By Katy Mariotti

Loved Always

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
Ephesians 1:3-6 English Standard Version

I think I’ve mentioned before that I did not grow up with cats, so I’ve only learned what it is like to live with a cat as an adult. One of the things I’ve learned is that cats typically choose one person in the house to be their “person.” In my house, that is not me. My husband is the cat’s person. This means that there are only certain specific situations in which the cat will choose to give attention to me: when my husband is out of town, when I use a blanket, when I sit in a specific chair, and when she’s out of food. Even though I know it’s only in these situations, it still thrills me every time. I often take pictures if she decides to snuggle me to send to my husband: “Look! The cat likes me for a second!”

How wonderful is it that God chooses us, always. We don’t have to wait until the time is right, or until WE are right. As this introduction in Ephesians reminds us, we were chosen by God even before the foundation of the world. God loves us and He chose US to die for. Some other reminders of His love for us:

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:7-8 ESV

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 ESV

Let us rejoice today that we are chosen by God, and He loves us!

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado