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Chosen by God
Andrea Lende • July 30, 2021
John 15:16
Chosen By God
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Chosen-By-God-e1583pp
John 15:16
“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting, [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you.”
I am so thankful to be chosen to know the Lord.
We are all so fortunate to know Him.
I think about how blessed we are to live in a country where we can freely worship God, where churches are abundant, and the Word is taught.
There are some who find the Lord without that freedom, but I am thankful to be where it is.
There are some who find the Lord in countries where true poverty reigns, but I am thankful to be here where there is plenty.
There are some who find the Lord in prison, but I am thankful to have found Him in freedom.
And there are some who find the Lord when all seems lost, but I am thankful to have found Him in peace.
It’s not that I’ve been without trials in this life.
In fact, the Lord brought me fully back to Himself inside of a trial.
However, I had the opportunity to grow up in church with a pastor for a father.
My grandparents were also pastors.
I am grateful for this beautiful legacy I was fortunate to be raised in and had the opportunity to thrive in.
Jesus said He planted us.
He is the planter, and therefore we are the crop – the fruit of His labors.
He said we would bear fruit and continue to bear fruit.
Some days it seems there is less than others, but I am encouraged today knowing the Lord has planted me and tends to me as meticulously as a farmer tends to his crop.
Today I am thankful the Lord chose me to know Him and has given me the perfect journey to come to know Him better.
May you find the Lord has given you the perfect journey to know Him and come to worship Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for placing me here in this exact moment and time to learn of You and worship You. You show Yourself magnificent to me. You are wonderful and beautiful Lord, and I fall more in love with You as continue You draw me closer to You. Thank You for lifting me up into Your presence. Thank You for constantly restoring my soul as the world tries to steal it. I need You, Lord. I need You as my constant Companion. I need You to continually fill my soul with Your Spirit. Left to myself I will lean into the world instead of lean into You. Keep my eyes fixed on You, Lord. Keep me Yours. May Your peace rest upon me this day. Help me bless someone today. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You are Mine, sayeth the Lord, and nothing will snatch you out of My hand.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord, thank You Almighty and merciful Lord.
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.