Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Chosen" for Saturday, 2 August 2014 - Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Chosen" for Saturday, 2 August 2014 - Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 Meanwhile, we’ve got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God’s original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ.
15-17 So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.
Jesus said, “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you.”(John 15:16 (CEB))
When I was 11 years old, my family moved to a new town. As the smallest boy in our new neighborhood, I felt very alone. It was tough to make new friends. Each summer day, all the boys in the neighborhood would gather to play baseball. Two of the oldest boys would be captains and pick their teams; as expected, I was picked last. However, on days when one of the oldest boys was not there, the next oldest kid, Bobby, would be captain. For some reason, he always picked me first. On those days I felt 10 feet tall. Years later I asked Bobby why he had picked me first instead of the bigger and better players, and he told me this: “I chose you because you played your hardest whether we won or lost, and you always enjoyed the game. It made me happy when we were on the same team.” Since that time, I have always used this as a metaphor for my relationship with God. Regardless of my circumstances, I try to enjoy the life God gives me and do the best I can for him. I can’t work miracles, but I am happy when God and I are on the same team.
The Author: Mark Anderson (Pennsylvania, USA)
Thought for the Day: Regardless of our size or abilities, God will always choose us.
Prayer: We thank you, dear God, that you look beyond outward appearances to see our hearts. Amen. Visit devotional.upperroom.org/blog for more content.
Prayer focus: People new to my community
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