You are not a Mistake
I stand in awe of how every living creature in nature functions together. They have all been created by our all-powerful creator God, not just willy nilly, but with great care and purpose. Every living creature, from microscopic bacteria and viruses to birds, large game and sea animals, has been designed and created with purpose so that they can live in harmony in the environment in which they were created.
Hummingbirds are wonderful examples of God’s intent and purposes for His creation. Hummingbirds, nicknamed flying jewels, are the smallest bird species on the planet and are fascinating birds. They have the extraordinary ability to beat their wings up to 50 times per second while hovering over the plants they feed on. Hummingbirds are known to be one of the best pollinators and are the only pollinators of certain species of flowering plants. Their absence would disturb the delicate balance in these ecosystems and jeopardise the existence of these plant species as well as other plants and insects that rely on them for their survival. Besides their purpose as pollinators, they also assist in insect control and seed dispersal. Their presence is an indication of a healthy and biodiverse environment. And of course, seeing a hummingbird, whether it’s perched on a branch or hovering underneath a flower, always gives one great joy.
Just as hummingbirds are uniquely designed to fulfil their purpose, so are we. God has designed us with purpose. We are not a mistake. Every one of us has been uniquely designed to fit into God’s purpose for His creation. Even before we were conceived in our mother’s womb, God knew exactly what His plans and purposes were for our lives. Therefore, we cannot be a mistake. In fact, God is perfect in every way and does not make mistakes. All His promises for you are true (Psalm 18:30)
David says in Psalm 139:13-16,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
These verses of scripture give us the blessed assurance that God, in His eternal love for us, was actively present and involved when He created us. Nothing was hidden from Him when He made us “fearfully and wonderfully.” Some Bible commentators translate this to mean, “I am fearfully set apart.” And this is indeed what God did when we were born. He set us apart for the purposes and plans that He has for our lives. The purposes and plans that He had for us before the foundations of the earth.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says,
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
So, if His plan was to set us apart even before we were created, then surely, our being here on this earth cannot be a mistake. Surely, He has a purpose for our lives. His plans and purposes for our lives are good. They are to give us a hopeful future. This is what Jeremiah 29:11 says:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This promise made to the exiled Jews in Babylon was true for them then, but it is also true for us today. Jesus, our Lord and mighty Saviour, is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
In verse 12 of Jeremiah 29, God invites the Israelites and us to call on Him, to come and to pray to Him, and He promises that He will listen.
When we come to Him and give Him our doubts about our self-worth. Our doubts about whether our lives have meaning and purpose, He will listen. And He will answer us. He will draw us with His unfailing love and give us a deep revelation and a knowing that we are not a mistake. We are made in His image, and therefore our lives have purpose. Once we have this revelation. We are able to tap into the extraordinary greatness for which God has designed and created us.
Reflection:
Do you have doubts about whether your life has meaning and purpose? Reflect on the verses of scripture mentioned in the devotional. Ask God to take away your doubts and fear about the future.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for creating me. Thank you for knowing me before the foundations of the earth. Thank you for creating me with purpose. Reveal to me what my purpose is for this season so that I may be an ambassador for your kingdom and glorify your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.
