Chosen | June 12th

"You did not choose me, but I chose you..."

John 15:16

Beloved, have we chosen God, or did He choose us? We often think we have come to Christ when we ask Him to come into our lives. However, it seems inescapable throughout scripture that God has chosen us.

Christ calls us by name. The Holy Spirit convicts our hearts, and God has given us the witness of Himself within creation and our conscience. No one dead in sin could see, hear, comprehend, or receive any of this unless God, in His mercy, touches the life first.

The Lord is the only one who can make the heart of stone flesh again. We do not possess the will or power to do so. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in grace. Take comfort today that the Lord has chosen you. You belong to the Father and have received the Holy Spirit. Our position in Christ is sure.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Wight

Meditate | June 12th

"I will meditate on your statutes."

Psalm 119:48

The reading of scripture is vital to our spiritual well-being. It is equally important that we consider what we have read or heard. Hopefully, we found ourselves in the house of God on the Lord's day, where God's word was preached from the pulpit and pointed our attention to the Lord.

How much thought did you give to God's word in those moments? Have you prayerfully considered what was said? How have you applied it to your life?

Beloved, we must be doers of God's word and not mere hearers. We must give thoughtful prayer to scripture and hide it in the heart. The word of the Lord does return void unto Him. The word of God can fall upon the good soil of the heart while some hearts hardened.

May we yield to the word of God. We are being thoughtful and growing in the knowledge of God so that we might renewed into the likeness of our Lord. Give a place for quiet thought upon God's word today.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Wight

Potential | June 11th

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

This is a familiar portion of scripture to many of us. I wonder how much thought we have given to its practical application. Has anyone ever doubted you or caused you to question your ability to accomplish something? Did someone discourage you from trying something new? Has someone's opinion of you caused you to doubt your worth or potential?

We understand God's providence within this verse and His redemptive plan for Israel. What we can apply from this verse is that the Lord knows what He has in store for all His people.

Every believer should trust that the Lord is working in a providential way in their lives. He has regarded our state, equipped us with talents, and used us for His glory. No one can hinder what the Lord has in store for us or take our worth away. Success is not determined only here and now. God measures success differently than this world does. The Lord sees faithfulness and obedience as success. Eternity will bring to light things done that have eternal worth.

You are made in the image of God. Never doubt your worth or potential. Grace will be sufficient for you because God is at work in your life. Whatever you do for the Lord is not in vain. The chief and exalted end of our lives is to live for the glory of God and to enjoy Him forever. Do that, and you will enter into your eternal reward.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Wight