Known Before, Prepared Along the Way

Our Daily Devotion – Known Before, Prepared Along the Way - “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace…” Galatians 1:15 Scripture (ESV)

Paul writes these words as a man who fully understands his past—and does not deny it. He persecuted the Church. He opposed Christ. Yet when Paul looks back, he does not see wasted years or accidental detours. He sees a sovereign God who was at work long before Paul ever understood it.

This verse reminds us of a hard but hopeful truth: God’s calling is older than our mistakes. Long before we found our way to Christ, He already knew where our story was headed. Long before we understood ministry, God was quietly shaping us for it.

Our background—every season, every failure, every lesson learned the hard way—was not outside of God’s reach. Grace didn’t merely rescue Paul; it reframed his entire life. What once seemed like disqualifications became preparation in the hands of God.

If you are tempted to believe your past limits your usefulness, remember this: God does not call the prepared—He prepares the called. And He often does that preparation long before the calling becomes clear