There's a tension in the Kingdom: many are called, but few are chosen. God's favoritism doesn't draw the line between the two—it's about decisive faith. The line between the called and the chosen isn't as much by God's preference but by our response. In every generation, God invites us to rise, to lead, to become a vessel through which His power, presence, and purpose overflow. The call is open. The invitation is sent. But only those who lay claim to it, who respond with boldness and action, step into the identity of the chosen.
Joshua's words went out to "the chosen generation." God had waited until all those who were stiff-necked and rebellious had grown old and died. That younger generation would go forth and inherit the promises. After they crossed the Jordan, God told Joshua to "make flint knives for yourself and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time," (Josh. 5:2). The older generation was circumcised, but the younger generation had not been. They were to bear the mark of covenant in their flesh before God would take them any further.
I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! (Malachi 3:10 NLT) There is very much prayer being made, and appeal being pressed for revival.... If the Spirit of God either ignores or transcends so much that marks the Christian system, and makes it as though it counts so little, (and the Holy Spirit never compromises on what is vital and really of God), does it not mean that He calls for a reconsideration of very much that obtains?
Jesus asked His businessmen disciples if they could drink His cup. It's the same question He's asking you and I, "Can you drink your cup?" Sonship has a precondition of maturity and covenant. Are you willing to do what Father is doing? For richer or poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Youthfulness and exuberance in business mixed with a touch of bravado and optimism have a unique scent (diaper). The fragrance of maturity is tempered with humility and wisdom.
Have you felt unable to move forward and take the next step? Have disappointments of the past immobilized your faith and caused you to get stuck in your tracks? I believe spirits of Fear and Self Protection are whispering into many ears and leading to a dead end. If this is you, God wants to reintroduce you to His Grace as an untapped source of power and strength.
Romans 8:37 (NIV) says, "…In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." But do we really know what it means to be more than a conqueror? I know it took many years for me to learn what it means and how to live the victorious life Jesus died to give us as believers. I remember many years when I went to church faithfully every week, yet my private life was pathetic. It was so frustrating because I really loved God and was a born-again believer, but I wasn't experiencing victory over the problems in my life so that I could really live for God and help people.
You must be ready and alert — spiritually awake, to know what God is doing. Only through a heart connected to God in worship and prayer will your lamp be burning. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning. Luke 12:35 In this passage, it is important to embrace "being girded" as it means being ready to serve. As we read on, we see Jesus says that "the Master" responds as He will "gird Himself to serve" those who are found doing these things.
Many years ago, when I first started fulfilling my calling as a healing evangelist, the Lord gave me clear instructions. I was to first teach the people because they need faith to believe and receive their healing. And that's exactly what I do, teach and then minister. I am a firm believer that we need to give the people a reason to believe, a foundation for their faith. And this foundation is found only in the Word of God. His Word tells us that "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17. And it is this hearing by the word of God that I want to focus on in this devotional.
Does God have a plan for your life? If so, what is it? Most people think of specifics: He plans for me to be a teacher. His plan is for me to go to school and become a doctor. He plans for me to marry and have 2 children. Some of your gifts and callings are decided in advance before you are born. Those gifts and callings lead you to fulfill God's intention for your life (PURPOSE of GOD). The end result of God's purpose or intention is to bless you and for you to bless others.
When we first enter the world, we don't come with baggage. We don't arrive with conditions or scorecards. We don't withhold affection based on status, background, performance, or past mistakes. We arrive—helpless, open, and wired to love and to be loved. Have you ever noticed how a baby reaches out to anyone willing to hold them with warmth? How a toddler will wrap their arms around a stranger's leg just because they remind them of someone safe? There is no evaluation, no judgment. Just pure connection. That's our truest design.
