November 20
Ezekiel 47-48
Psalm 126
Proverbs 27:25-27
I Peter 2:1-10
Chosen
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
I Peter 2:9-10 NIV
Brian was adopted as a baby. He has told me that when he was growing up, he told his sister, who was not adopted, on more than one occasion that he was chosen. They didn’t have a choice but to keep her, but they chose him. I’m sure this got the reaction he wanted from her which was less than admirable, but it is evidence of a sense of security and belonging that his parents were able to give him. He could not be more a part of their family if he had been born into it. His cousins, sister, and aunt have on several occasions through the years made comments about how our children resemble one of them or about whether Brian will develop some health issue that they have. We laugh and they catch themselves realizing there is no genetic link, but it is amazing to me that they forget he is not biologically related. We can have that same sense of security because we were chosen by God to be His children. At some point in our lives, He chose us, pursued us, and did whatever it took to make us realize we needed Him. The Holy Spirit convicted us and when we accepted Him, He adopted us as His children. We are His special possession. A special possession is protected and taken care of. It is handled with care and given attention. It wasn’t an accident that we came to know Him. Out of the seven billion people on Earth, He chose you and He chose me to be His child. Let that sink in.
When we were adopted, we became a part of His family. I am an only child. I don’t know what it’s like to have brothers and sisters that I grew up with, but I have been abundantly blessed with so many brothers and sisters in the family of God. Together we are His people, a holy nation set apart to glorify Him. We are not alone. We are meant to function as a body of believers, as a family that loves each other and supports each other. We need each other. We need connection and community. We are a royal priesthood. In biblical times, the tribe of Levi was set apart to perform the functions of the priests. They were the only ones who could offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. They presented requests to God. They were the intermediaries. When Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for sins once for all, He did away with the need for someone to serve as a mediator. As children of God, we can each go to God on our own. We have access to the throne room of Heaven. We don’t have to go through a priest to get pardon for sins or to seek His help. He chose us and He cherishes us. We are accepted. We belong. We can rest securely in His promises as His children.
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