Ever walked into a party you weren’t invited to? Feels odd, doesn’t it? You’re constantly looking over your shoulder in case someone starts asking why you’re sitting on their sofa or helping yourself to their drinks… But if you’re invited to the party, it’s a different thing. You don’t have to wonder if you’re welcome, or if there’ll be enough food to go around, or if there’s a place at the table for you: you’re secure knowing that you’re among friends who want you there, because they asked you there. And they probably told you what to expect. It’s the same when you know you’ve been ‘chosen and appointed’ by God. It gives you confidence – He asked you to the party, and He’s the one telling you what to expect. He chose you for two reasons: to bless you, and to make you a blessing to others (see Genesis 12:2). But in the beginning not all of His blessings will make sense. The Bible speaks of blessings ‘you won’t have room enough to receive’ (see Malachi 3:10). Sometimes God’s blessings are so overwhelming that when He starts pouring them out, you think, ‘Maybe I can’t handle this.’ And if you’d been the one who initiated the relationship, you’d be right. But God chose you. And whoever He calls, He equips. You can feel secure in God’s way of living, because He wanted you there, and He gave you the terms and conditions. All you need to do is be open and responsive. ‘Give yourselves completely to God…as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God’ (Romans 6:13 NLT). What parts of Christian life don’t make sense to you? Think of them this way: God is inviting you into them. You don’t have to understand them all now. But you can be secure knowing you’re invited in.
