PICK ME!

Isaiah 41:8-108
But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham My friend, 9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, "You are Myservant"; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

"No one ever picks me!" my 7-year-old cried. I listened as she described how every day in her class, they sat in a circle, and one special person of the week chose who would erase the white board and who would get to change the date on the calendar. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "I want to be chosen, Mom. No one picks me.

"In fact, come to find out, Aleigha has indeed been chosen, but she hadn't been picked by certain people she wanted to choose her. It's all very complicated and very serious stuff for a first-grader.

I gave her a hug and reassured her that she has a ton of friends and that sometimes we don't get picked for things, even by people who like us. I'm not too thrilled that I had to inform her of this harsh reality of life. I was hoping that somehow she could escape at least this one.

But no, none of us escapes the feeling of being left out, left behind, and overlooked at some point in our lives. I've even felt that as an adult--not being invited to a party, not being picked to sing the Easter solo at church, or not having my name mentioned forthe work I did on a project. These sound petty now, but at the time they really hurt because I felt as if I didn't matter. That's how my sweet little girl felt that day.

If you ever feel ignored or unnoticed, remember the lengths to which God went to choose you (Philippians 2:6-8). "He chose [you] in Him before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). He paid the ultimate price for you. You matter that much to Him. He knew you were lost; He wanted you back.

And He has chosen you to be His own.
God picked you! --Allison Stevens

DESTINATION POINTS

* When was the last time I felt left out or ignored? How did I respond to that pain?
* How does it make me feel to know that God has picked me? Does this have any impact on the way I treat others?
* What will change in my life because He has chosen me?

LINKS:
God's Choice Or Ours?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0609

Knowing God Through Isaiah
http://www.discoveryseries.org/sb151

bottom line: God chose me for eternity!

soul journey