God Chose Us!

Lately I've really been challenged to live a radically God-centered life. For the past month I've been working through Henry Blackaby's book, "Experiencing God." The whole premise of the book is to come to know God, to recognize His voice, and to understand His will for our lives. God has revealed a lot to me lately, but one of my most favorite and precious revelations during my quiet time with Him is the fact that it is GOD who pursues a love relationship with us.

God always takes the initiative in our love relationship. The witness of the entire Bible testifies that God pursues us and orchestrates ways for us to experience Him. He came to Adam and Eve in the garden. In love, He had fellowship with them and they with Him. He came to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. It was GOD who took the initiative for each person in the Old Testament to experience Him in a personal fellowship of love. In the New Testament, Jesus approached His disciples and chose them to be with Him and to experience His love.

In our natural human state, we do not seek God on our on initiative.

Romans 3:10-12 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." How many people are naturally righteous? Not one! How many people understand spiritual truths on their own? Not one! How many people naturally seek God? Not one! How many people instinctively do good? Not even one!

The bad news is that sin has marred us so deeply that no one seeks God on his own initiative- if we are to have a relationship with Him and His Son, GOD Must take the initiative. But the good news.... is that this is exactly what God does!

In John 6:65 Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Who can come to Jesus without being drawn by the Father? No one. The only way a person can come to Jesus is if God enables them.

Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The Lord appeared to us in the past saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." The love that God focuses on our lives is an everlasting love. From that love He has pursued us. He has drawn us to him and even gave His own Son to die for us. It has nothing to do with what we've done and has everything to do with what GOD has done out of LOVE for us!

John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last." I do not choose God. He chooses me, loves me, and revels His eternal purposes for my life. It is GOD who pursues me and orchestrates ways for me to experience Him each and every day. In the same, way it is God who chooses and loves you. It's nothing that you can do, have done, or need to do on your own- it is GOD who pursues a love relationship with you!

Tonight, lets remember how blessed we are. We are chosen! Despite our sinfulness, God is pursuing us.... We are loved!