God has picked me.
God has chosen me.
All those times I felt invisible . . . ignored . . . unwanted . . . less than . . .
God wanted me.
If only I had worried less about all the people I was trying to please, jumping up and down, waving my hands, shouting, “Hey! I’m over here! How am I doing?” — and stopped long enough to look up and realize the eternal, a-ma-zing Creator-God of the universe loves me.
All the time.
No matter what.
What a difference it would have made back then … what a difference it makes now, every day, when I embrace the precious truth that God picked me.
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands …” (Isaiah 49: 16 NIV)
In Your Words: When did you realize that God loves you — that he chose you? Do you have a special verse or quote that reminds you of this truth? I’d love to have you share it!
Chosen: God Has Picked You as His Very Own Click to Tweet
Feeling Overlooked? You are Chosen by God Click to Tweet
Read the first chapter of Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt! Click to Tweet
Comments 24
I had fun waking up in night reminded to pray for a friend fighting illness. Before I formulated the traditional, “Help her sore throat etc. go away,” I was impressed with a hearty, booming, “Bouquets! Tell her to expect (loving, surprise) bouquets today,” and such a sense of powerful, unstoppable love came through. It energized me more than my sleep!
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What a wonderful way to convey that she is loved, Dee — and what a wonderful ministry of prayer you have to so many (me, included).
When I was a little girl I remember my mom telling me I was one of God’s favorites. I’m sure she told my brothers and sister the same thing, but it impacted me in priceless ways. I knew, without a doubt, that God loved (loves) me and chose me from a very young age. I believe that has made all the difference in my life.
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Ah, the truths that others speak to us — especially our parents — can influence us in mighty ways.
This is such a happy post–God has chosen us. He loves us. That’s reason to celebrate every day. I grew up with that truth all around me–thanks to wonderful family and a wonderful church–but you know, some days it feels more real than others. But I love those moments when it re-sinks in. 🙂
Author
You’re right, Melissa, this post is fueled by happiness and joy — the kind that comes from the steadfast knowledge that we are loved. We are wanted.
Love that quote, and this post Beth. I became a Christian when I was fourteen, and I knew His love to a certain degree. I think when I struggled with why He wouldn’t allow us to become pregnant (my perspective), I struggled with understanding that He loved me perfectly and completely. Walking that path was the way He opened my eyes and heart to embrace His passionate love for me as His girl. Even when that “love” didn’t look the way I thought it should at the time. 🙂
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I so appreciate your honest answer, Jeanne — how important it is that we hold onto God’s love for us, God’s choosing us — even when life hurts … when we hurt.
Such a joyful little post, Beth! I’m not sure there’s just one moment for me… It’s more of a lifetime of little moments of reminder that, oh yeah, I don’t need anyone’s approval because God loves me. He approves of me.
So many verses over the years… The one that leaps out at the moment is Ruth 3:11.
And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.
God used this verse many years ago to confirm to me that I was, in fact, a woman of noble character, that I was doing what He asked of me. That I wasn’t a complete failure. This verse I posted on my wall and read it every day for many months. It did wonders for my confidence level. God’s good at that sort of thing, you know.
Blessings,
Andrea
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I absolutely love that verse, Andrea. Reading it gave me chills. Thank you so much for sharing it!
That was my same reaction when I first realized what this verse meant and God impressed on my heart, “This is you!”
I think I’ve always known that God loves me. But that truth was tested when my mom got sick and died. I questioned how He could love me and let that happen. Now I know that His love doesn’t mean He won’t let anything bad happen to us. It just means He cherishes us enough to allow them so we’ll grow–and that He doesn’t abandon us in our time of need. A difficult truth, but one that changed my life and perspective forever.
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Lindsay,
You walked a road, a heartache, at such a young age — and yet you chose to trust God through it. And doing so has made you the beautiful woman of faith you are today.
My siblings and I were abandoned at 2, 4 and not yet born. We were adopted at 12, 14 and 16.
I can tell you how it feels to be discarded and tossed aside, then chosen, fought for and won.
Nothing says “Nope, I didn’t want you then and I don’t want you now” like seeing a man’s signature on a piece of paper permanently giving up parental rights .
AND, nothing says “chosen” like signing your name on a legal document that says “Yup, I want him and he wants me!”
My dad crossed race, economic, cultural and social boundaries to marry my mother and adopt us.
He would not back down, he loved us.
The quote that reminds me of my heavenly Father’s love?
“I do.”
Author
Okay … now you made me cry.
Interesting that you ask.
Yesterday I was fighting the demons of PTSD. It was a funny thing – I lost my patience with a fly, and sprayed insect repellent on it.
As it crawled into a crack to die, I was horrified. Just a fly…but, alive. And I remembered how men can sink back into approaching death, with slow resignation and profound sorrow – that’s after the screaming stops.
It’s a terrible thing to see, even in the face of the enemy.
But you can’t stop in a memory, and as I was feeding my coonhound two hours later, I noticed a funny pattern in the hair of his head.
A cross. On his forehead. With straight and even members, and good proportions. This was no “my eyes are making this up” vision. Anyone who knows me, knows I am very skeptical of people who see what they want to see, and I wasn’t looking for a sign.
And then, as a storm cleared the Rio Grande Valley to the east, a double rainbow. The inner arch was so strong that the colors on the bottom edge began repeating.
An hour later, another rainbow, taller and stronger than the first.
The despair I felt, on bearing witness to the killed, made me want to hide forevermore.
And then God shouted, “Hold!”
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Andrew,
The way you fight for life, for truth, for hope, in the midst of all you’ve seen and experienced, brings me to my knees again and again.
I am thankful for your friendship.
Great post today, Beth.
I realized I was chosen after I betrayed my husband and he forgave me. I saw the love of Christ through him. I never really believed I could be loved unconditionally, I thought I had to perform to be loved. My husband placed a verse on my vanity over four years ago and I still keep it there to remind me that I have been chosen by God.
God chose you out of all the people on earth as his cherished personal treasure. Deuteronomy 14:2
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Melissa:
What a beautiful story of love redeemed … and hope …
And I am writing out that verse today and posting it where I can read it.
I knew God loved me when He never let go of my hand, even though I wandered far away from Him. I have two verses I cling to: “Then I will restore to you the years that the locust swarm devoured…” Joel 2:25
and “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16
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Amen, Pat. Amen.
I’ve walked through some locust-devoured years … and seen God restore them.
Miracle.
When I was in my early 20s, I remember hearing for the first time that Jesus died on the cross … for ME. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t grasp what that meant. So I began asking questions and seeking and learning and studying God’s Word. When that incredible truth that God choose me finally sunk in, it served as a catalyst for eternal change. His love — His choosing me — changes everything.
One of my favorite reminders that God has chosen me is in Psalms 56:8.
“You number my wanderings; Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not all in your book? When I cry out to you, then will my enemies turn back. This I know because God is for me.”
I can imagine God having a pantry with milk bottles filled with my tears. Each bottle is labeled with a number and logged into His book.
This verse reminds me that God cares when I suffer and that I am not alone in my struggles. He fights the battles I cannot fight alone.
Michelle, you touched my heart.
I have ‘boxes’ in the basement of my mind, experiences that I’d prefer not to open again. I’m afraid to, because the tears wont’t stop if I do.
It’s nice to think of God cataloging and storing our tears.
And the battles I have fought, and in which I’ve faltered – the image I have is JC at my back. We’re surrounded by empty brass, and He’s passing me a fresh magazine. “Cover your sector,” He says. “I’ve got Mine.”