Jeremiah is wondering why God wants him to be a prophet. God wants Jeremiah to know that even before Jeremiah was conceived, God knew him and loved him.
These words can be of some comfort to a mother grieving the loss of a pregnancy. You might feel as if you were the only one who ever knew and will ever know your unborn child. These thoughts can be extremely lonely and sad.
Here in Jeremiah, God tells all of us that we were known by heaven long before our conception or birth. Whether or not we breathe on this earth, we are part of God's plan and loved by God. When tragedy strikes, it can seem as though God decides to take something away from us, but pain and loss are never God's intentions for this world.
When life was created, God knew that free will and the presence of evil would challenge every happiness and perfection in mysterious ways. God knew we would want to shake our fists at heaven and demand an explanation or apology when life is unfair.
If it feels like God is silent, perhaps He is silent because He is listening and waiting to receive everything you will unload onto him. Cast your burdens, shake your fists and cry your tears. God wants to take your pain and to grieve with you. God knows better than anyone that death and pain can leave us feeling broken.
By inviting God to weep and mourn with you, He can begin to mold the aftermath of sadness and loss into a hopeful future. This is what God does best.
Remember that God knows and loves your baby too, and trusting that means you are never really alone.
