Chosen Vessels of God

Ever merciful God, chooses vessels for His glory, honor and praise. We, His children, were sinners saved by grace; we did not choose ourselves, but rather, were chosen of God, according to His will and purpose.  

O, the joy and peace of dwelling in His holy presence, worshipping and serving Him in spirit and in truth; growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Maker, Savior, Redeemer, King of kings and Lord of lords. The more we yield to the Lord, the more His glory fills our lives and is reflected in the world.  

As with Christ, not everyone will be receptive to His gospel. Being a follower of Christ requires much endurance, and there is no lack thereof, for God calls, equips, strengthens and sustains His church, by the power of the Holy Spirit. (See Matthew Chapter 10 about discipleship and its cost.)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 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 Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6; see also Ephesians Chapter 2)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John 15:16)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12; see also Matthew 5:14-16)

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God alone who is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:15-17; see also Acts 9:1-31)

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. (Psalm 78:70-71; see also 1 Samuel 16:1-13)

I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, "Go, prophesy to My people Israel." (Amos 7:14-15)

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5; see also Jeremiah 18:1-6)

- A Walk In The Garden Devotions

Anchored in the Lord

 

What a Merciful God!

What a Merciful God!

Bless the Lord, O my soul

David was a man who oftentimes acknowledged his guilt and his sins before God. He had a repentant heart, and was sincere in his relationship with his God—that much is evident in the many psalms he wrote. 

Here was a man who understood God's mercy was plentiful, and wasted no time in approaching God's throne of grace and mercy, when faced with his own shortcomings, and the many dangers he encountered. 

He writes, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy." Psalm 103:8.

David had experienced God's forgiveness, His deliverance, and His power more than a few times, and his was a life orchestrated by praise and thanksgiving to God, for His Sovereignty and the many benefits afforded those who fear the Lord. 

May we like the "Man after God's own heart," serve God faithfully and do His will. May we like David, say continually, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

- A Walk In The Garden Devotions

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The Mercies of God, a Devotion

The Mercies of God

The Lord is plentiful in mercy

In the holy book of life, we have numerous examples of God's dealings with the human race. Contrary to what some may think or believe, the everlasting God who made the heaven, the heaven of heavens, the earth and sea, is still seated on His throne ruling the nations. He is the God of all flesh. 

We see the mercies of God time and time again in dealing with Israel — a people He delivered from bondage and established in the land He promised their fathers. Yet in their prosperity, they forgot the one who had delivered them with a mighty outstretched arm. The one who led them by a cloudy pillar by day and a pillar fire by night. 

"So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Ca'naan-ites and gavest them unto their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.
  And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards and oliveyards and fruit trees in abundance. So they did eat, and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
  Nevertheless, they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee and cast thy law behind their backs and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.
  Therefore, thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviours who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
  But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee. Therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies. And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law. Yet they dealt proudly and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder and hardened their neck and would not hear.
  Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets. Yet would they not give ear. Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
  Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them, for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
  Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests and on our prophets and on our fathers, and on all thy people since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 
  Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly. Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them and the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
 Behold, we are servants this day, and the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold we are servants in it. And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins. Also they have dominion over our bodies and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it, and our princes, levites and priests, seal unto it." (Nehemiah 9:24-38)

Through the ages, man is still straying away from God. Even those who have tasted of His goodness and have seen His hand of mercy. We are nothing without God. If He gathers up His spirit, we are consumed.

God is still the same, yesterday, today and forever. The Lord is righteous, the Lord is good, the Lord is plentiful in mercy. The Lord is faithful. Let us remember the Lord our Maker and serve Him. 

                                   
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16,17.

- A Walk In The Garden Devotions