Your Purpose Suits You!

I've often wondered why the Lord God completely ignored Jeremiah’s plea to be reassigned (Jeremiah 1:6). As a matter of fact, quite a few of God's Old Testament servants failed at attempts to cancel their missions, such as Moses and Gideon. Jeremiah 1:5 may help in our understanding of God’s intolerance of a tendency toward mission-canceling.

“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.” (NLT)

Though this passage is in reference to the prophet Jeremiah, it serves as an indication of the great lengths taken by the Creator, YHWH, Almighty God, in planning the very details of an individual’s life. It highlights the fact that God is a God of purpose. The late Dr. Myles Munroe said concerning purpose, “To understand the purpose of a thing, one must look to the Creator of that thing.” He also said, “Whenever purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable.”

The Hebrew root word for appoint or ordain is nathan, which means to give, make, put or set. It indicates the notion of a predetermined, pre-established, or preordered event. Jeremiah’s narrative reveals his destiny, which included prophesying to the nations, government officials, and even his own people, warning them of certain divine judgement, a consequence of their rebellion. His was a mission filled with great tension between divine destruction and restoration, resulting in Jeremiah’s severe rejection and persecution. In this light, one can understand Jeremiah's request to be excused.

Jeremiah explained to YHWH that he wouldn't be able to fulfill His will, his predestinated life-assignment, because he was too young and inexperienced (1:6), an excuse abruptly overturned (1:7), causing the focus to shift from Jeremiah's humanity, back to the Lord and His global (kingdom) agenda. Jeremiah was forced to realize that his story was contained in a far greater story involving all creation and the glory of God.

Jeremiah was born as a solution to Israel’s problem, a problem which existed long before he did. God fashioned Jeremiah, before he existed, to fit a pre-existing purpose. “Nathan” not only indicates a pre-established purpose, but also the personal wiring or fitting for said purpose. Although Jeremiah would undergo cultivation and preparation for his assignment, he had been divinely “made,” “fashioned” or “wired” to fulfill his role and function as God’s prophet.

You can resist fear and the feeling of being overwhelmed because your purpose suits you! When confronted with destiny, recall God’s words to Jeremiah, “For you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you...” In other words, “You were tailor-made for your purpose, and there will be no canceling of your assignment!”

LIFT YOURSELF above every obstacle and defy every enemy of purpose!