Laying the Groundwork

Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV) 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.

(Proverbs 17 also read)

There are a number of important issues that are addressed in this verse.  One is the issue of abortion.  When does life begin?  When are you killing a human child as opposed to what some like to call a lump of tissue?  I think some of that is pretty obvious here and it’s not what I want to address today anyway.

What strikes me here is the call of God on a life.  I am a big proponent of free will.  I believe that being created in the image of God makes us different than the animals and gives us the ability to make moral decisions.  The most important decision, of course, is whether we are going to trust in Jesus, or not.  It goes beyond that.  Here it is the question of what kind of precision God uses in molding some people in their personalities and attitudes.

Noticed that God says He is forming Jeremiah and that even before that He knew him.  He also says that He has ordained him as a prophet.  Does this mean Jeremiah had no choice in responding to God’s call?  Some would say so, but I don’t think so.  The issue is that God created in his heart not only the ability to be a prophet, but a desire to do God’s will.

I don’t think that God gets this detailed in everybody’s lives, but I do believe that there are some cases where He muddies the water to His advantage.

So?  Are you going to feel sorry for yourself that God has chosen you for a special role in life and has given you the abilities and gift to perform that?  Or are you just going to rejoice in the fact that God took the time to mold you into being something that He could clarify himself with. Your choice.