Before I Knew You, I Formed You - The Crosswalk Devotional - August 18
Before I Formed You, I Knew You
By Emma Danzey
Jeremiah 1:5 says, “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’s Call
In Jeremiah 1, we read the sweet words of our Creator God telling Jeremiah that He knew him before He formed him. This is the beauty of our relationship with the Lord. He made us each individually. In Jeremiah 1, Jeremiah refutes God’s call on his life. He blames his age and abilities. Within his insecurities, the Lord reminds him of the confidence that is found in Him. Even though Jeremiah felt inadequate, the Creator made him to accomplish this task. The Lord was giving Jeremiah the words to say and leading Jeremiah to walk by faith.
How often does the Lord do this with us? We come up with excuses as to why He has the “wrong person for the job.” Yet, He knows us better than we know ourselves. He has called us to Himself and purposed our lives to share His love with the world. We can easily tell ourselves that we are disqualified when in fact, it is our Maker who has not only qualified us but Who has already given us victory in Him.
Before You Were Formed in the Womb, I Knew You
I think this is the most spectacular verse. It reminds us that even before we were conceived, God knew us. There is a comfort in being known. We desire to be known. I remember the feeling of being fully known with the good and the bad when I got married. It was a wonderful experience that pointed to the greater love that Christ has for us. He made us, and He knows us better than we even know ourselves. He knows our darkest moments and our brightest days. He chose to come to sacrifice His life so that we could live with Him forever. There is great love found in our Creator. We are like the beautiful masterpiece of art that the painter made and adores. Before we were formed, we were known.
Before You Were Born, I Set You Apart
A follower of the Living God was set apart before birth. He knew us before we were born, He knows us now, and He knows who we will become. Jeremiah was given these exact words, and they echo into the lives of believers everywhere. We have gone from being enemies to our Creator to now being His beloved children and friends. We do not look like this world when we live for Christ. We are set apart because of Jesus. This means that we will look different, and that is a good thing. We have to be careful not to compare our journeys to the paths of others. Whatever path God has for each of us is unique to us.
I Appointed You As a Prophet to the Nations
Although this was a specific calling and promise to Jeremiah, we can learn from it. We are not Old Testament prophets, but we are disciples of Jesus. We have been given a similar calling in Matthew 20:19-20, which says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Anyone who gives his or her life to Jesus will be saved and invited into the family of God. Then, he or she will be given a new life and a new purpose. There is a beauty in being called to use our unique individual gifts to share the hope that we have in Christ.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How is God calling you to share the gospel of Jesus with the world? How can you rest in being born with a purpose? In what ways can you allow the Lord to remove your insecurities with HIs confident plan for your life?
Further Reading:
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