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

A Vessel Of Honor For The Lord

Tuesday Blessings: Sanctification

A Prayer
Lord, be glorified in my life!
Let me be for Your praise and Your glory.
Let me be a vessel of honor for thee.
In Your holy name, I pray
with thanksgiving.

Amen and Amen.

See Also:

A Vessel of Honor For The Lord

 Circumcision

Trust in The LORD with all your heart.

View Devotion

God's Righteous Judgments Are In All The Earth, His Salvation To The Ends Thereof

God who in times past, commanded that His people walk in His statutes, keep His judgments and do them (recounted in Ezekiel Chapter 20), is the same God today. He changeth not. As it was then and is now, our faithful Creator desires to have a people who put their trust in Him and walk in His ways. 

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them is great reward. (Psalm 19:7-11)

There was not much rejoicing, as the people of God sojourned in the wilderness some forty years, but rather much complaining, and a desire to return to the land of their captivity. Many forsook the Lord for idols, the work of their hands, and they and their descendants did likewise in the land of promise. Yet, our God who is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, extended His grace, and sent His prophets to deliver His word, with the expectation that a rebellious people would acknowledge the error of their ways, repent and turn back to God, for their own good.   

There is not an arm like the Lord's, Creator of heaven and earth. He is mighty to save. Relying on a mighty army will not deliver any. "For the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is from the Lord." (Proverbs 21:31; see also Ezekiel 17:15.)

God's righteous judgments are in all the earth; His salvation to the ends thereof.

Thus says the Lord God: "I will take also one of the highest branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant it on a high and prominent mountain. On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell."

 "And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it." (Ezekiel 17:22-24)

A Prayer: 

Thank You blessed Shepherd and Savior, for Your cleansing fountain. For the power to live a holy life. For taking away the stony heart and giving us a new heart and a new spirit within. For putting Your Holy Spirit within us, and causing us to walk in Your statues, to keep Your judgments and do them. To You alone wise God, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and forevermore. Amen.

- A Walk In The Garden Devotions

Knowing Who We Are and Whose We Are

Praise God who knew us before we were born and have chosen us to be the praise of the glory of His grace. What a high calling! He has made us alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, and raised us up together and made us sit together, both Jew and Gentile, in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Bible Reading: Ephesians Chapter 1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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. 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth— in Him. 

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. 

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

(See also Ephesians Chapter 2 through Chapter 6.)

Sanctification and the Proper Order of Kingdom Living

There was great rejoicing on the day the ark of God finally came to the City of David, to the place David had prepared for it. It had remained in the house of Obed-Edom for three months following an initial attempt to bring it from the house of of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim. Uzza and Ahio drove the cart containing the ark on that day, but God struck Uzza because he had put out his hand to hold the ark as they stumbled at Chidon's threshing floor. Being fearful, David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. (See 1 Chronicles 13)

We later learn that God had broken out against them because they the Levites had not sanctified themselves. "And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. And he said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites, sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order." (1 Chronicles 15:11-13.)

The manner in which the ark was transported also came into question--they had used a new cart instead of it being carried on poles by the Levites.

God is holy and He has called us to live a holy life not by our own might, but by His grace working in and through our lives. As members of His royal priesthood, a holy nation, we have been separated to God to be his instruments of grace on the earth, vessels of honor for him who purchased our souls' salvation with His own blood. Therefore, let us handle the word of the Lord and our Father's business with a clean heart, being sanctified by the Lord himself. How often we stumble and fail in our attempts to do even good, not realizing that it's often through our own disobedience and lack of attention and diligence to the proper order of kingdom living.

What started out as a day of great celebration, ended on a sad note. It's a reminder that what really impresses God is our willingness to inquire of him and heed his voice. In the multitude of counselors, there is wisdom, but when all is said and done, it's only what God has imparted to us according to His purpose and design that will endure.

The precious blood of Jesus Christ sanctifies us and makes clean. Do not mingle with the works of darkness, but rather expose them. Do not conform to this world, nor yield to the sin that easily besets us. Do not allow anything or anyone to make an adjustment to the order established by God the Creator of heaven and earth. His law has been written now upon our hearts; hearts that have been sanctified, lives that have been changed by His awesome grace and power. Let us walk humbly before Him, in all things seeking to please Him who has called us and given us His special treasure in earthen vessels.


God bless you!


- A Walk In The Garden Devotion