You are Chosen by Him and For Him- In His Word 8-14-2017
From time to time I like to read over older articles from my In
His Word blog. The following is revisited from January 2010.
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
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
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!
My eldest son was chosen by God to work in mission work both here in California and in Mexico by God. This is his first month following God's direction as He seeks monthly donations for His service. (Check out his newsletters posted on fb.)
My point is that you never can tell where God will call you to go, or stay, but when He does He knows it and you know it and you are compelled to follow His steps In His Word and in 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.