Listen to me, all you who are left in Israel. I created you and have cared for you since before you were born.
Devotional Text
How can we fathom a God who has known us even before our birth? How can we grasp the love of a God who says, “I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you” (Isaiah 46:4)? Cyrus was a great king of the Medes and Persians who was chosen by God to play a pivotal role in the life of the Jewish people. Hundreds of years before his birth, however, Isaiah called him by name and proclaimed a very special prophecy concerning him (Isaiah 45:13). Some traditions say that Daniel read this passage of prophecy to Cyrus, and it so moved him that he released the Jewish people to return home from the Babylonian captivity. Before we even had enough sense to follow God, the Lord was carrying us and planning lives of destiny for us. He has ordained gifts and callings for us long before we were even born. Paul said that Jesus “gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). These callings were part of God’s plan for us and His Church from the beginning of time. Doesn’t it challenge and encourage you to know that God has a plan for your life—a plan that is already known to Him? Your constant prayer should be, “Lord, I beg You to help me lead a life that is worthy of Your calling” (Ephesians 4:1).