The Crowd or the Cross

Ignored by Man, Chosen by God

Sharon Jaynes

Today 's Truth

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15:19 NIV).

Friend to Friend
Have you ever felt that you were overlooked or ignored…like you were a nobody? Well, take heart girlfriend. You are not alone. Most of us have felt that way at one time or another. I’ve been the girl not invited to the party, the kid not chosen for the team, to applicant not chosen by the employer, the writer not chosen by the publisher, and the child not chosen by the parent.

In the Bible, we read the story of when the prophet Samuel went to anoint the next king of Israel. By God’s instruction, Samuel traveled to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse. He knew where to go and what family the king would come from.  He knew the next king would be one of Jesse’s sons…he just didn’t know which son.

Samuel arrived in Bethlehem and asked Jesse to bring all of his sons out for his inspection. Jesse brought out each of his seven sons, one-by-one. As Samuel prayerfully approached each young man, God said, “No, that is not the one…No, that is not the one…No, that is not the one.”  Seven times God refused Jesse’s sons. Finally, exasperated and confused, Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“Oh yeah, I do have one more son,” Jesse said. “I almost forgot all about him. Little David is out taking care of the sheep. I’ll send someone to get him.”

David was so insignificant to his own father, that when the prophet requested an audience with all of his boys, the dad didn’t even think to invite him. However, he was the very one God had selected to be the next ruler of His chosen people. How exciting!  You may have felt overlooked, disregarded, and ignored, but God has chosen you! “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him,” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV).  And that means you.

Ponder these verses…

• “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12 NIV).

• “In him we were alsochosen  having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:11,12 NIV).

• “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33 NIV).

Let’s Pray
Dear Father, thank you that I am chosen and dearly loved. While there have been many times in my life where I was not chosen, I rejoice in the truth that You chose me! Me! Help me to be an encourager to those who feel neglected or discarded by those in their world. Open my eyes to see the lonely, to hear the rejected, to love the forgotten.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Now It’s Your Turn
When was a time in your life when you felt rejected?

The Bible says that we have a High Priest (Jesus) who has felt all the pain and suffering just as we have. How was Jesus rejected?

At the same time, how was Jesus chosen by God?

Consider writing down the verses in today’s devotion and post them somewhere you can see them often.

More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from my book Becoming Spiritually Beautiful: Seeing Yourself as God Sees You. Nothing is more beautiful than a confident woman who knows she is chosen and dearly loved. If you would like to learn more about how to see yourself as God sees you, this book is for you! It also comes with a Bible study guide for those who want to dig deeper.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

The Crowd or the Cross