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I Have Chosen You
Andrea Lende • June 25, 2020
John 15:16
I Have Chosen You
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/I-Have-Chosen-You-efu8t9
Daily Word:
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 always blown away when I read scripture that says, “I have chosen you”.
I used to think that of all the choices I could make, I chose God.
I heard about God giving us free will as a child and throughout most of my adult life.
But as I read the Word more and more, it is clear that God chose me to know Him.
He didn’t have to choose me, but He did.
I could have been born in another country surrounded by another religion.
But according to this verse, God planted me here.
He planted me here so, “that (I) might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting”.
He had a plan when He chose me to be His and planted me here exactly where I am.
He would use me for His purpose.
He uses everyone for His purpose, but this verse makes it so personal.
That’s the way God is.
He is personal.
He created each of us personally.
We are all His creation.
We are all loved dearly by Him.
We are treasured.
And as I read this verse today, I am reminded that He made me, chose me, and has a purpose for my life.
And although it doesn’t seem like it could get any better than that, Jesus said, “so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I Am], He may give it to you.”
God desires to please me.
He desires to give me the desires of my heart.
Of course, I now ask that His desires become my desires.
As He changes my heart and fills me with His Holy Spirit, I become more and more aligned with His will.
And His promise of giving me whatever I ask is fulfilled.
Today I choose to be ever so grateful that the Lord has chosen me to know Him and has planted me exactly where He wants me to be.
May you be grateful that God has chosen you as His own, and that you are exactly where you should be according to His plan.
Daily Word:
O Lord, my God, thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. Thank You for planting me where I need to be and giving me gifts to be used for Your glory. Help me do all that You ask me to do. Help me follow You, Lord, even when I find it difficult to find You. Light the way so that I have a clear path to follow. Help me operate in the gifts You have given me and instill the courage I need to do what You ask. Strengthen me in every way so that I may be fully used by You. Help me hear Your whispers and obey Your commands. Thank You for the promises that Jesus gave. Thank You for the hope that You will grant me whatever I ask when I ask in Jesus’ Name. May Your desires fully become my desires so that I chase after the things You want me to chase after. Help me glorify Your Name, Lord. There is nothing more wonderful than to glorify You. I praise Your Name, Lord! I worship You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may reach others for You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You are Mine, My daughter, and I AM always with you.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord, thank You.
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.