YOU ARE CHOSEN – CHOSEN FOR A TIME LIKE THIS!!!
As you know by now, 7 is my perfect number. Not surprisingly so, because it is the perfect number. Therefore, I have chosen 7 heroic women from the Bible, from which I have learned many lessons, helping me through every-day life. You might even recognize yourself in one or two of them.
1. God chose Esther - the ordinary woman living in a foreign land, an orphan who became a courageous queen, saving a nation from annihilation. From our point of view, we can just imagine the cattiness occurring among the women when Esther was chosen as the favorite – the one and only. But you see, Esther’s humble spirit shined brightly, and she won favor in the eyes of all who saw her (Esther 2). She became a queen, a female ruler who saved a whole nation. She unselfishly surrendered her own life by putting her future in God’s hands to fulfil His purpose in her life and the lives of many others. Like the queen in chess, Esther became the most powerful piece and a sharp-smart move in God’s hand.
2. God chose Mary – the ordinary, small-town girl, innocent and naïve who was used to save the whole world. I don’t think Mary had aspirations involving the glitz and glamour associated with the city. Together with the rest of the people, Mary was just as surprised and wondered: Why me? Can anything good come from Nazareth? (Luke 1: 46 – 55). Mary did not have a lot of experience with the larger world out there. She was a virgin, a woman of Scripture and a woman of faith. I am mesmerized by Mary as a mother. I have so many questions for her. She will be the first one I would run to when I enter those pearly gates. Imagine! She had the toddler Jesus who followed her. Then, as the drama evolve, she followed Him - all the way to the cross and then to the tomb.
3. God chose Rahab – a hooker and liar from Jericho. She went from harlot to heroine in God’s hand (Joshua 2). Rahab’s bad reputation preceded her. She had a scandalous sexual history. Now we may ask: Is God then inconsistent and contradictory? Oh no! Just because we are sometimes a respecter of persons, self-righteous and religious, we struggle to think that a sex-worker can be used by God. Let alone chosen! When someone of such character, like Rahab, are favored, we feel offended. It violates our upstanding parties and hand-raising hallelujah services, but God looks at the heart. Rahab recognized God before she even knew Him. She went on hear-say. A seed of Hope was planted deep inside of her. She risked her city and her life on the God she never met. Her lies were acts of faith. Sex workers can also be believers. This is the reality of a relationship with God! Even people of religious faith tell lies. This is not to excuse lying. Instead, it is a recognition of the teleological approach in the ethical decision-making process. Rahab told a lie that saved God’s men and resulted to the victory of Israel over the enemy”. Let us ponder on this. Shouldn’t we have less judgement of people who differ from us? Shouldn’t we be more open-minded to realize that God has the capacity to use whomsoever He chooses. He chose Rahab, who was brave, bold, and strong.
4. God chose Ruth – the Moabite. God saw her as important and His plan for her life culminated in her becoming a part of the lineage of Jesus (grandmother of King David). God’s plan typically involves using people who seem like the underdogs or unimpressive from man’s perspective. We learn here, yet again, that God is concerned about ALL people, regardless of race, nationality, or status. There is no such thing as an unimportant person in God’s eyes. In our eyes, Ruth was just a poor widow in a foreign land (Ruth 1), but God wants His people to be recognized by others because of their love. Ruth’s words of wisdom and kindness to Naomi are a good reminder. If we love others and follow our heart in the way we treat everyone, it is hard to go wrong. We are also reminded that there is hope even in the most devastating times of our life. The past is not our final destination when we trust God, even when doing the right thing often takes great sacrifice. Ruth is an example of unwavering faith, bravery, loyalty, humbleness, and kindness.
5. God chose Mary Magdalene –healed by Jesus and never took this for granted. Mary Magdalene is known to be the first witness of the resurrection. She can thus be seen as the first evangelist of all time, commissioned to go to others to share her testimony and give His Word. She is the New Testament counterpart to Eve. Her life reminds us that Jesus offers us total deliverance from the bondage of our past. Jesus again broke with tradition. In this scene in John 20 – “The great reversal”, women got back their voice. Gratitude should drive us. Mary Magdalene listened to His teachings, and she could not go back to her old life. Our past does not matter when we are in Christ. Don’t be discouraged by what you see. She saw Jesus in the tomb. Rather remember what was promised. Jesus called Mary Magdalene by her name, just as He calls you by your name. Go forth and tell the Good News.
6. God chose Eve – not the most upstanding woman of the Bible, but certainly one of the most influential. She messed it all up for the rest of us, right? Or so a man told me… (Gen 3). She is a picture of all of us in moments of doubt and anxiety and temptation. We can learn from her mistake. Control-freak that I am, I can learn the most. Focus on ALL the good around you and not the one thing that you don’t have. Never doubt what God had once told you. It is for your own protection. Eve wanted wisdom, knowledge, and control. We should not try to control everything. Have a ‘Let go and let God’-mindset. Eve reminds us that while God is good, Satan’s temptations are not.
7. God chose Sarah - her offspring became the nation of Israel, which produced Jesus Christ, Savior of the World - an extraordinary honor. Sarah struggles with infertility. She takes matters into her own hands and offers Hagar, the slave, to Abraham (who by the way, lied about Sarah being his sister in fear of being killed). Trouble started brewing. Strive was born. And God stepped in. Sarah fell pregnant at the age of 99. She must have been through menopause already, but nothing is impossible for God. I mean, He even placed a baby in a virgin’s womb. God always delivers His promises (Gen 21: 1). His timing is perfect AND … patience is a virtue. Infertility is NOT a punishment. His plans are not for us to question. He may be protecting you from something or have plans for you to adopt a child in need or wants to draw you toward deeper dependence on Him. TRUST HIM!
We all mess up and God doesn’t hold it against us. Let your mess become your message.
Following God isn’t always easy but is always worth it.
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