"The People of God"

 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." (Hebrews 11:25 KJV) 

  "But you are not like that, for 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: "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy, now you have received God's mercy."" (1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT) 

 First of all, I feel that God chooses those who are meant for His specific plans; actually, way before they are even born, He already knows from where they will come and who will be the ones that bring them into this world. Additionally, there is also something that is planted within them, a seed of longing to know the One who made them, and what they are meant to be.

 Basically, we all are born with this, so called, 'God shaped hole,' that is longing to be filled; yet many will try all sorts of things in order to fill it; but nothing will ever satisfy that longing, until we actually let God fill it! If you don't believe it, then I feel sorry for you; as that means you have settled for something else and think you are satisfied with what you have; or should I say, with what has you!

 I can recall a time when I felt totally satisfied in my condition, doing all sorts of drugs and living a life that was, shall we say, free-spirited. I really didn't care about anything, or anyone but myself; and even that wasn't true, because I challenged death in all sorts of different ways. 

 There was this one specific time, when we were at General Quarters; and my location was stationed in Port Steering; which, if you don't know what that means, the four of us that are down there, in that little hole, will be the last to leave a sinking ship. There are manual steering abilities we had down there; when and if, the rest of the crew is off the ship, we were to keep the ship moving in a 2-mile circle; letting someone know the location of everyone else. 

 Anywho; this one night when we were practicing maneuvers, I was laying on the floor with my headset on, waiting for orders. I started thinking about God and about what it might feel like if this was a real situation and actually started to talk to God in my head. When I really started to focus on my thoughts and who it was that I was talking to, a voice rang out in my head, saying, "It is me!" I knew right then that it wasn't God, but that it was the devil. 

 You have to know, there was something I started to understand, which I already knew, but didn't really care too much about; but it was devil that had me feeling as though I did not care. Yet, it really didn't bother me because I thought I was having fun. 

 This is real! And I totally and completely believe, if God has chosen you, then you will, one way or another, surrender to His will and ask Jesus to come into your heart! There was this thing I heard Pastor Jack say, which was regarding those who are called; that they came to the gates seeing the sign that says, 'The called'; but on the other side of the gates, the sign says, 'The chosen'...

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 3:12 NLT)