My thought for the day...I AM CHOSEN.

This makes me think back at all the times I stood in line and waited to be picked for a team. If I was good at the sport, I would get chosen pretty quickly. Other times, I was picked out of mercy, simply because my friends didn't want to see me hurt. And then there were those times when no amount of mercy or pouting on my part could convince anyone...not even my friends to forfeit their chance at beating the opposing team.

Not being chosen was never a great feeling, and it still isn't. That's one reason I am thrilled I don't have to worry about NOT being chosen any more. You see,
Ephesians 1:4-6 says He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons (and daughters) by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (NKJV)

Before the foundation of the world, God looked deep into the future and handpicked me to be His little girl. It's not because of anything I have ever done or anything I will ever do. It's just because it pleased Him to do so...because picking me was according to the good pleasure of His will. He CHOSE to pick me out and change my filthy rags to righteous white robes. He chose to take the sins of this country girl...and there were many...and cast them as far as the east is from the west. Then, He promised to do it again and again, even after I became His. He chose me to be His daughter, to represent Him among people.

Despite everything I can come up with...despite every sin that comes to my mind...despite all of my failures, insecurities, and inabilities...HE STILL CHOSE ME. He chose my life to be praise to the glory of His grace.

Oh, how I pray you can catch a glimpse of this with me. If you are His daughter, He has chosen you, too...not because of something that you have done or how "good" you are or even what you can do for Him. It's merely because of His great grace, and His great love for us.