“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

The first time I really heard this scripture was at my son’s high school commencement. The speaker used this scripture to offer a challenge to the graduates, and it felt like a challenge to me personally, as well.

These are engaging words. What’s better than being chosen? Like many of you, I feared (and fear) not being chosen. Now I was a favorite among my family—I had no fear of being rejected by my parents or grandparents. However, among my friends I was always fearful of being rejected—whether it was for a sports team, for a club, for an invitation to a slumber party, the list goes on. But brothers and sisters in Christ, we have such assurance of being chosen by Jesus. I refer you to the recent Chaplain’s Corner on Fervent Prayer where I quoted Jesus telling his followers, ^“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (Luke 18:7).

And we are a royal priesthood. Jesus is the King of Kings, which means that he is the ultimate royalty. We have been adopted into his family (that also means chosen), so that makes us royalty as well, with direct access to our Lord and Savior. As a holy nation, we are set apart, and as God’s special possession, we know that we are very dear to him.

We have been chosen for a reason. The Old Testament tells the story of a woman who was chosen for a reason. You know the story of Esther, the Jewish girl who was chosen to be Queen of Persia, placed in this high and influential position so that she could prevent the extermination of the Jewish people who had been forcibly taken from their homeland. She was asked to do a very risky thing, something that could have gotten her killed. She fasted and prayed over the decision, and this is what God spoke:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14.

This scripture gives me the assurance that God’s plans would prevail, with or without Esther; however, he was presenting her with the privilege of doing something great, something worthwhile for His Kingdom.

Timothy Dalrymple, President and CEO of Christianity Today, in the May/June edition wrote about a similar story. “There’s a moment in the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy when Frodo laments that a great evil has erupted in his generation. ‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ he says. Gandalf responds with compassion and wisdom in equal measure: ‘So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’”

We are not here in this place at this time by accident. God does not make mistakes. We have been chosen for such a time as this. We have been made royal priests for such a time as this. It is up to us how we use this time. Someone else (I wish I could remember who) said his greatest fear was not the coronavirus, but instead that he would fail to rise to the occasion. This is my greatest fear.

The Mission has risen to the occasion. You have risen to the occasion, over and over again. Yes, these are frustrating and discouraging times; we are tired of fighting, of not being able to hug, of not being able to sit across the table from those we love, of wearing face masks and using so much disinfectant and sanitizer. But don’t give in to the enemy now. God is still in charge. Dalrymple asks, “Will we rise to the challenge history has thrust upon us?”

God tells us we have this identity in Christ, that we have been chosen, for a reason, so that we may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is perseverance. I hope to encourage you with these words to continue to persevere: to fight, to pray, to thank God, and to declare His praises.

In Christ,

Judy