You've Been Chosen

“I have called you back from the ends of the earth,
saying, ‘You are my servant.’
For I have chosen you
and will not throw you away.”
Isaiah 41:9 (NLT)

My phone buzzed with a notification, and I glanced down to see the message:

Congratulations! You have been chosen as our giveaway winner for a free ticket to The Word Speaks Conference!

A smile spread across my face as I shared the news with my husband. Even when it's just your name being pulled as the winner of a prize, it feels good to be chosen.

In our Bible study for Arise, we've been learning the significance of what it meant for Jesus to choose His disciples. In the first-century Jewish world, it was typical for the opposite to occur. Those who wanted to follow and learn from a rabbi would approach him and ask to become a disciple. Then Jesus came on the scene and did the choosing Himself.

And who did He choose? As Kristi McLelland writes in The Gospel on the Ground:
Jesus chose simple fishermen, "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17), tax collectors, zealots, and others to be His followers.

And Jesus chooses you.

He chose YOU! As we see in Isaiah 41, God has called you and chosen you, and He won't throw you away. You are precious to Him… and there's something He's calling all of us to do.

Jesus had a mission for His disciples, and it's the same mission He has for us today:

"And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NLT)

We're part of spreading the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. You've been chosen. So what role will you play in this mission, dear one?

It may be living out the Gospel daily at home with your kids, sharing the message of Christ as you raise the next generation. It may be engaging with a neighbor or coworker, listening to that nudge from the Holy Spirit to share your testimony of how God is at work in your life. You may know it's time to boldly tell a friend or family member the Good News of Jesus and the difference He makes.

Congratulations! You have been chosen! Now go shine the light of Jesus right where you are!