Set Apart

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Scripture

Jeremiah 1:5 “I [the Lord] knew you [Jeremiah] 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.” New Living Translation

Observation

In this verse, the Lord tells Jeremiah that He knew Jeremiah before the Lord formed him in his mother’s womb. Furthermore, the Lord tells Jeremiah that before he was even born, the Lord set him apart and divinely appointed him as a prophet to the nations. This declaration from God is the calling that Jeremiah needed to hear from God, be encouraged to follow diligently after Him, and step forward into his divinely appointed destiny as a holy, set apart, unique, prophet of God to the nations.

Application

If the Lord knew Jeremiah before He formed him in his mother’s womb, I can rest assured that the Lord also knew me before He formed me in my mother’s womb. In fact, the Apostle Peter says in Acts 10:34, “God is no respecter of persons.” And if this truth is not astounding enough, I can also trust that the Lord has a holy, set apart, unique, divine calling and appointment for me as a child of God, just like He did for Jeremiah. In Luke 12:6-7, the Bible says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Understanding that I am worth more than many sparrows to the Lord, that the Lord knew me before I was even born, and that He has set me apart with a God-ordained calling in Him, encourages me to: 1) carefully listen for His still small voice, 2) follow diligently after Him, and 3) courageously step forward in faith into my unique divinely appointed destiny in God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are El Elyon, God Most High, Creator and Possessor Of Heaven And Earth! Thank you Lord for knowing me before I was formed in my mother’s womb and creating me with a unique divinely appointed destiny in You. Help me Lord to carefully listen for Your still small voice calling me, leading me, and encouraging me to courageously step forward in faith into my unique divinely appointed destiny in You. I love You Jesus! Amen!

Set Apart Copyright 2012, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Set Apart, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Special Election

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Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark

Quote: “Spiritual leaders are not elected, appointed, or created by synods or church assemblies. God alone makes them!” – J. Oswald Sanders

One morning my brother-in-law was mowing the lawn and saw his little 5-year-old boy, Jacob, standing on the neighbor’s patio in front of their patio glass door peering inside their house.  As my brother-in-law quietly walked over to see what Jacob was doing, he could hear the neighbor’s large dog inside the house barking loudly at Jacob.  Surprisingly, Jacob was not afraid of the barking dog. Instead, with his fire engine red hair, he was bent over staring squarely at the disgruntled dog – behind the glass door no matter – and saying, “You want a piece of me. You want a piece of me…”  Something tells me that my nephew is not only a very funny little boy, but also a future leader in the making!

When we look at the great spiritual leaders of the Bible like Noah, Elijah, and Paul, to name a few, there is one thing I observe that they all had in common.  Each of them were willing to stand strong in the face of adversity to complete the leadership assignment that God had specifically called each one of them to accomplish for Him. I believe the reason they were able to do this is not because of any natural courage they possessed as leaders, but rather because of their faith in God to supernaturally protect them, empower them, and provide for them everything they needed to fulfill God’s special call on their lives.  Each one of them possessed a supernatural courage that only comes from personally knowing God, obeying Him, and knowing that He was for them regardless of the adverse situations they had to face. If this was not so, Noah would have never been able to continue building the ark in the face of community ridicule, Elijah would have run scared from the prophets of Baal, and Paul would have wallowed in self pity as a shackled prisoner in chains. 

I’ve heard it said that just because a person stands in a garage, it doesn’t make them a car. Well, the same is true of spiritual leaders. Just because someone has a leadership position given by men, it doesn’t make them a spiritual leader anointed by God.  Spiritual leaders are specially elected and qualified by God alone through the purifying tests and trials of each person’s specific faith walk and supernatural calling in God.  Psalms 75:6-7 states, “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” Additionally, the Lord makes it clear in His Word that He establishes all positions of authority including spiritual authority. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 of The Living Bible states, “Everything in the heavens and earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your Kingdom. We adore You as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from You alone, and You are the Ruler of all mankind; Your hand controls power and might, and it is at Your discretion that men are made great and given strength.” Therefore, with a spirit of faith and humility, be the spiritual leader that God specifically makes you to be as He qualifies you completely to fulfill His special call and leadership assignment on your life!

The Make It Happen Servant Leadership Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Led By Servant Leaders!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Special Election Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Special Election, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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