"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
Before I formed you in the womb doesn't describe a decision made once Jeremiah had proven himself capable of anything. It describes knowledge and purpose that predate his own existence entirely — before you were born I consecrated you, appointed for something before there was a person yet to appoint.
That's a strange kind of assurance if you're used to thinking your worth has to be built, earned, established through some track record. This verse locates the appointment before any track record was even possible. Jeremiah didn't do anything yet to deserve being called a prophet to the nations. He just existed, and apparently that was enough for something to already be true about him.
If you've spent your life waiting to prove yourself before believing anything good could be true about you, this verse describes a completely different order of events — purpose fixed before performance ever entered the picture.
If you've been waiting to prove yourself before believing anything good could be true about you, this verse is worth reading as evidence the order runs the other way.
A short video on this is coming soon — for now, read on.