God Calls You and God Chooses You

Dear Friends,

I find so much encouragement in the following verses:

Isaiah 41:9-10 “I took you from the ends of the earth from its farthest corners I called you.  I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God is calling each one of us into a relationship with him (v9).  More than anything he wants us to enjoy a relationship with him.  Not only does he call us to him, he also places a call on our lives – something he has created you for that only you can do.  I’ve known his call on my life for some years now and it brings me so much enjoyment and fulfilment.  Having said that, I don’t always find it easy and sometimes I get discouraged (v10a), sometimes I succumb to negative feelings and thoughts, I can begin to compare myself with others and think they’re so much better at their calling than I am.

I looked in my journal and God gave me these verses back in the summer of 2007.  They were a source of great encouragement then, and as I meditate on them again as I write this, they are once more an encouragement to me.

God says he’s with me and he’s my God.  Therefore I don’t need to be afraid or discouraged (v10a).  Then comes his wonderful promises: Vicki, I called you, and I called you to work with me, not to go it alone, in your own strength, believe what I say, believe me, I promise to give you strength, I promise to help you and I promise to hold you up (v10b).  Wow!  How much do I need to hear and hold onto that when I start to feel afraid or discouraged.  I’m guessing that I’m not very different to you, and that you too need to hold onto the promises of God as much as I do.

Now for another truth – God has chosen me, he has chosen you.  I need that reminder sometimes, that God considers me someone who is special, worthwhile, and loveable and he chooses me.  He didn’t need to, he could have decided not to, but instead he did choose me.  Please pause for a moment as you read this, allow the truth to soak into your inner being, to soothe your soul, to bless you – God chose you!

I used to dread P.E lessons at school (I was no athlete!  One bonus of having my appendix out at secondary school meant there was a legitimate reason for having a few weeks of not being allowed to take part in P.E.)  I especially disliked it when we were to be separated into two teams.  The captains were always the girls who excelled in sports and were also popular.  I would stand waiting to be chosen, feeling more and more uncomfortable, knowing that I would be last or one of the last to be picked.  If you had a similar experience growing up you’ll know how awful it was, how terrible it made you feel, how it appeared to confirm that others’ opinions of you were similar to the opinion you held of yourself.

But thank God that it’s not like that with him.  He looks at me, and when he looks at me he sees Jesus, the one who has made me righteous, he sees someone valuable, worth loving, with gifts and abilities.  He looks me in the eye, smiles and says “I choose you!  I pick you for my team!” Not because he has to, or he's run out of people to ask, or because he feels sorry for us, but because he wants to, because he loves us. He says the same to you too.  And hearing that floods my being with warmth, peace, hope, I stand a little taller, with my head held up with the assurance that the Almighty God has chosen me and I begin to see myself as God sees me.

To Think About:

Take some time to meditate on these verses, and as you do, ask God what he wants you to hear from him.

You may have experienced rejection in the past which has had an impact on how you see yourself.  How does it make you feel knowing that God has chosen you?

Have you heard God’s call on your life?  What will you do about it?  What do you think is the next step?

 

Vicki