Good Morning All,
Isaiah 41:9;
“you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to
you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”
“Mr. Irrelevant.” This is the title they give
to the very last person selected in the NFL draft. The 256th player drafted to play
in the NFL. You get the impression that
the janitor is sweeping the floor; the lights are being shut off; they are
taking down the signs; the reporters are gone except for the one who fell
asleep in the back; the draft is over except for this last pick. This guy rarely lasts more than a couple of
weeks and then he is cut from the team.
He only gets picked because this is the number of picks that are
made. The first 100 or so picks will all
get a good opportunity to play professional football but this guy usually goes
home to his normal job. He will always
have a little memory of the chance to play but the reality is that he is not
good enough to play.
That is how the devil wants you to think of
yourself; as “Mr. Irrelevant.” First he
wants you to think that you are not even close to being good enough for
salvation and, if you have a shot at all; it won’t last. As soon as God knows you, he will cut you
from the team. The devil wants you to
always think of past mistakes and past failures. The devil wants you to think “if God knows
how bad I really am; he’ll kick me out tomorrow.” The devil wants you to think that your only
chance is to hide from God and be left alone.
The devil wants to lead or drive you to the ends of the earth, to get
away from God. The devil wants you to
run and to never stop running; looking for some place to hide.
Yet God does not view you as “Mr.
Irrelevant.” God chose you and he will
not cast you off.
He sent Jesus, born as a man
to live the life of a man. He ate, he
drank, he slept, he felt sadness, he knew pain and sorrow. Jesus knows every fear, pain, sorrow,
disappointment or rejection that you have ever experienced. He knows your life but more importantly he knows
your heart. He places his Spirit in you
so that you may desire Him; that you may desire to follow God’s will. He forgives your sin and forgets your past so
that you may live in his holy and loving presence.
You will never be irrelevant to God. You are the one who Jesus came to earth to
redeem from sin, death and the tyranny of the devil. God chose you; it was no accident or mistake,
God chose you because he loves you. He
chose you and because of his constant grace; he will never abandon you. He will never leave you to face the devil by
yourself. You never need to face your
fears, your sorrows, your pain by yourself.
You are important to God. Trust
his love and mercy; it is always there for you to give you hope.
Gracious Father, your mercies are new every day. You lift me up from the pit to live with you
in your loving arms. Protect me from the
devil and his assaults. Keep me safe in
the shadow of your wings. We ask that
you defend all those who are under attack at this time. Keep them secure in the certainty of your
grace. In the precious name of Jesus we
pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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