In the Word 1-11-01

Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, "Don't be afraid, because I have saved you I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, for I am with you. Isaiah 43:1-2
So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16
Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?" And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22: 10-14
Many are called but few are chosen. Jesus used this to teach about the people who would come to Him. He showed his disciples that sometimes those who are called are not paying attention to the importance of the call. The story he used about the wedding and the guests show us today that we need to be grateful for being invited to join the kingdom of God.

We should not take it for granted, but many of us do. We grow up around other Christians and do not realize that the world is busy working on living in their sins. We live from day to day doing what we think is best, becoming avid readers of the Word and going to church, but what has God chosen us to do? Does he say in His Word to go and study the Word to all nations? No. He said to tell all nations the story, which we read in His Word. But we are not called to just read the Word of God! We are called to spread it!

So why do we get stuck in the Word but not living it? Why do we read it almost religiously and think that is enough? For that matter, why is it so hard for us to get to that point? So many people struggle with just reading the Word daily that they do not take the time to gain the knowledge that they need from it for spreading it to those around the world.

We need to get past the “read through the year” level and step up to the “learn through the Word" level. Then we need to get to the “share with the world" level. When I use the term level I mean it as a step we take in our walk with the Lord. We step closer and closer to what God intended us to be when we are obediently stepping up to the next level!

So once we get past learning to read, study and share His word, then what? We go unto the entire world, just like Jesus told us. Now does that mean that all of us are called to go to Thailand like Doc and Zina Docto? Does that mean everyone needs to go on a mission trip to another nation? No. Some of us are called to work through the internet. Some of us are called to our neighborhoods and gather women together for conferences, or girls’ night outs or men’s Bible study groups. Some of us are chosen to speak at retreats or conferences and others are chosen to speak to the person on the street corner begging for bread.

Many are called, but few are chosen to go. Many people were called to the wedding but they were too busy, or too sick, or too this or that. Few were chosen off the street to come and enjoy the fun of the party. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to miss a thing the Lord has for me. I want to be ready as the women with their lamps lit, but that is another story. I want to be chosen for God’s team.

When I sign my kids up for baseball, the coaches watch them play and they take the time to see their strengths and weaknesses. Then we wait to find out who chose them. They all get the call to come and try out for the teams, but few of them are called to be on the team of choice.

All of us have been called to follow Christ, but only a few of us will actually do the thing He chooses for us to do. We are hearing a lot of teaching and preaching about a comeback year in 2010, so I am going to challenge you to come back to God’s choice this year. Give God the comeback year!

Let’s work harder this year to listen for His still, small voice and follow the direction He tells us to follow. Dig deeper in the Word of God to really know what the Bible says about our lives and what we are here for. By here I am referring to the place you live, work, grow, worship, shop, study and vacation.

Why are we here? What does He want from us? It is all in the Word of God. We can find the answer in prayer. To get that answer we have to choose to listen, as long as it takes.

We have to choose to be obedient to what we read in the Word. That is no easy task! We are human and have our lazy times, our bratty times and our selfish times. We don’t always want to do what God tells us to do because it really will take effort on our part. Being a Christian is not about what we want. It is not about having fun and shouting "Hurray for Jesus" all the time. Sometimes it is the opposite. Sometimes we cry out to Jesus with tears of sorrow, and sometimes we cry out to Jesus with tears of joy. It’s not about us, though. It's not about why we are sad or happy but that we are broken before Him.

I know I changed analogies once but look for a moment at the clay pots that we are. They have to be broken before they can be changed and rebuilt into what they were meant to be. We need to follow His lead but sometimes that means being broken and transformed into that precious creation that God meant for us to be.

Gideon from last week’s reading was meant to be a "Mighty Man of Valor," but if he had not chosen to follow what God saw as opposed to what he saw himself as, his people would not have risen up and beaten the Midianites and gained the freedom that God planned for them to live in.

Let’s do it, let’s choose to be chosen. It is time to step up to the call of God on your life!

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to listen and obey your call. Let us live up to being chosen to be your people today and everyday. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suggested reading; Matthew 20:1-34; Isaiah 43:1-28; Amos 9:1-15; Matthew 5:1-38; Matthew 18:35.