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.”
(Jeremiah 1: 5)
This word from the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah, and then God goes on to detail His calling on Jeremiah’s life. Jeremiah was to warn Judah of God’s coming judgment against them. He became known as the ‘weeping prophet’ because of his deep sorrow over the punishment Judah was to receive at God’s hand. But aside from setting up Jeremiah’s mission, this text also gives us principles that explain what God has in mind for each of us:
God knew us from the womb: Before our parents knew us, friends knew us, pastor knew us, church members knew us, teachers knew us, bosses knew us or anyone else knew us, God knew us. He knew every feature and facet of your being. So it doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say about you—good or bad—if it doesn’t agree with what God has to say about you. He knows you better than anyone, yourself included. And He knew you first.
God gave us purpose before we were born: Some of us had wonderful biological parents who were materially and emotionally capable of raising us and taking care of us, praise God. Some of us did not. Some of us came from foster homes. Some of us were adopted into different families. Sadly, some of us think we’re mistakes because of our familial origins. But before you were born God planned out a purpose for you here and now—something uniquely suited to your God-given skills and abilities. Even if your biological parents didn’t plan for you to be here, God did. And He’s planned out a purpose for you that will make life worthwhile.
God invites us to be a part of His redemptive work: Once we learn who God made us to be and to what purpose God has for us, He invites us to become part of the international mission to spread the Gospel and usher in Christ’s second coming. As a body of believers we are to participate in bringing the future promise of heaven to life on earth today. Preaching and teaching to those who haven’t heard, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, providing for the poor and homeless, and other things Jesus Himself did when He was here. There is no higher calling than doing God’s will here “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)
(RICARDO ALLEYNE)