Regarding this passage from Jeremiah 1:5…Does this have any implications upon why we were given the life we were given? I’m not sure if there is any definitive answer to this (probably not), or this is something just left up to faith. Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why people are given such good lives while others have had nothing but suffering growing up. Fortunately, I came from a good family and couldn’t have asked for a better childhood,…sometimes feeling guilty…almost in a sense as “What have I done to deserve such a loving family” while there are other people out there who’s lives were ruined in childhood…or who weren’t given a chance at a “normal” life…or even a Catholic life. I know God has this all figured out in his divine plan…
Anyway, just a thought…
I’ve had this phrase jump out at me a couple of times. I wonder about the same thing - for reasons I’ve gone into elsewhere I think my own father is in Hell.
The reason for that is that is due to his appearing in my room the night he died. After an apology, a discussion and accusations, he disappeared but not before giving this one terrible almighty scream.
So…if we accept the above phrase, was he predestined to Hell? At one stage in the conversation, he saiid with some alarm “I always was doomed! I didn’t really have any choice!” I argued back (despite being an atheist myself at the time), saying “That can’t be right!” to which he replied, “Oh, it’s right, all right, you can see that from here.”
But later he admitted “I was
WILLING!” (to do and continue doing the stupid and cruel things that condemned him). So “free” will came into it as well.
In what sense then does God “know us” in the womb? I’m afraid I struggle with that one, but in the end, we’ve all got the choice as to whether we’ll seek God and righteousness, or the devil and evil. Probably very few think they’re serving the devil per se, but the reality is if we’re not for Christ, then we’re against Him.
I think He knows everybody, in the womb. In Jeremiah’s case, He knew he’d be a prophet. God would call him to the role, and he’d accept, if somewhat reluctantly. He’d have probably have been happier if it had been someone else’s job from what I’ve read of the book. But he did it anyway.
God knew how he’d react, and whether he’d ultimately obey or not. And He would know all of us in the same way. Even my father. God knew he’d reject Christ, and go his own way. Whether God willed that is another point, one that I don’t know the answer to.
For those who suffer greatly aka “the poor” in many cases, perhaps that’s why Christ said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The way I see that, when I subtract the usual rationalisation of “poor in spirit” and replace it with “poor spiritually” is that they are more likely to inherit the Kingdom of God. Their suffering will be replaced by endless joy, whereas those of us who are rich now (and a lot of Westerners are rich now compared to their third world counterparts) have had their reward already, and they won’t be getting any more.
