Chosen in Love

 Devotion: "Chosen in Love"

Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)
"Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love."

The word "chose" — eklego in the Greek — carries the powerful meaning of selecting with personal preference and favor. Before a single star was hung in the sky, before Adam took his first breath, God had already set His love upon those who would be His. I am overwhelmed by the thought that my salvation is not a result of my pursuit of God, but His loving pursuit of me.

Reflecting on this truth both humbles and sobers me. It humbles me because I realize that nothing about me earned this divine selection. I brought no merit, no righteousness, no offering to catch His eye. It sobers me because His choice carries a purpose: that I would live a life marked by holiness and blamelessness, set apart for His glory.

I cannot escape the personal responsibility that comes with such a high calling. Election is not a license to live as I please; it is an invitation — and a command — to live as He pleases. If my life does not bear the fruit of holiness, it calls into question whether I have truly responded to His call. God's choice of me demands my continual choice of Him: in my thoughts, my actions, my relationships, and even in the secret places of my heart.

There is a tension here that only love can hold together — God's sovereign choice and my daily response. Today, I am reminded that my walk must reflect the love that first chose me, the love that sacrificed everything to bring me near.

Contemplation:

• Am I living in a way that shows I belong to the God who chose me before the foundation of the world?

• Is there any area of my life where willful disobedience has taken root?

• How often do I meditate on God's love as the foundation of my salvation, not my own efforts or goodness?

Prayer:
Gracious Father,
I stand in awe that You chose me — not because of who I am, but because of who You are. Thank You for Your love that was set upon me before time began. Thank You that my salvation is a free gift, not something I could ever earn.
Forgive me, Lord, for the times when my life has not reflected the holiness and blamelessness You desire. Search my heart, O God, and reveal any sin that grieves You. Give me the grace to quickly repent and to walk in obedience.
Teach me daily to marvel at Your love, to respond with thanksgiving, and to live as one marked by Your grace. Let my life bring glory to Your name in my home, among my friends, and to the world around me. May my election be confirmed in the way I live out the love You first showed to me.
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen.