Chosen by God – March 5, 2022

A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
Luke 9:35

Chosen by God

I like to ask my daughters this question when they come home from school, “What did you like the most about school today?” My oldest child almost always answers, “Recess.”

That’s also how I often answered the same question when I was a kid. I remember those special days at recess time when I got to be a captain and could choose my teammates for kickball. Because I wanted my team to win, I would choose my classmates who could run fast and kick the ball far.

One day Jesus and three of his disciples went up a mountain to pray. Suddenly, Jesus’ appearance changed as he showed his glory as the eternal Son of God. Two men from the Old Testament miraculously appeared and talked with Jesus. Next, a cloud came and surrounded everyone. Finally, God the Father spoke from heaven. “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

Guess what? God has chosen you, too, for something special. He hasn’t chosen you to be this world’s only Savior. That job belongs to Jesus. Instead, God the Father has chosen you to be his child and a brother or sister of Jesus. God didn’t see anything good in you that caused him to choose you. His decision was based solely on his great love for you.

Listen to Jesus in the Bible. He has the answers to life’s problems. He speaks about free forgiveness for your sins because of his death on the cross. He talks about the victory over death for you because of his resurrection from the dead. His words give you eternal life and will build you up in saving faith. His words will keep you in the faith as God’s chosen child.

Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for sending your Son, Jesus, to save me from my sin. Help me to listen carefully to his word. Amen.