You Chose Me Devotional by Toni LashaunPavyzdys

You Chose Me…In Spite of Present Fear

I bow in awe of Your Mercy 'cause I know my walk is imperfect...

There are plenty of people whom Jesus told, "Don't be afraid." This should let us know that fear doesn't keep us from being chosen by God.

Let's take a look at one of the disciples, Peter. Often, Peter shows he is afraid, but Jesus, knowing fear would be an issue for Peter, still chose him as one of the twelve disciples. In fact, Jesus told Peter that His Church, the Body of Christ, would be built upon the testimony of Peter (Matthew 16:18).

This is the same Peter who let fear almost cause him to drown. A storm arose when told to sail across to the other side of the lake. Jesus was headed towards the disciples and told them not to fear. But, Peter asked Jesus to confirm His identity by letting him walk on water. Then, when he got out of the boat and headed to Jesus, Peter focused on the winds and waves, and Peter began to sink. He cried out to Jesus, and Jesus saved him. (Matthew 14:30-33)

Jesus chose Peter even though He knew Peter's fear would cause him to deny Jesus. Peter promised he would never desert Jesus, but once Jesus was taken into custody, fear took over (Mark 14:29). When confronted by the crowd at the crucifixion of Christ, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. (Mark 14:66-72). The beautiful part about this story is that after Jesus rose from the dead, He gave Peter three chances to confirm his love for Jesus (John 21:15-17).

Later, Peter would write these words:

…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NLT

While the only fear we should have is the reverential fear of the Lord, God knows there are many situations in life that cause us to be afraid. But, as some say, the emotion of fear arises from False Evidence Appearing Real. And the way to combat fear is to remember the Truth of God's Word. Once we realize that God is bigger than anything we fear, we can fearlessly live for His Glory!

Dear Lord,

Thank You for being All-knowing and All-powerful. Thank You for being an ever-present Help when fear gets the best of us. Lord, please forgive us for allowing fear to cause us to disobey or deny You. Please remind us that You did not give us a spirit of fear but of love, self-discipline, and might; You have called us out of darkness into light! We thank and praise You for choosing us! In the Matchless Name of Jesus, Amen!