Chosen For A Purpose

[The Lord said,] “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

Picture this scene: You walk into the gym and see that your class is going to be divided into teams for games. Two of your classmates are appointed captains and start to choose their teams from all of the students. If you’re athletic or popular, you’re probably going to be chosen first. But what if you have a reputation for always missing the basket? Or being the first one out when playing dodgeball? Or what if you’re just not popular? You may be picked last, and that’s not a good feeling. Especially if your teammates groan when you join them.

The good news is that God doesn’t make choices based on your popularity or how smart you are or how athletic you are. He chose you because he wanted to. The even better news is that because you are someone God chose, he already had a plan in mind for you before you were born. You may not know what that plan is yet, and that’s okay. You have a lifetime to figure it out. It’ll be an adventure as you follow God each day. So instead of getting discouraged in the tough times or in the girl drama that takes place, view each thing that happens to you as another stepping-stone toward God’s plans for you. Each day gives you an opportunity to learn and grow as God’s princess.

Today’s verse says God chose Jeremiah to be a prophet before Jeremiah was even born. God used each thing that happened in Jeremiah’s life to prepare him to take God’s message to the people.

You can put your own name in Jeremiah 1:5, knowing that God has set you apart to work for him and that he’ll help you find what your special job is as you follow him daily. So write out Jeremiah 1:5 and put your name as the first word. Ask God to reveal to you the rest of the verse a day at a time. It should look like this: “________ (your name), I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as ___________.”

Your answer might look like one of these:

• a helper for your parents
• a friend to someone who is lonely
• a bright light among the kids in your neighborhood