Why God wants you – a Biblical example

In Jeremiah 1:5 and 1:8 we read how God, speaking to Jeremiah, gives him a commission: “‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations….Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.” The vision that Jeremiah had in these passages was not a mere emotional encounter, but a vivid and commissioning moment with a set of directions for the rest of the prophet’s life. Basically the Lord was saying to Jeremiah – your life is going to be devoted to service to Me; your goals, pursuits, and ambitions are going to be enveloped in Mine. “I appointed you.”

When we walk in a relationship with God it is natural for us to have spiritual ambitions, passionately to represent the cause of Christ, and to learn obedience to our calling instead of despairing in the face of the obstacles. It is not enough when we turn to Christ to know the right things about how the Father sent the Son to save the world, or about the resurrection event on the third day, or about the calling of the twelve. Instead what the experience of Jeremiah suggests is that God is calling us to a personal encounter with Him. Far from merely being appointed, Jeremiah was offered at his commissioning moment an opportunity for a relationship with God Himself. The commissioning command of our Lord is vivid – “before you were born I set you apart.” God does not desire mere allegiance or zeal. His longing is for a relationship with us, a connection with his Person, an effort to devote our souls to Him. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”