Read Jeremiah 1 – 4
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 KJV
Every phrase in this verse is important as they express the intimate work of God in Jeremiah’s life. (1) God foreknew him. God knew everything about him when he was still only a thought in God’s mind. (2) God formed him in his mother’s womb. He could say along with the psalmist (Psalm 139:13-18) that he was fearfully and wonderfully made because God’s fingerprints were all over him. (3) Before Jeremiah came forth from the womb God sanctified him. God set Jeremiah apart for Himself. (4) Then God ordained him. Jeremiah’s course in life was established by God before he was even born. God showed Himself to be sovereign in Jeremiah’s life just as He is in each of our lives. It is comforting to realize God is in control of every part of our lives. We are known before conception, and our course is set before birth. Such attention is hard to comprehend!
Lord, what can I say? I can fight against Your will for my life, or humbly submit to it. Because You are in control, have my best interests in mind, and have been involved with my life even before it began, as clay in a potter’ hands I surrender myself to You.
A question to ponder: If God foreknew, formed, sanctified, and ordained me, where will my life experience its greatest expression of purpose?
