Wednesday, December 28: Jeremiah 1 -Before you were born.

I found myself attracted to Jeremiah’s call, simply stated in two verses.

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." (4-5)

I sat pondering those words…

God knew (‘knew’ carries the idea of choosing, calling, setting apart) Jeremiah before.  That statement takes a bit of effort to get one’s head around. Jeremiah was known, chosen, called, set apart before he was even formed in the womb. I was known, ‘chosen’, before I was formed in the womb.  You were known… before you were formed in the womb. Wow! I wish I could say that I fully understand that but it stretches my thoughts. I can and do affirm it. I believe it because it is in God’s Word, but it stretches me.

Oh, the glory of God, the wonder of God as Creator…

Jeremiah’s call goes on to say, before you were born I set you apart. My mind is stretched again.

Before he was born, breathed a breath, said a word, thought a thought, God had set him apart for his great calling!

I flash from Jeremiah to myself. The major part of me relishes that my life is totally in God’s hands.  His sovereignty controls my day and the day. Yet, there is a small part of me that says, what about ‘free will’? Do I have a choice in all this? And even if I don’t personalize this to myself, the same thoughts circle regarding Jeremiah. Did he have a choice in this, what about his ‘free will’ and so on?

For the umpteenth time, I find myself bowing to and submitting to God’s absolute sovereignty. Though I don’t fully comprehend it and even though it wrecks havoc with some of my thinking about free will and choices and … I say, ‘Alleluia the Lord reigns’. He is God and I am not! And I choose to submit to His will and His way and His calling in my life.

Great and mighty is the Lord, He formed me and I am His. I am a sheep of His pasture. Lord, I will listen for Your voice and I will follow where You lead. I will go where You send me and do what You have for me to do. I bow and surrender to Your will and I do so out of love for You and wonder at Your mighty name. In and through Jesus, I pray. Amen.