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BORN TO SERVE
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed
you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I
consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
Of Mozart and music, it was
probably said by people of the time, "He's got a gift." Of
Michael Jordan and basketball, people proclaimed, "He's a
natural."
For Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, it would not have been just
talk to say, "He was born to be a prophet." Indeed, he
absolutely was born to serve. When God came to Jeremiah to set
him on his mission, he said he had picked Jeremiah to be a great
prophet even before Jeremiah was born. God tells Jeremiah,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."
This passage has been discussed and discussed more, and has been
the source of much disagreement. Does it mean that God knows
everything about us, even before we draw our first breath? I'm
not sure. God is not saying that he knew every little thing
Jeremiah - or any of us - was going to do in life. (Consider
that one can know someone well, and still not know all the ways
that person may act.) God did say he knew Jeremiah before he was
made and had big plans for him from the start.
God knows all of us before we are born and he gives us tools -
gifts - to help us serve the world on his behalf. It's like
being set on a path and being given a map - will we follow it?
Not all of us are given a wondrous gift like Jeremiah, but the
gifts we are given are important to God. Whatever the gift from
God you were born with, it would be a shame not to use it.
Dear Lord, thank you for
seeing us before we were born and giving us a special gift to
use in your world. Whether we are a mighty prophet like Jeremiah
or someone who performs a simple act of helping those in need,
please help us to use the gifts you give us to our fullest. Amen.
Ken Hobart
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