One of the most empowering words of love that I know of is
“CHOSEN!” How does it make you feel when
someone says, “I CHOOSE YOU!” Or, “I’ve
CHOSEN you to be a part of my wedding, my party, my team!” And one of the highest compliments another
person can give you is to tell you, “I REALLY needed someone to bare my soul
to, someone who would just listen to me and pray with me; and because I know I
can trust you, I CHOSE YOU!”
Chosen. Being chosen by someone
else pours added value into our spirits.
It awakens a part of our heart and soul that God designed to be filled
and fulfilled. And what happens to
anyone who does not feel chosen? And
more importantly, what happens to those who ARE chosen, but they don’t see it,
know it, or believe that they are?
With this beautiful season of the celebration of Christ’s birth,
I have been drawn to the thought of many of God’s choices in how He would bring
His Son into this world and in how He would present Him as the Hope of the
world. I love how God CHOSE ordinary
people to be His vessels of CHOICE for carrying out the birth of His Son! I see a precious and powerful correlation
between the word “chosen” and the event of Jesus’ birth that would forever
change life for us on this earth – through His subsequent life, death, and
resurrection. Every prophecy, every
person, every part played was a fulfillment of God’s choices for His Son. The innocent, pure, young girl who would
carry the divine seed of the Holy Spirit and become the mother of Jesus. The young man of integrity, Joseph, who would
raise Jesus as His own. The prophecy
that this Baby’s name would be “Jesus” – and the act of obedience that would
cause this name not only to tumble off the lips of His family and friends – but
to be the Name above all others. The stable, the manger, the swaddling clothes
wrapped around the Baby. The animals
that hovered close by. The Star that lit up the world that night. The angels
announcing the Birth in resounding hallelujahs. The shepherds who nearly
fainted in fear but picked themselves up and followed the Star to the stable. The wise men who traveled from afar with only
a special Star as their compass in quest of the Child who they purposed to
worship. The townsfolk who witnessed it
all and shook their heads in awe. All
were a part of God’s amazing plan to bring salvation to us. He CHOSE this amazing GIFT for US,
people!
God chose this course of action to put into place His plan that
would carry His Son o’er dusty paths for the next thirty-three years, taking
Him from the splinters in that wooden manger - to beautifully carved pieces of
woodwork by His own hands in Josephs’ carpenter shop – all the way to that old
rugged cross on Calvary. You see, the
Chosen Gift became our Sacrifice. Jesus
was appointed and hand-picked through the will of His Father in heaven. Royalty, yet chosen to suffer a most
unfathomable death. For who? Sinners – that’s us, you and me. Sinners, chosen to receive something special,
eternal – if we would just say “yes” to His gift. Saying “yes” makes us His choice
children: worthy, excellent, superior,
fine, select, rare, uncommon, valuable, precious. In ourselves?
No! But by His standards of
seeing us through His shed blood, He calls us “CHOSEN!” Being chosen by God means that we are the
object of His choice and divine favor – because of our acceptance of His Son -
and thus showered with attention and special gifts from His hands to our
hearts. We are chosen for a special
purpose.
And just like for Jesus, sometimes the choices of God for us
include suffering for a purpose greater than ourselves and our own wishes. Somehow I think that when we truly grasp the
joy of knowing we are chosen by God, and we more fully understand our place in
His pleasure – that we are loved and valuable, hand-picked and preferred,
appointed and favored - we finally find ourselves in the place of triumph and
victory. For we finally “get it!” No matter where life takes us, we find
ourselves in the powerful frame of mind that believes the very Word of God
which tells us that “no weapon formed against us shall prosper!” (Isaiah 54:17)
We find ourselves in the place of capably achieving victories on battlefield
after battlefield when we successfully tear down the strongholds that set
themselves up against us. (II Corinthians 10:4) One at a time. Each time.
Yes, we are CHOSEN. But we must
make the CHOICES that will enable us to live as God’s CHOSEN people! In this amazing season of Christ-centered
celebration, may YOU see yourself as God’s CHOSEN royalty, bought with the
precious, priceless blood of Jesus! Let’s
live like we KNOW it and BELIEVE it, dear ones!
REMEMBER . . .
“ … you are a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God’s own purchased,
special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the
virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light.”
~ I Peter 2:9
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
