The Fine Print: Part 1-I Pledge Allegiance to the King
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Part One — The Call Comes with a Claim (Jeremiah 1:4–10)
Focus: Identity, divine purpose, and the cost of the call.
Whose Kingdom Are You Really Pledging To?
This past Fourth of July, I found myself in a place of deep reflection.
I began to ask myself:
What does it really mean to pledge allegiance?
Not just to a flag, a country, or a system... but to a King.
What does it mean to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven?
We often talk about freedom here in the U.S.—land of the free, home of the brave. But freedom always costs something.
In the words of my husband,
“The only thing that’s truly free is salvation.”
And he’s right.
“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works…” (Ephesians 2:8–9)
And now that we’re free, we each have a choice to make:
Who do you pledge your allegiance to?
I pledge allegiance to ________.
Who—or what—fills that blank for you?
Because whether we admit it or not, everyone pledges to something.
Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet with a Kingdom Assignment
Over the next four weeks, we’ll journey through the book of Jeremiah together. I know most scholars call him the “weeping prophet,” but beneath the tears is a man who was marked. Set apart. Not for popularity—but for purpose.
Jeremiah shows us what it looks like to walk in Kingdom allegiance when the world around you is walking in rebellion. His life is a blueprint for what it means to be fully surrendered—not to a passing nation, but to an eternal Kingdom.
So let’s start where every Kingdom journey begins:
The Call.
Let’s Not Skip Over This Phrase: “The Call”
Now, I hope I didn’t lose you at “The Call.”
I get it—that phrase has been overused and watered down.
We throw around lines like:
“She’s got a calling on her life.”
“He’s called to ministry.”
But what does that really mean?
Let’s read the fine print:
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘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 1:4–5)
God didn’t start with Jeremiah’s earthly ministry—He began with Jeremiah’s eternal identity.
The Hebrew word for “knew” is yada—to intimately know, to observe, to cherish with intention. Not just casual awareness, but deep, divine familiarity.
God didn’t just know of Jeremiah. He knew him—because Jeremiah existed in the mind and heart of God before he ever existed in the womb.
How amazing is that?!
Who wouldn’t want to trust a God who has already been in tomorrow?
Before the world saw him, Heaven had already sent him.
Let that settle in your spirit: You were spirit before you were flesh.
You Were Strategically Formed in Eternity
Friend, if you can grab hold of this—it will change the way you walk. When you understand that God strategically formed you in eternity, you stop living like you’re just trying to survive… and start walking like you were sent.
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)
This is not just about Jeremiah. This is about you.
So when we talk about allegiance, we’re not talking about behavior management. We’re talking about identity recognition.
When you know who formed you—and why—you’ll know who to follow.
Where Was Jeremiah? Why Does It Matter?
Let’s zoom in on the moment of Jeremiah’s call:
Location: Anathoth—a small, priestly town in the land of Benjamin
Family: His father Hilkiah was a priest
Age: Scholars estimate Jeremiah was around 17 years old when God called him
Why does that matter?
Because God doesn’t wait for the spotlight to find you—He finds you in the shadows. He calls you before you feel qualified. And He assigns you before you even understand the weight of your “yes.”
You don’t need a platform to be called. You just need a posture.
Something I’ve learned on my own journey is this:
When the Bible lists generational family lines—you know, the parts we often skip over because we can’t pronounce the names? —those details matter.
Why? Because if you don’t know who came before you, you might unknowingly repeat generational cycles and curses.
But that’s a lesson for another day.
Key Definitions Before We Go Deeper
Nation (Hebrew: goyim) People groups, tribes, or non-Israelite nations.
In the context of Jeremiah 1:5, this shows that God was sending Jeremiah to confront multiple cultures, not just his own.
Life example: Think of a marching band: you’ve got the drumline, the horn section, the dancers, the flag team—each one is its own group with a specific function. That’s what a “nation” represents. So your “nation” might not be overseas—it might be in your same city, your same school, even your same neighborhood.
Kingdom A realm ruled by a king. In biblical terms, the Kingdom of God is God's rule and reign in the hearts of His people on Earth.
“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
Life example: Think of a country—every country has a leader, laws, culture, and citizens. Well, the Kingdom of God is like that too—but way better. God is the King. His Word is the law. And we are His people.
Allegiance Devotion, loyalty, and submission to the authority of another. It’s not just saying you believe—it’s living like you belong to the King.
Life example: Allegiance is when your actions line up with your loyalty. It’s not a one-time hand raise—it’s a daily surrender.
I think it’s important to learn key terms before going deeper. We don’t want more head knowledge—we want revelation. We want to become stronger disciples in the faith.
So here we are:
I pledge my allegiance…
The Call Comes with a Claim
Let’s make this clear: Being called by God isn’t a suggestion—it’s a summons.
“But the Lord said to me, ‘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,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:7–8)
Jeremiah tried to resist the call. He told God he was too young, too inexperienced.
But God shut that down real quick:
“Don’t say that.”
God wasn’t asking Jeremiah for his résumé—He was asking for his yes.
What Is Your Response?
“Ah, Sovereign Lord…” (v.6)
Jeremiah’s first response wasn’t praise—it was protest. That word “Ah” in Hebrew ('ahāh') is a cry of fear or grief. He didn’t feel fit for the task.
And he’s not alone:
Moses said, “I am slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10)
Isaiah said, “Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5)
Gideon said, “I am the least in my family” (Judges 6:15)
The call of God will often expose your weakness before it reveals His strength.
God’s Response: “Do Not Say…”
“Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go…” God doesn’t coddle—He corrects.
His words give instruction, not affirmation:
“You must go…” → Your assignment isn’t optional
“To everyone I send you…” → You don’t choose your audience
“Say whatever I command you…” → You don’t control the message
This is Kingdom allegiance in its rawest form:
You go where He sends. You say what He speaks. No edits.
Please Hear Me
Jeremiah is proof of what God can do with a yes. Turn on the news—look at what’s taking place in the world. Heaven needs you to bring the Kingdom of God to earth.
We’ve got to stop saying, “Oh no, I can’t do that, child...” Yes, there’s work to be done behind the scenes. But some of us have stayed in the shadows for too long. Myself included.
This is me saying—I’ve tried to stay in the background too. The stretch has been costly.
But to see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth? It’s worth the sacrifice.
You’re Not Too Young. Too Old. Too Late. Too New.
You may be thinking:
“I’m too new in the faith.”
“I don’t know the Bible like that.”
“My past is too messy.”
“I’m not bold like her… or strong like him.”
But listen—God doesn’t need your excuses. He wants your obedience.
Because obedience is the evidence of allegiance.
Allegiance Means Assignment
Let’s sit with this:
You’ve been set apart
You’ve been appointed
You’ve been claimed
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)
When you pledge allegiance to God, you stop asking:
“What do I want to do with my life?”
And start asking:
“Lord, what do You want to do through my life?”
Kingdom Courage
“Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.” (v.8)
I had to eat this verse for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one season of my life—and honestly, I’m still nibbling on it.
Jeremiah was sent to a rebellious people. His ministry lasted over 40 years and was largely rejected.
But obedience isn’t measured by outcome—it’s measured by allegiance.
God promises presence and rescue, not popularity. That’s the part we often miss.
The Call Becomes a Commission
“Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put My words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’” (Jeremiah 1:9–10)
Let’s break that down:
“Touched my mouth” — God doesn’t just call you; He equips you.
“I have put My words” — You are a steward, not the author.
“Appoint you over nations and kingdoms” — This is spiritual authority.
His mission:
Uproot
Tear down
Destroy
Overthrow
Build
Plant
The first four are disruptive. The last two are restorative.
Kingdom allegiance often requires confronting what’s false before establishing what’s true.
Kingdom Allegiance Is a Prophetic Assignment
So what does this mean for us?
God’s call is not a suggestion. It’s a claim.
Allegiance is not about position—it’s about permission.
Obedience is your evidence of loyalty.
You don’t get to pick your audience.
Like Jeremiah, if you are loyal to the King,
You speak for Him, not just about Him.
Prayer
Father, Thank You for Your unwavering love. Thank You, Jesus, for never giving up on me. Forgive me for treating Your call like a suggestion. Lord, I need You. I cannot do this without You.
Your Word says You’ve given me dominion over the works of Your hands. Teach me how to steward it. Teach me how to navigate it. Hide Your Word deep in my heart.
Show me what verse to cling to in this season. Show me what to say yes to—and what to say no to. I am Your sheep. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to serve You because I chose comfort.
I surrender my yes to You. Help me walk in Kingdom allegiance—with boldness, clarity, and obedience.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Before you go, take a moment to sit with what God is saying in this season. He didn’t just call Jeremiah—He’s calling you. And now that you've seen the fine print of your identity, next week we’re going to look at what happens when people reject the call in favor of counterfeit freedom.
Because not everything that looks like freedom is truly freeing.
In Part Two, we’ll walk through Jeremiah 2–3 and unpack how God’s people exchanged living water for broken cisterns—how they looked free but were actually in bondage. You don’t want to miss it.
So meet me back here next week as we continue:
The Fine Print: I Pledge Allegiance to the King.
Let’s go deeper—because this Kingdom walk? It’s not surface-level. It’s surrender.
