His Choice

“…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Him according to the good pleasure of His will…” Ephesians 1:4-5

I know for sure that God chose me long before I chose Him. I don’t know this just because His Word tells me so, but because He arranged my life in such a way to cause me to hunger and thirst for Him long before I knew Him.

Long before He died for me, He proved His love for me. From the beginning, He thought me up, planned me, provided for me. He had me in mind when He created the earth to be as it is; when He brought order out of chaos; when He established a covenant with man; when He sent the prophets to tell me about Himself; when He provided Atonement for my sinning parents, Adam and Eve; when He inspired holy men to write the Bible.

Before I knew Him, He was watching me and listening to me, to find times and places in my life to show Himself strong and sovereign and holy. Before I realized it was Him, He was blessing me, gifting me, guiding me. He turned back those who would have killed my soul, destroyed my flesh, and kept me from knowing Him. He taught me long before I asked Him to, and drew me to Himself in ways unknown to me.

He planned where I would live, worship, give, and love. Oh, He gave me freedom to choose all these things—including the choice of whether to give myself to Him, or to something lesser—but somehow, some way, one day, He made sure I gave myself to Him. And He keeps assuring me, reminding me, that He is superior, His way is superior, His plans are superior.

I will never know all of what He did to bring me to Himself. Human intellect falls short in trying to figure it out. “…then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it” (Ecclesiastes 8:17).

He chose me before the foundation of the world. His work in me is secure—He has made me holy and without blame before Him because of His unending love for me, and my growing love for Him. He offered to adopt me, and I agreed it was right and good, and I took Him as my Father.

All this was simply—yet unendingly complex—just because it pleased Him to do so.

Father, thanks is too common a word to express the depths of my gratitude. Yet You know my heart, You know the emotion attached to my thanks. I fully offer myself to You yet again, for Your good pleasure. Amen.