Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

[Blessed is really too weak a word for the wonder of being the people of God, being chosen for His inheritance, being part of the universal Church, being included in His Kingdom and in the future being the Bride of Christ.

These great privileges are magnified when I consider what I actually deserved as an enemy of God, being selfish, proud, rebellious and incapable in myself of obeying Him. You, Lord, would have been right and righteous to strike me down upon birth, sending me directly to hell and separating yourself from me for eternity.

Yet you called me to be one of your children, a princeling in your family, a brother to Jesus and an ambassador for your Kingdom. You cleansed and transformed me, you chose and cherished me, and I stand before you dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in. Not because of what I am, but because of who you are: Love itself, Light itself, Life itself, breathing new creation into a life born a ruin, giving worth to what was destructive, making useful what was dangerous.

You, Lord Jesus, are marvelous in your love, awesome in your forgiveness and rich in your grace. Thank you for redeeming me, adopting me, loving me. Help me to love you back well!