"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you." (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
The first time I remember reading this verse was when I was in college studying at the Newman Center where I lived. This verse was printed on a pro-life sign that hung on the wall in the study lounge. It depicted an unborn baby resting in God's hand. It seemed to stand as a reminder to me that every life, "is not governed by chance; it is not random," and that, "your existence (my existence) has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose!" (Pope Benedict XVI)
I've always liked that: how God's words through Jeremiah comforted me and made me feel chosen—not like an after-thought at all, but more like the precisely thought-out stroke of a brush on a masterpiece painting. Or like I can rest in God's hands like that unborn baby in the pro-life sign.
What's interesting, though, is the context of this verse. If we dig a little deeper into it, we learn that God's message here was not just for one singular person, but for a large group of people: the Israelites. Furthermore, He's not just telling them they're going to be okay (though He is saying that), but He's also telling them that it'll be a while before everything is brought to restoration and to redemption.
They had to wait seventy years for that. Knowing this background has changed things for me when I see or hear this verse. These words now carry for me a message of hope—that I certainly can rest in God's hand, but that His plan for me might not look like what I expected . . . and that even then, He will still bring about restoration and redemption as the Father Who loves me.
[bctt tweet="I certainly can rest in God's hand, but that His plan for me might not look like what I expected." username="praymorenovenas"]
Read more here about what respect for human life means in a broader and deeper sense.
Annie Deddens is a writer and producer. She runs a prayer ministry with her husband, called Pray More Novenas. She has a heart for the sick & suffering, and she writes about living with greater faith (hope & love, too) in this imperfect world as a Catholic wife. You can find out more about her here.
