Chosen
Music has always been a part of my life. My dad directed the choir at the small country church I grew up in, and my parents made sure I had piano lessons when I was young so that our church could have a consistent person to play the piano. As a young child, I learned lots of songs that I later realized were scripture-based even though I didn’t recognize it at the time. I still get that “oh wow” moment when I realize a song I’ve been singing is based on scripture. Of course, when I was young, the scripture it was quoting was always the King James Version, maybe with a few minor words changed for the sake of making the rhythm work.
One of those songs was based on 1 Peter 2:9. The King James version is what I hear in my head, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of Him, who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Since we started the Prophets, Priests, and Kings series, that song has been playing in the back of my head with childlike enthusiasm.
But I’m an adult now. I still want to have that childlike enthusiasm, but I also want God’s wisdom to go with that enthusiasm. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what that verse really means. I’ve looked at different versions to better understand this verse. One translation that speaks to me is from TPT: “But you are God’s chosen treasure – priests who are kings, a spiritual ‘nation’ set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.” Even as I read those words, I am overwhelmed that God chose me. He chose me to be His priest, a king, a part of His nation of people, those people who are following him, not as Americans, or Mexicans, or British, or whatever nationality, but as His people.
With that revelation comes a sense of unworthiness. And in my own power, I am unworthy. There are times that the last thing I do is broadcast His glory to those I’m around. I get tired. I get frustrated. Truth be told, I get angry sometimes. I feel alone and left out at times, especially when I’m tired and frustrated. Catch that cycle there? It’s when I forget who I am and Whose I am, when I forget that I am chosen, when I forget that He has chosen me, when I forget that He has given me a purpose, when I forget that He’s put people around me with the same purpose – to shine His light into a world of darkness. When those times happen, I feel alone and frustrated.
It's during those times that I’ve found there’s another song from my time in that little country church, also based on scripture, that can help me break that cycle of negativity. This is not a childhood song, but a hymn that speaks truth, one I remember playing on the piano many times. “Search Me, O God.” Again, it’s based on scripture, Psalm139:23-24. And again, the song I remember is based on the King James Version. As I look at other versions, I get a better understanding of what King David was saying. “God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way – the path that brings me back to you” (Psalm 139:23024 TPT).
As I invite God into my mess, my fears, my anger, my loneliness, my pain, He does things only He can do. He heals. He gently reminds me who I am and Whose I am. He leads me back to the path of following Him, and of allowing His light to shine through me to a dark world, to a broken and hurting world that is in need of a priest to point the way to a savior. That’s my purpose; and I hope you know, that’s yours too. We’re called to shine his light. We aren’t called to do it alone. And we aren’t called to do it perfectly. But we are called, we have been chosen.
As you walk out into the world today, I hope that you will pray along with me, “Search my heart God, show me where I’ve stepped away from You and from Your will for me. Heal me. Lead me back to the path that You have set for me. Help me to allow Your light to shine through me to a broken and hurting world. And thank You for loving me and choosing me.”
I pray that each of you can step into this truth - that you are chosen, you are loved, you are His.
One of those songs was based on 1 Peter 2:9. The King James version is what I hear in my head, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of Him, who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Since we started the Prophets, Priests, and Kings series, that song has been playing in the back of my head with childlike enthusiasm.
But I’m an adult now. I still want to have that childlike enthusiasm, but I also want God’s wisdom to go with that enthusiasm. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what that verse really means. I’ve looked at different versions to better understand this verse. One translation that speaks to me is from TPT: “But you are God’s chosen treasure – priests who are kings, a spiritual ‘nation’ set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.” Even as I read those words, I am overwhelmed that God chose me. He chose me to be His priest, a king, a part of His nation of people, those people who are following him, not as Americans, or Mexicans, or British, or whatever nationality, but as His people.
With that revelation comes a sense of unworthiness. And in my own power, I am unworthy. There are times that the last thing I do is broadcast His glory to those I’m around. I get tired. I get frustrated. Truth be told, I get angry sometimes. I feel alone and left out at times, especially when I’m tired and frustrated. Catch that cycle there? It’s when I forget who I am and Whose I am, when I forget that I am chosen, when I forget that He has chosen me, when I forget that He has given me a purpose, when I forget that He’s put people around me with the same purpose – to shine His light into a world of darkness. When those times happen, I feel alone and frustrated.
It's during those times that I’ve found there’s another song from my time in that little country church, also based on scripture, that can help me break that cycle of negativity. This is not a childhood song, but a hymn that speaks truth, one I remember playing on the piano many times. “Search Me, O God.” Again, it’s based on scripture, Psalm139:23-24. And again, the song I remember is based on the King James Version. As I look at other versions, I get a better understanding of what King David was saying. “God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way – the path that brings me back to you” (Psalm 139:23024 TPT).
As I invite God into my mess, my fears, my anger, my loneliness, my pain, He does things only He can do. He heals. He gently reminds me who I am and Whose I am. He leads me back to the path of following Him, and of allowing His light to shine through me to a dark world, to a broken and hurting world that is in need of a priest to point the way to a savior. That’s my purpose; and I hope you know, that’s yours too. We’re called to shine his light. We aren’t called to do it alone. And we aren’t called to do it perfectly. But we are called, we have been chosen.
As you walk out into the world today, I hope that you will pray along with me, “Search my heart God, show me where I’ve stepped away from You and from Your will for me. Heal me. Lead me back to the path that You have set for me. Help me to allow Your light to shine through me to a broken and hurting world. And thank You for loving me and choosing me.”
I pray that each of you can step into this truth - that you are chosen, you are loved, you are His.
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1 Comment
Thank you