“I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 CSB
This verse, found in the book of Jeremiah, is God’s call on Jeremiah’s life to be a prophet. Jeremiah wasn’t thrilled, the very next verse he protests, “Oh no, Lord God! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6 CSB). But God’s not having it, He tells Jeremiah exactly what he is going to do, then tops it off by touching Jeremiah’s mouth, filling it with the words Jeremiah is to speak.
If Jeremiah wasn’t “shore” of himself before he was called, he definitely was “shore” of himself after.
God gave Jeremiah a specific purpose in life. Before he was ever formed in his mother’s womb, God had plans for him. The same is true of you and I. Before we were ever born, God had a purpose for our lives. He knows the number of days we will live and what He created us to do with them (Psalm 39:4 NIV). It’s up to us to find our purpose. I found mine through my life verse, Mark 12:30-31 which talks about loving God with all your heart, mind, body and soul, and loving others as ourselves. Love God, love others is my life motto. No matter what else I do in life, I strive to do that. Trust me it’s challenging, I fail a lot, but it’s my life mission to do a little better with each day that passes.
Kathryn Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn found their purpose in numbers. Brilliant mathematicians in the late 60’s. They were the “human computers” for NASA. They are responsible for calculating the course for John Glenn’s orbit in space. A feat that changed the space race. But no one knew how amazing they were, their work was behind the scenes. It wasn’t until the movie “Hidden Figures” came out in 2016 that their story became known. It didn’t stop them though, they had a purpose, it was specific and they kept on task. They didn’t do it for fame or glory, they did it because it was what God made them to do. Whatever challenges they faced, they faced knowing they were on a mission that was bigger than themselves.
The same is true of you. You are on mission, you can be “shore” of that. There is no one else like you. There is no one else who has the exact same relationships you do, no one who moves through the world like you do, no one who has the opportunities you have. It’s up to you to discover how God wants to use you in the midst of the life He gave you. Who does He want you to love? Who does He want you to help? Who needs grace around you? Ask Him to show you your purpose. As you seek to be “shore” of yourself, find your purpose to help guide your path
