You are Important
“The Lord gave me this message: “I
knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set
you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”1
In the first chapter of Jeremiah, we
read the calling of Jeremiah. This is one of those passages that I love reading
over and over. Many may believe that this passage applied only to Jeremiah, but
we know that the Bible is God’s Word to all of us, His people. Therefore, this
passage applies as much to you and me as it did to Jeremiah. We may not all be
called to be a prophet, but God formed us and has chosen us for an important task.
There are three things that stand out
to me in today’s passage, and that I believe God is reminding us of.
I knew you. God knew everything about us even before we
were born. God knows us better than we know ourselves! Psalm 139:16 says, “Your
eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your
book before one of them came to be.”
I set you apart. God has chosen us for a purpose. We are
special to him. Deuteronomy 14:2 says, “You have been set apart as holy to the
LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be
his own special treasure.”
I appointed you. God has called us and sends us out as his children
to the world to be a testimony. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit
should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to
you.”
There may be times when we lose sight
of our purpose or feel discouraged because we feel we do not have the needed
qualities for our situation. However, just as God prepared Jeremiah for the
time he was living, God has also prepared you and me for the times we are
living. He has been preparing us since before we were born, and we can be confident
that He is with us always.
Each of us is unique. God never made
another person like you and he never will. There is no one that possesses the
same gifts as you and no one can do the things you do like you do. God is our strength
and we can trust that we can do all things through Him. Even in moments of
discouragement, let us remember that God has chosen us to do great things. He
knows everything about us, and still chose us to be his children. When we
choose to see ourselves as God sees us, we will begin reaching our potential and
be used by God in a big way. Just as God told Jeremiah, he is also telling us “Get
up and prepare for action!”2
Suggested prayer: “Dear God, what a
great privilege to be fully known and fully loved by you. Thank you for choosing
me to be your child and making me unique. Help me to believe that I can do
great things, not because of what I have done, but because of what you have
done and can do through me. Thank you for being with me always and preparing me
for such a time as this. I am ready to be used by you. Thank you for hearing
and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
1. Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NLT).
2. Jeremiah 1:17 (NLT).
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.