money etc. A true preacher must be a fortified city – full of strength and honour.

Iron Pillar – Steel like man, we all know this saying. Or, Iron like Man. Will power, strong in the mind, strong in the spirit, immovable, are some the traits of this man. Not letting other’s people’s opinion, advises, suggestions set its foot before God’s word of commandment or guidance given to you. Iron – “Pressed on all sides but never crushed” “many are the afflictions of the righteous”. How does God create this kind of a servant, a steel like prophet. First step Training. How? Sickness. This is allowed to teach endurance. Sustaining yourself first throughout that episode. Exercise faith to heal and not quitting faith for escape. Financial handicaps. This is when God closes all the doors of our income, through loss of jobs, embittering of relationships, or indifference of them towards your need. Cruel mockery through others to add spice to it all. First forigiving them, never confronting their cruel words of mockery, and finally letting it heal and not allowing  it to takes it’s toll on you. Letting God be the judger of all things. For the word quickly says “that God mocks at mockers”. Leaving all our hurts and sorrows in his hands with their cruelty meted out to you should be your response.

Bronze wall against the whole land – Here the vision to set yourselves apart. Not following the ways of the heathens. Setting yourselves apart could only be living a sanctified life. In a nutshell “Be ye holy for Iam holy” “Be ye perfect for Iam perfect”. To be faithful to the Lord in the seven times storm. Here the real test could be when ways and chances are present before us to opt out. Sarah opted out using Hagar and having Ishmael for a son. “They shall fight against you and not prevail” – How?  When we are a bronze wall, living a life that is set apart, against the whole land, not imbibing their ways. Then next, God allows testing. The arrows of the enemy in terms of financial handicaps, ruining of relationships, cruelty upon cruelty meted out to you in words, and actions.  All of this will melt away like wax and will not prevail by having their victory over you. How do they not prevail, when we stand strong against any storm. Strong in faith, in trust, in hope, in belief, in prayer and steadfastness. This is how we prevail against the arrows of the enemy. Here how do we find the above mentioned characteristics. Is it a gift from God. No. But by spending time in the Presence of the Lord. The word of God says, sorrow will not touch a man who lives in the Presence of the Lord. Words that sting to death such strong words will be powerless in your hearts and not hurt you when you are living in the Presence of the Lord. This is how we overcome. Stings of death and stings of words will be nullified by God’s presence.

Finally “Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them”. What does it mean. Do not break down your training. What you were tested for!  when the Lord releases you to be the preacher or prophet to the  Nations. If you destroy the fact of just acting as his mouthpiece. Then he will destroy you by turning you into a laughing stock before those whom you trusted, by denying to put God first. Again through the same arrows we discussed above. But this time not sent by the enemy. But by God. And to no rescue since you are no longer in the Presence of the Lord!  A man who is steadfast and obeys all the commandments mentioned above will be used as this “SO HE SHALL STARTLE MANY NATIONS” (Isaiah 52:13)  This is your  Victory in Jesus Name.