We are known before we know#
My self is given to me far more than it is formed by me. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. There were no errors, He was diligent.
Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
that’s what I had in mind for you (Jeremiah 1:5 The Message)
The 'before' is the root system of the visible 'now'.
Before we were formed in the womb, God knew us. We are known before we know.
The fundamental mistake is to begin with ourselves and not God. We are peripheral while God is the center. It is from Him alone that all life develops. In the geometry of life mankind lives off center. My identity does not begin when I begin to understand myself. The Lord spoke to an innocent Jeremiah:
Before you saw the light of day I had holy plans for you.
This truth activates our 'choice gene' for we are chosen to throw stones at giants and not merely stepping upon ants. There is something important, really important that God is doing and you have been created just for this.
As with Jeremiah, likely no glory will be included, popularity will be void while loneliness and fleeing is 'on the table'.
The Last Word:
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
#Today's SoulSnack largely contains content from Eugene Peterson, "Run with the Horses" (IVP Press Illinois, 2009) pp 37-41. SoulSupply has interspersed fresh content lightly through this SoulSnack.