Many are called, but few are chosen. I won’t even pretend to fully understand what that means. I learned over the years, that right in the middle of talking about something completely different, the Lord would drop a nugget of truth. You’re reading along, and suddenly, there’s a statement that seems totally foreign to the topic .

If you’ve truly studied, you learned that He has done this throughout all of His word. Most will read right over it, maybe wonder why it was there, but receive no understanding of it. What little I know, is that God calls everyone; to repentance, to be a member of His bride, to do good works, to be a light and so forth. But there are those who are chosen; set apart and commissioned for a special work; they are.

Being chosen, comes with a price. You will be ridiculed, scorned, envied, tried and tested, even out of measure, to perform the role God has given you for the hour He has deemed it so. People don’t like it, because Paul said he was called from his mother’s womb. In fact, there are many who don’t like anyone at all, who seems to have more purpose or anointing than they do. Rather than being supportive of such people, they would rather choose to hinder them with envy and jealousy. They will withhold love and caring for that person; they cannot celebrate what the other person has. Even though God also gave them precious gifts; it’s not enough for them.

It might surprise many to know who those people are, that oppose and oppress those who are chosen. I’m being urged to shift away from that, so I will.

It stunned me to see how many times the word “chosen” is used in the sacred texts. I can hear Jesus saying at one point, you didn’t choose me; I chose you. Throughout time, God has had chosen vessels to carry out a part of His plan. Likely in all cases, those people have been in some kind of training, all of their lives; perhaps even before they took their first breath.

I don’t think we ponder much over the fact, that as far as we know, even Jesus Christ did not begin his ministry, until he was around thirty. Other than being seen teaching in the temple at the age of 12, we don’t know much about his life; how he grew up or how he learned who he really was.

We like to talk about Esther, and that famous quote, “for such a time as this.” God has also chosen people for this very hour we are in. Life has not been easy for them. They were allowed to go through certain things in their lives that others likely might not have survived.

It often even seemed cruel somehow. Why did it have to be so hard? Because, this hour is different than any other so far. It will take a specially anointed vessel to stand up under the barrage of forces that are rising up day by day now. There is no need for anyone to say, that God does not use certain things, or certain people; His word says differently.

He chooses many things to bring about His purpose and to confound those who think they all know so much. Why? “That no flesh, should glory in his presence.” Although, many try.

If God told people what they had been chosen for, and what they would have to go through to get there, they would likely have refused. God said, way back in His word, that He was going to do a new thing. He has always been a wonder working God.

His ways are mysterious and they are so past finding out. Everyone has a place; a certain function and a position in the body of Christ. Every person was made to fit, that station they were called to. But we were given a choice; we can choose to not follow after the Spirit; hence, not follow after God.

I understand why Jonah ran; but I also know, that God prepared the fish. No matter. He was chosen for the job.

Robert Blackburn