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God Chose Us
Andrea Lende • Dec 19, 2020
Ephesus 1:4
The Lord Chose Us
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/This-Lord-Chose-Us-eo10ib
Ephesians 1:4
“Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.
If ever there was true unconditional love explained in words, it is in this passage.
A love so great that it surpasses all understanding.
A love that goes beyond the scope of all we see, know, and feel.
A love so pure we cannot express it in words.
A love so powerful that we are lifted up into glory.
A love so merciful that we were granted a Savior to save us from ourselves.
A love so immeasurable it covers the entire universe and, yet it is specific to you and to me.
The perfect love.
Then, to be chosen.
To be chosen by the Almighty God.
To be chosen to be loved by the Creator of the entire universe.
To be chosen to know Him.
To be chosen before the foundation of the earth.
To be chosen to be holy.
Holy only by the grace of God and sacrifice of the perfect Lamb – the Lamb of God – Christ Jesus.
To be chosen to be set apart for God.
To be chosen to be blameless before God.
To be chosen to be above reproach before the Lord.
This is grace.
This is love.
We are loved beyond the scope of all understanding.
Undeserving, in the shattered state we are in, in all our humanness, we are chosen by God.
His love for us is boundless, limitless, and endless.
Today I choose to be immeasurably grateful to be chosen by God.
May you find a tremendous sense of gratitude as you consider the love and grace of our Lord and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your Word which gives me a glimpse of Your immeasurable love for me. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours before the foundation of the world was created. Thank You for picking me out of this whole universe to know You and love You. Thank You, Father, for creating me as Yours. As I reflect on Your goodness and Your grace, my heart is so completely overwhelmed. No matter the trials or difficulties that lie in my path You are the giver of all good things. You are the Chooser of my soul, and You chose me. Thank You, Father, that I cannot earn Your love or Your care for I would not be able to as I am not worthy. Thank You for being greater than logic as You chose me to worship You. Thank You, Father, for reaching down and plucking me out of the depths of this world and keeping me for Yourself. Keep me Yours, Lord. As the chaos, dissention, and pain of this world continues, please keep me Yours. Keep my eyes on You. Keep my heart soft toward You. Keep my soul seeking You, Father. Thank You for Your greatness, Your kindness, and Your generosity, Father. Only You can see the beauty in me and want me to be Yours. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM, and I choose you to be Mine forever.
Response: So undeserving of all of what You give to me, thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.