Before I Formed You

“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

These words from the Lord to Jeremiah reveal the depth of God’s sovereign care and purpose for His servant. The Lord has knowledge of all whom He has created, yet His knowledge of Jeremiah was marked by a special love and intimacy. This is the same gracious knowledge He has toward all His people.

The Lord declares that He knew Jeremiah before forming him in the womb. Scripture consistently teaches that it is God who forms life and brings each person into being. His knowledge is not distant or impersonal. It is loving, intentional, and purposeful. God’s people are known by Him from before the foundation of the world. They are loved with an everlasting love, chosen in Christ, and kept by His power unto eternal life.

Before Jeremiah was born, he was set apart for the work to which God had appointed him. His calling was not an afterthought or a reaction to history. It was established in the eternal purpose and decree of God. The apostle Paul speaks in similar terms when he says that he was set apart from his mother’s womb to preach the gospel. God’s calling rests upon His sovereign will and gracious design.

Scripture reminds us that the Lord is the Potter and we are the clay. The Potter has authority over His work, shaping each vessel according to His wise and holy purpose. God’s plans are never frustrated, and His will is never overturned. What He ordains, He also brings to pass.

While many struggle with the concept of God’s sovereignty, Scripture consistently affirms that the Lord works all things according to the counsel of His own will. His purposes stand, not because of human strength or decision, but because of His perfect wisdom and grace.

For believers, this truth is meant to bring comfort rather than fear. The same God who formed Jeremiah, knew him, and set him apart is the God who knows His people today. He does not abandon the work of His hands. He faithfully carries out His purpose in the lives of those He has called.

To God alone be the glory.

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Greg Flannery is a Bible Teacher at Redeemer Church of Piketon, Ohio.