A CHOSEN ONE
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Saturday was a special day. We had great friends over and all 8 of us took a ride to my friend Bill’s house. He let us come and pick apples for eating and baking. There were many varieties and we tasted different types of apples until our stomachs hurt and we filled paper bags for later.
Bill loves to garden and each year he plants many different varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds. Bill turned the ladies loose on the trailer load of pumpkins etc… there were pumpkins and gourds of every color, shape and size and it was like a scene from a door opening at a Black Friday sale at Walmart. There was giggling and squealing as they each picked what they liked.
Each one loved a different-looking pumpkin or gourd and soon they had all they wanted to go home with them. It was a great afternoon.
All over the country it's harvest season and nothing signifies this time of year more than a pumpkin. There’s something about a pumpkin pie or pumpkin latte that just gives you a warm feeling in the fall. I believe that most people love the idea more than the taste.
A while back I remember reading a post about a little story that struck me. It does show the way that God loves us and chooses us. I thought it wasn't only cute but also a great illustration of what God actually does for us.
A little ten year old girl was asked by a friend what it was like to be a Christian. The little girl replied, "It's like being a pumpkin, God picks you from the patch, brings you in and washes all of the dirt from you. Next He reaches inside you and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed and more. Next He carves you a new happy face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see."
That's a pretty good description of what God did for those that He picked out of the pumpkin patch of humanity. Think about it… before we even knew God, He knew and chose us from the entire “pumpkin patch” of this world.
Ephesians 1:4
For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love.
Charles Spurgeon said this about God choosing him. I believe it’s true of us all.
“I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.”
–Charles Spurgeon
If you have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, you are a chosen one of God. Out of all the other “dirty pumpkins” of this world, He saw you and picked you out to be His own.
If you don’t have that relationship… its not too late. He’s waiting for you.
Romans 3:23 says that none of us are worthy to come to God. We are sinful and He cannot be with sin, as He is perfect…
Romans 6:23 tells us there is hope. Even though we’re sinful, God wanted us for a relationship with Him and He loved us so much that He gave up His Son to pay the price to redeem us.
Is God calling to you? Have you felt a tug on your heart? Don’t wait to answer; tomorrow might be too late. Life is short and uncertain. Don’t wait; there is no promise of life past this breath.
God Himself wants to pull you from the pumpkin patch of humanity. He wants to lift you from the dirt of this world and turn you into a new creation, and give you a promise of an eternal life with Him. What a wonderful hope and promise! Answer His call.
BECOME A CHOSEN ONE
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If you haven't already joined us on God’s Great Outdoors Radio or the Trail to Adventure podcasts, you’ll want to start now. Last week and this week is a two-part series with a country music star who went from a life of cocaine abuse to a life lived for Jesus Christ.
There were a lot of laughs and some tears. You won’t want to miss these shows.
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