We Are CHOSEN!

Are you trusting God for all He can do for you today? Do you believe that He can use you to do great things for His kingdom? Sometimes we need to take a step back to look at the big picture of our lives. If we let Him, God will help us in each and every circumstance, no matter where we are. We need to seek His guidance and go through doors that He opens for us and learn to stop knocking at the doors He closes.  We need to take on a positive attitude, expecting God’s favor in our life and allow Him to bless us beyond anything we could ever imagine.

You may think that God cannot use you where you are in your life, but the good news is… He can and will! Whenever I start to doubt myself and my call to do great things for God, or get overwhelmed by my circumstances, I think of great people in the Bible that were chosen, not for their stature or station, but for their heart…

 It always amazes me when I read the story of how Samuel came to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite (grandson of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4:17), because God said that the new king for Israel would be found among Jesse’s sons.

This section of Samuel tells us how the oldest sons came before Samuel and how David was chosen to be King…

1 Samuel 16:6-13

 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Now, even David’s father was surprised that it was his youngest son to be chosen as king. He was just a small shepherd boy and he hadn’t even considered him enough to have him come before the profit, but yet, he was chosen.

We are NOT chosen to be God’s because we are the best, most popular, prettiest, most eloquent, highest educated or most likely… We are chosen because God sees our hearts and He will equip us to do all that He has called us to do.

I guess at times I can be a little bit like Jesse and I look at my outward appearance or the outward appearance of others and I place limits on what I can do because of what I see. I am so thankful that I serve a God who is so much bigger than that, and that He searches my heart and touches my life accordingly. God is so good and has wonderful things planned for each of us. We need to open up our imaginations and let God take us to places we have only dreamed about. Because, like David, others may see only a shepherd boy, but God may see a king…

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever” (Ephesians 3:20–21, NAS)