January 24: A holy calling

He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made visible through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He has broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:9,10 — NET)

Before time began Jesus was chosen to be the Savior of the world. Isn’t that an amazing truth? Before anything had been created God knew that people would rebel against Him and that His Son would need to be their Savior. If God knew all this from the very beginning, why was Jesus only revealed after thousands of years had passed? Why go through the Old Testament times and only bring Jesus into the world after countless servants like Abraham, Sarah, Jeremiah, and Deborah had served Him without the benefits of the Lord Jesus Christ? Why did some people have to live their lives in an age when life and immortality had not yet been brought to light through the gospel?

We don’t know all the answers to these questions, but we do know that God has had a plan from the very beginning and that there has been a purpose for everything that happened, even for those who lived before Jesus was revealed; we also know that God has a plan for each one of us even when we have not yet figured it all out. But one great truth is that we have the benefit of all that happened throughout the Old Testament, and that we of all people, live in an age when the power of death has been broken and the gospel of the Lord Jesus has been brought to life.

There is a holy calling on each one of us. If you’re not interested, He will not insist; if you are interested, He will need you to surrender your own will and desires and be start doing things His way. If you accept His plan, it’s going to be hard, legions of demons will be stirred up against you, friends and family will turn against you, and this world will hate you… but God’s plan will start to be fulfilled in your life, something far greater than anything you could ever imagine. 

It’s humbling to think that God has a holy calling on our lives… that the God who has everything, who is perfect, wants to add you to His possessions.