"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." - Jeremiah
1:5
I sat on the floor smiling as I looked around the soon-to-be
nursery. The books waiting to be read.
The clothes waiting to be worn. The crib waiting to be slept in. The toys
waiting to be played with.
What will Isaac's laugh
sound like?
I close my eyes and let my fingers trace the carpet. The same carpet that will cushion Isaac’s
little hands and knees as he crawls to and fro in exploration.
Will he have my
insatiable sense of curiosity? Or his daddy’s adorable sense of wonder and awe at
new things?
A gentle roll from within pulls me back from my visions and
wonderings. I rub my belly and reflect
back on the scripture I read earlier in the morning.
"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." - Jeremiah
1:5
I lean over slightly and whisper gently to the little life
growing within me….
“Isaac, you are known. You are consecrated. You are called.”
Before I realize it, I’m repeating the words over and over,
as if each declaration sinks that truth a little deeper into his forming ears
drums.
I may have dreams and visions for my son, but the reality is
I’m not starting from scratch. God has already uniquely designed Isaac.
But here’s the amazing
part – that truth applies to all of us.
We are known, consecrated, and called.
You are KNOWN by God
God knows YOU. Not
just in the global sense of knowing all mankind. We’re talking about an intimate knowledge of
who you are specifically. A knowledge
that assures us, “I know you by name” (Exodus 33:12). How? Because you are His design. It is a
knowledge that can only be possessed by
the Creator himself. And since He
created you, you are no surprise to God.
He knows your temperament. Your physical abilities. Your strengths. Your
weaknesses. And not only are you not a
surprise, you are not a mistake. The things you see within you as flaws, He
carefully crafted into who you are for a reason. And if God approved your design, who are you
to question it?
You are CONSECRATED
by God.
Consecrated can be a big and intimidating word. But all it means is that you were set apart
for something special - separated. When you are set apart, you are not common,
you are a “vessel for honorable use” (Romans 9:21). So, you cannot behave, react, speak, or live
like everyone else – you are not designed to.
What is your design? You were
hardwired to be “ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). And nobody can override that design, but you.
You are CALLED by God.
You are truly a piece of work! That’s not an insult, by the way – it’s a
promise.
“For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared in advance as our way of life.” – Ephesians 2:10
Other translations call you a masterpiece, or His
handiwork. But what is implied in all
those descriptions is a purposed creation – an intentionally crafted work for a
unique purpose. There’s nothing
mysterious about your “calling” -- it’s
what you were designed to do. You are
HERE for a reason. God stood back from
all His work and decided the world needed your contribution. That’s either exciting or terrifying for you
– fears and insecurities can call us to shrink back from this truth. But the truth remains, you were “fearfully and
wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
So our job in life is not to manufacture our
importance. Your job is to live
according to your design. Not according
to what family you grew up in. Not according to your past. Not according to
your present. Walk in your truth and let
God’s marvelous work shine
And, I hope this reminder stirs something in you today, as strongly as my son stirring within me as I
close….
You are KNOWN. You are CONSECRATED. You are CALLED.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment