His Chosen
Choices. We all make them countless times in any given day. There are the smaller ones like what to wear or what to eat, and there are sometimes life-changing ones like what job to take, whether or not to move, or do we want to start a family now.
I think the most challenging choices are the spiritual ones, beginning with the decision to accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior. That choice seems to lead to whole series of choices that can sometimes, because we still walk around with that old sinful nature, be very hard to make.
There have been times in my life when I wish God had, upon my salvation, changed me into a little robot preprogrammed to make all the right choices. Then perhaps I wouldn’t always have this feeling of taking one step forward and two steps back in my Christian walk. Far too often I have made a wrong choice and ended up feeling guilty and unworthy, and I tend to compound the problem by making the same wrong choice over and over again.
God did not change me into a little robot because He created me with a free will. He wants me to learn, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to make good choices and to grow in wisdom and grace. He wants me to walk in obedience to His will not because I am programmed to do that, but because I love Him, and I choose to.
Those are my choices, but I have been thinking the past day or so about the choices God makes.
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit…” John 15:16 (NAS)
When I consider who I am, with all the failings and flaws that make me so unlovely in my own eyes, and understand that He CHOSE me it just takes my breath away. From before the foundation of the world He chose me.
“just as He chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world…” Ephesians 1:4 (NAS)
I often feel like the very least of His children, but to know that He reached out His hand and drew me to Himself gives me such joy and a sense of worth I would never have known apart from Him.
He chose us – each and every one of us who has accepted Jesus as Savior. In His eyes we are all precious. Never let the enemy convince you that you are somehow unworthy. You are His chosen one, the one for whom He gave the life of His beloved Son. He will never forsake you, never give up on you. You are His child.
“…I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Heb. 13:5 (NAS)
Twenty-eight years ago a baby girl came into our lives. We had the amazing privilege of choosing her. When we went to sign the papers to make the adoption final the lawyer said, “The wonderful thing about adoption is an adopted child can never be disinherited. You may choose to disinherit your natural children, but you cannot do that to your adopted child.”
We are the Father’s adopted children, chosen by Him never to be disinherited – His for all eternity.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba Father!’The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.And if children, heirs also, Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” Romans 8: 15-17 (NAS)
Thank you Linda for this lovely, thrilling post. May God bless you always.
never to be disinherited. what a beautiful thought! and it works both ways. my dad died when i was only two, but I cannot lose my eternal father! thanks, Linda!
Linda, you are always, without fail, a blessing.
Such a beautiful post to remind us of our worth in Christ. I love that if we ever feel down or unloved, we can look to God’s word and see that we are loved beyond measure by the creator of the universe. Wonderful writing!
Wow Linda,
Never to be disinherited. NEAT!
Once again, beautiful thoughts. I’ve often thought the same thing about wishing doing the right thing was automatic when we become a Christian. But God wants us to choose, not be a robot.
I didn’t realize you had an adopted child. So special!
Thanks for praying – I’ll miss you while you’re gone.
Linda – I have two adopted girls, and I never knew that you couldn’t disinherit them (not that I would ever want to, mind you!). And, I know what you mean about wanting to be a “robot” when making choices. Thanks for a great post!
Thank you Linda for this post. Sometimes when I make the same silly mistake after promising I’d never do it again I too wish God had preprogrammed me to always make the right choice. I’m so grateful that in spite of my faults and shortcomings he still loves me!
I’m adopted and never knew that! So thankful that God loves me when I don’t make the right choices.
Great post, Linda! Thanks for sharing!
Dear Linda,
This morning I thought surely I have exploited His grace, chosen to make the wrong decision one too many times.But after having read your post I am reminded of how wonderfully human we all are.
None of us are perfect but I am so thankful that we have a God who is and loves us prefectly and completely, who understands our imperfections and loves us just the same.
I am so thankful to God for using your walk to lift me up today and to see myself through His eyes. Thank you for reminding us all of His eternal promises to each one of His children.
I can see clearly the way in which your open and honest walk with God encouarges and connects so many others in their walk with Him.
The fact that we have all shared how our hearts cry out to make the right decisions, and in that, a desire to be more like Christ, is testimony that our hearts are in the right place before Him.
All thanks, love and praise be to the one and only God of love, truth and grace.