NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

May 4

Scripture focus: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV

I preach on Sunday mornings, usually about 50 Sundays a year. In order to sit under another’s teaching, I usually do it in pj’s, sitting in my comfy desk chair, listening via the internet. Recently I’ve been tuning into Pieter Van Waarde’s messages from Woodcrest Chapel. A few weeks ago he preached a beautiful sermon talking about our disease, dysfunction and destiny. He reminded his community that he’s a big believer in the reality of disease (addiction has a physiological component), dysfunction (family dysfunction causes wounds that must be healed in order for us to thrive), and destiny (generations of people continue to live what they saw modeled rather than what they could learn to do differently). (He said it better, but I’m trying to keep this short.)

My favorite part of the message was his reminder of our Image Bearer status (made in the image of God) and the decision each of us must make – to pursue the life God intends for us or to drift along with the three d’s.

Twenty six years ago I attended a bible study at Mary Saunder’s home every Friday morning. Mama John (as we affectionately call her) spent three years taking us through the book of Ephesians…word by word….phrase by phrase. Once in a while my baby would be sick and I’d have to miss a week. It was like missing an episode of a soap opera. You know you missed something, but when you return to the program, it seems as if they’re in the same spot you left them. That’s how slowly we proceeded through the book. It was awesome.

I was sitting in a rocking chair, listening to her raspy, gentle voice when I first connected with the verse, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. I am still wondering what it all means….the implications, the possibilities, the dreams….they boggle the imagination.

He chose me. He chose you.

He chose us before we had been exposed to disease, dysfunction or destiny. He chose us before he took the time to divide light and darkness, land and sea. He chose us.

I remember vividly the day I made the decision to see where this road might lead. That’s all I did. I made a decision. It is a wild ride that requires me to address my tendency to dig for treasure in fields that are booby trapped.

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