Handpicked

Yesterday, I was listening to a preacher on television talk about the covenant the Jewish people have with God. The preacher's name is irrelevant but he said that once we become believers in Jesus Christ, we also have that covenant as well. My first thought, "Wow, that's awesome. So I'm as important as a Jew to God?"

Before we go any further, it's important that you understand what the word covenant means. A covenant is an agreement between two people or between two groups of people--or between God and a group of people. In this instance, covenants are pretty much defined as His promises to us in return for our faith and obedience. Without our faith, His promises are still good but then again that wouldn't be a covenant, would it? He doesn't need us to accomplish them, but we can't whine and complain if we aren't holding up our end of the bargain either.

As I listened to the preacher talk, God spoke to my heart and showed me how He handpicked me. I didn't come from a long line of believers. There was never this great faith or promise of blessings passed down from generation to generation. He reached out in the midst of a mess and picked me to save from the train wreck that was ahead. He knew me before I was formed in my mother's womb and He knew the mistakes I would make, yet He loved me all along.

He held me tightly and has never let go of me. He didn't have to pick me. He didn't need me. He knew that I was weak, that I had nothing to bring, but he still picked me. He knows my flaws like none other but he still loves me more than any human ever will. I can't think of a single way in which I stand out or do a single thing better than anyone or anything, but He picked me as one of His-- and for that my heart is overjoyed, humbled and overfilled with love for Him. He had His hand on me all along.

There is no other explanation for my life than this. I cannot take credit for any good in my life, it's all Him. I cannot say it's of my own doing because, without God, I'm as prone to self destruction as anyone else. I think about all the times in my life where I could have fallen, but He didn't allow it. Then there were times I did fall, but He still had mercy on me. In all honestly, I should be so much worse off than I am.

If you know Him, never forget that we're all handpicked, like delicate flowers. He gently picks us long before we bud and then He holds us in His almighty hands to ensure we each get a chance to bloom. Everyone of us who believe are handpicked, not because we have any great quality but because we are so weak He is so merciful.

 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. Psalm 72:13

 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10

If you don't know Him, there's a reason you're reading this--maybe He's already picked you and wants your attention and your whole heart. Being a Christian doesn't mean you're perfect or that you stop sinning. Christianity is about giving up what you want to what He wants. The more you do that, the more He shapes and molds you. He is real, no matter what the world says. He isn't just some idea or some way of life. The only way you can have a chance at being what you were meant to be is by following Him, seeking His face and yielding to His ways.

Being handpicked doesn't mean you don't have a choice. It just means that even when you aren't aware, He's holding you. Do you ever feel held? Do you ever feel comforted and healed and you just can't explain it? Don't kid yourself and think that it's some kind of "inner strength". Everything good is of God, make no mistake about it. We have no "inner strength" of our own. We're all weak, it's the very nature of man.
I'm so thankful for the opportunity to enter into a convenant with The only God there is. The fact that He only expects my faith and obedience only further prove His great mercy.