Chosen and Loved

Imagine for a moment that you could somehow know the future. You know everything that is about to happen. You know who will play in the next big game and who will win it. You know how your favorite television series will end. You know who will be elected to office. You know how the stock market will perform.

If you had this knowledge, do you think that it would affect the choices you make?

Of course it would. You would make wise choices based on the facts.

When Jesus walked this earth, He knew everything about everyone. He had their number. He knew their thoughts. In fact, sometimes Jesus would ask people why they were thinking a certain thing.

So if you were hanging around Jesus, you couldn’t even think a bad thought without Him knowing it. And here’s the amazing thing: He chose Simon Peter to be His disciple, yet He knew Simon Peter would fail Him. In fact, Jesus said to him, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31–32 NKJV).

Jesus not only was predicting Peter’s fall, but He was predicting Peter’s return as well. He knew that Peter would come around.

Sometimes it looks as though God has chosen losers, but He knows the big picture. He knows the future. And not only does He know the future, but He has a plan for it as well.

Despite our sinfulness, despite our shortcomings, despite the high opinions that we hold of ourselves, God chose us. And His choosing had nothing to do with our value, per se. It was based on His love.