Jeremiah 1:17

“ Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. "
Jeremiah 1:17

Prepare yourself.
I wonder what it was that God was telling Jeremiah to do to prepare himself? Ground himself in God's word? If this message came when Jeremiah was just beginning his mission, then the only word of God that the people had must have been oral. Jeremiah's ministry started the 13th year of Josiah and it was an extremely big deal when they found the Book of the Law in the 18th year of Josiah. Obviously much was known about God or Josiah would not have known to destroy the idols and groves and attempt to stamp out false worship of other gods. So I suppose part of Jeremiah preparing himself would involve learning about God from whatever sources that were available to him. Jeremiah also probably needed to establish a close relationship with God. How did Jeremiah know it was God speaking when he was told to be messenger for God? A relationship must have existed for Jeremiah to recognize God's voice. Since God told Jeremiah to prepare himself, then this must be something that Jeremiah could do that God could not do for him. What is it that Jeremiah had to do for himself, that God could not do for him? God could and would give Jeremiah many gifts that were necessary for Jeremiah's mission. God would give Jeremiah courage and strength. God would give Jeremiah the words to speak. God would give Jeremiah protection from those who would try to stop him from sharing God's words and who would even try to kill him. God would give Jeremiah encouragement and give Jeremiah a faithful scribe and friend in Baruch. What must Jeremiah do for himself? It could only be accept God's gifts and give all of himself to God. Jeremiah could only prepare himself by accepting what God was doing and was going to do for him and letting God's will become his, Jeremiah's, will. Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins, we cannot pay it for ourselves. We cannot give ourselves talents, we can only take the talents God gives us and let God use them. God desires to give us many gifts, and He blesses us in many ways. We cannot give these gifts and blessings to ourselves, but we can accept them and let God use the gifts through us to bless others. The work that we must do, the only work that we have to do for ourselves because God cannot do it for us, is to give ourselves to God. After that, God does the rest.
Arise. Speak to them all that I command you.
After preparing himself by accepting God's mission and accepting the gifts God was giving him to carry out that mission, Jeremiah had to take action. It wasn't enough to tell God he would give his life into the hands of God and obey Him. Jeremiah would need to carry out with action the mission God gave him. Jeremiah would have to get up, go to the rulers and people of Judah, and speak to them the words God gave him. Good intentions were not going to be enough for God. Once God had given Jeremiah his command, Jeremiah would have to actually go and speak. And not just speak the good parts of what God told him to speak. Jeremiah could not just pick and choose and only speak the things that Jeremiah liked and maybe the people would like also. Jeremiah must speak all that God commands him. Jeremiah would need to speak the unpopular parts, and there were some very unpopular parts. Jeremiah would have to speak the things that would offend his hearers and maybe even offend Jeremiah. Jeremiah would have to speak words that would cause him to be labeled a traitor to his country and cause the people to think he wanted evil things for them.
Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.
Perhaps Jeremiah was a naturally fearful man, so God kept making sure that Jeremiah knew he was not to give in to opposition. Maybe Jeremiah wondered just how scary the faces of those to whom he was to speak would be! God certainly knew what the reaction of the people and rulers would be to the message Jeremiah was to give them. God was warning Jeremiah and giving Jeremiah the means to overcome his fear. The text says that God would dismay Jeremiah before the enemies if Jeremiah let himself be dismayed. I think that Jeremiah being dismayed would be the natural result of letting his fear of the opposition dissuade him from carrying out his mission. Had Jeremiah wilted under the opposition of the rulers or people and not accepted the courage and strength God gave him, then the mission would have fallen flat. Jeremiah would have been proven to be a weak and ineffectual spokesman, and would have returned back to Anathoth in shame. By allowing God's strength to work from his heart outwards, Jeremiah would be able to stand courageously for God. God was promising Jeremiah that whatever courage and strength Jeremiah needed, God would give him. Jeremiah just had to accept the strength and act, and the strength God put in him would keep Jeremiah upright against all the hurricanes of opposition.

Lord,
Help me today to prepare myself by accepting Your gifts for me. Help me to accept Your gift of life through Jesus. Help me to accept the other blessings and gifts You desire to give me so that I may fulfill the mission You ordained for me before I was born. Whatever mistakes I have made in the past when I allowed fear and sin to keep me from doing Your will, I give to you. Today I ask that You will speak to me. Help me be prepared to accept Your mission for me, and when I hear Your voice, help me to arise and do all that You command me.