Girlfriends in God - Oct. 11, 2007
We are Chosen!
Today’s truth
Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.”
Friend to Friend
Situational ethics is now being taught in many of our public schools. One teacher, wanting to illustrate that human reasoning is many times wrong, gave the following situation to a class of high school students: "How would you advise a mother who was pregnant with her fifth child based on the following facts. Her husband had syphilis and she had tuberculosis. Their first child was born blind, the second child died. Their third child was born deaf while their fourth child had tuberculosis. The mother is considering an abortion. Would you advise her to have one?” In view of these facts, most of the students agreed that the mother should have an abortion. The teacher then announced, “If you said ‘yes’, you would have just killed the great composer, Ludwig von Beethoven.”
You and I were created as a living, fleshed out depiction of God’s love. We can celebrate the precious truth of Psalm 139:14-16, “I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.” (NCV)
Just think of it! God Himself supervised our formation. We were created in love – for love – with a specific and holy purpose in mind. We can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote, “Know that the LORD is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends.” (Psalm 100: 3 NCV)
Many of us buy into the lie that we are a puppet in the hands of God; that He created us as mere tools to use or slaves to do His bidding and carry out His plan. In this verse, “LORD” literally means “Father” or “dearest Daddy”, indicating an intimate relationship between a loving Father and His child. God undoubtedly has plans for us, but we misunderstand the character and heart of God when we assume that those plans are a punishment or penalty for not being good enough or having done something wrong. Jeremiah understood the heart of God toward His children when he wrote, “I know what I am planning for you," says the LORD. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NCV) The best plan, the highest plan for our lives rests in the hands of the One who created us.
In the early days of the automobile, a man's Model-T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. He couldn't get it started no matter what he did. A chauffeured limousine pulled up behind him and a wiry, energetic man stepped from the back seat to offer his assistance. After tinkering with the engine for a few moments, the stranger said, "Now try it!" Immediately, the engine leaped to life. The well dressed man then identified himself as Henry Ford. "I designed and built these cars," he said, "So I know what to do when something goes wrong." When our lives are broken, when the plan falls apart and everything goes wrong, we need to wait on God, knowing He created us, knows us best and loves us most…knowing we are chosen.
Let’s pray
Father, I don’t fully understand Your love but I thank You for creating me, choosing me and continuing to love me…just as I am. Your love calls me up higher, fills my heart with dreams and strengthens me for each day. I praise You, Father. Amen.
Now it’s your turn
- How has God’s love changed you?
- Do you really believe God loves you unconditionally?
- In what ways does God’s love and acceptance in your life affect your relationships?
- Write a thank-you letter to God and keep it in your Bible. Be sure to include parts of Psalm 139. When you are tempted to condemn yourself, remember that God doesn’t. Read the letter and celebrate again, how very much you are loved and chosen by God.
More from the Girlfriends
If there is one area of my life that has been a vulnerable target for the enemy, it is this area…believing God loves me unconditionally…believing God chose me and has a special plan for my life…learning to see myself in His eyes. While I have come a long way on this part of my journey, there are days when I wonder if I have made any progress at all. Then I remember and review the truths of Psalm 139 and find strength for the day. I pray the same for you, friend. Know we are with you and praying for you. Need help? Check out my CD, “Getting Good at Being You”. Blessings!
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Girlfriends in God
Matthews, NC 28106
