I love picking out fruits and vegetables in the grocery store. I avoid the bags and containers of produce. Because, you know that while some of them may be just right, there will undoubtedly be a few rotten ones in the bunch. Hand selecting produce ensures that we should get the very best of the best. So we pick them up for inspection. Do they look good? Do they feel right? No bruises. No soft spots. We might take ‘seconds’ in canned goods but seconds in fresh produce is just not acceptable.

Get this! The Bible says that we are handpicked…by the Master Gardener, Himself! John 15:6, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you.” What a promise! We are chosen by God to bear fruit. And not fruit that goes rotten but fruit that will last. Chosen, appointed by God, fruit-bearers. That’s an amazing thought! The next time you are feeling overlooked or unseen. Remember what John 15:6 tells us.

What does God say about you? You are handpicked.

I had a Sunday School teacher who used to say, “instead of saying, ‘I think I’m catching a cold!’, start saying, ‘I think I’m catching a healing!'” It IS a mindset, you know. We could go either way in our beliefs. Is it because we condition ourselves to expect the worst? Maybe hoping to avoid discouragement perhaps?

The truth is Christ finished the work of our healing on the cross. 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed”. (NIV) Some Bible translations read, “you were healed.” Our greatest need of healing is for our soul. Christ’s death and resurrection made that possible if we will only acknowledge and receive it.

Every other healing that we would need in this life was purchased by His stripes (wounds). The prophet Isaiah, told us in the Old Testament, ‘by His wounds we are healed’. (Isaiah 53:5) Notice Peter quotes Isaiah but makes one change in the statement. He said, ‘by His wounds we have been healed.’ Our healing has already happened…we’re just not yet walking fully in it!

Sometimes our healing is delayed. We don’t always understand His ways. If there is a delay we can be sure it is not without purpose. God never wastes a moment of our pain or suffering. He will redeem it. Ultimately, you and I will be completely healed…made whole…because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Healing may come for us today, in an instant, or most certainly when we receive our ultimate healing from this life to eternity.

What does God say about you? You are healed.

Whenever I hear the word ‘masterpiece’ I still think of the sweet, tender song that Christian artist Sandi Patti recorded in 1989 for her first born child, Ana. It may have even been sung over you at your baby dedication if you were born in the 90’s. My favorite lyric in the song, “He breathed in you a song and to make it all complete, He brought the masterpiece into the world. You are a masterpiece, a new creation He has formed.”

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” That verse is Ephesians 2:10. (NLT) There are so many wonderful things packed into that little verse. You were never unplanned. God not only planned your creation, He formed every single part of you. He also planned so many good things for you to accomplish long before anyone even knew you were a possibility! You have a Kingdom purpose! And, accepting His Son, Christ Jesus, as your Savior makes you a new creation.

We could use that Bible verse in our prayer today. “Thank You, God, that I am Your masterpiece. That You created me and You have a master plan for my life. Don’t let me miss a single thing that You have planned for me to do! And all the glory goes to You, Lord. Amen.”

What does God say about you? You are God’s Masterpiece.

Without me knowing it, my husband, Ken, had gotten an old, worn travel trunk, that once belonged to my great grandmother, from my parents basement and had it restored to give to me one Christmas. The one who restored it also included before and after photo’s along with a history of the type of trunk it was; a ladies trunk, because it had compartments inside that were for a parasol, a hat and undergarments. Because of the embossed tin on the exterior it is thought to have been used as far back as the late 1800’s.

Seeing it on Christmas morning brought me to tears. I loved that Ken had pulled off such a wonderfully thoughtful surprise gift and that I had a beautifully restored family heirloom to cherish. I have treasured that trunk over the years. Not only have I always given it a place of prominence in my home but I have used it to store cherished keepsakes inside as well.

Deuteronomy 14:2 tells us, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession.” He has chosen you and I. Weary travelers. Worn from the journey and maybe even considered worthless by some of the world’s standards. But not by God’s. We are His. He chose you and I to be His own. So valuable to Him that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to live and die and be raised again to life, that we could be restored in our relationship with Him. That’s the best restoration story ever!

What does God say about you? You are treasured.

What is a “calling”? Often when we find ourselves doing something we really enjoy that makes a difference in the lives of the people around us we might say that we have ‘found our calling’, our destiny. Discovering our purpose in life becomes the grand pursuit of growing up. What do you want to be when you grow up?

This is not to be confused with the profession we train and study and work to pursue. That’s what we DO. Our calling is who we are! We are called – by God. Romans 8:28 in the New International Version Bible reads, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” That is usually the version that I quote as I focus on the promise that God is working every thing out for our good and His glory.

When I was a kid I memorized the King James Version of Romans 8:28. It goes like this. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” I never quite understood that phrase when I was younger….’to them who are THE CALLED’. But now that I do, I LOVE that! That is you and me! We are called by God…to God. It is not something we do or something we work to achieve. We are His.

What does God say about you? You are called.

Have you ever thought about what David meant when he wrote ‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…’ in Psalm 23? Sounds ominous and foreboding, doesn’t it?! I hadn’t really felt the full weight of that space until this past year. Keeping vigil alongside my sister-in-law while my youngest brother lay dying in a hospital bed. Nearly 48 hours we sat beside him, praying, reminiscing, hoping for a miracle, weeping, laughing, reading scripture, playing worship music. Everything we tried to do to bring him, and each other, comfort. We walked with him as far as we could in this life. I knew the moment he took his last breath, and his first forever step into eternity, that he was embraced fully by the arms of His Savior.

Never alone. Sometimes God allows us to keep each other company but even when there is no one around…we are never alone. Jesus said this in Matthew 28:20, “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NLT) He never leaves us!

Even when I thought I couldn’t endure that valley as the death shadow passed over me…I knew God’s presence was there. He was holding me close…close enough that I could feel His heartbeat. I’ve never felt the veil between this life and the heavenly realm feel as thin as it did that day and in those days following such loss. God said, “He is near the brokenhearted and He saves the crushed in spirit” in Psalm 34:18. (NIV)

Loss can come from so many things. You may have suffered the loss of a loved one, perhaps a job loss, the letting go of a dream, a marriage, or a home. In all of it, God is with us. He is not limited by time or space as we are. He is Emmanuel, God with us.

What does God say about you? You are never alone.

One of my favorite words in the English language is the word ‘amazing’. It almost demands an exclamation point at the end! It makes me think that whatever we are attaching that description to is well beyond what we thought it could be. For instance, our vacation was amazing! The band put on an amazing show! This new coffee flavor is amazing!

How about the amazing grace of God?! His grace is so far beyond what we could ever think or imagine. Once we’ve encountered His amazing grace…our lives are never the same. The grace of God is so incredibly complex and yet so very simple. We could speak a lifetime and not explain the complexity of His grace and yet when the Master of the Universe whispers to our heart His divine invitation to receive His grace in exchange for all of our sin all we need to say is simply, “yes”.

As His creation, you and I are made in His image. From The Passion Translation, Psalm 139:4 says, “I thank You, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything You do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly You know me, Lord!” There is that description again of being more than what we ever thought we could be…mysteriously complex…and yet so simple.

What does God say about you? You are amazing!

When I was a kid one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons was Popeye the Sailor Man. Do you remember what made him strong? Of course, it was the spinach! That cartoon had to have been crafted by a mom trying to find a clever way to get her kids to like spinach…and eat it!!

How about the Bible character Samson? Remember the link to his strength? We might shorten the story by saying he was strong because he never cut his hair. But his strength wasn’t really in his long locks. His strength was a result of God’s blessing on him as he took his vows to follow God seriously with an outward sign of never cutting his hair. You can read the story of Samson in Judges 13.

We might consider a strong person one who can lift a lot of weights in the gym or one who can hike up a massive mountain. But strength is not only measured by our physical muscle capabilities. Some of the strongest people I’ve known in my life are not mountain climbers, weightlifters or even daily workout champions. The true strength of a person can also be measured by what is on the inside. The one who can withstand the many attacks of an often unpredictable, ever ruthless enemy. The one who has the strength to stand when the cacophony of voices keep saying… we are not good enough, rich enough, pretty enough, smart enough. But, hear this truth from our Father in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” ALL THINGS. You and I can face enormous attacks and subtle attacks because we will never face them alone. Because Jesus Christ is the One inside us who makes us able to walk through every situation that seems bigger than us. Because HE is bigger than every situation.

What does God say about you? You are strong.

The dictionary defines victorious as triumphant. I envision a massive wave of cheering…an energetic celebration following a BIG win. THAT’S a LOT of energy. Is it even possible to keep that level of triumph up day after day?!

My eyes fell to a frequently asked question below that definition to this sentence. ‘You use the word victorious to describe someone who has won a victory in a struggle, war or competition’. Well, my goodness, wouldn’t you agree that, every day you and I are faced with at least one struggle! Some days we are definitely feeling as though we are at war with our spouse, our kids, our parents…ourselves! And should we even bring up the competition factor?! If we’re not competing with our co-workers or our neighbors we are absolutely competing for the fast lane on the highway or the parking space up front!

EVERY DAY…there is a struggle, a battle for our heart, our mind and soul. But listen to what 1 Corinthians 15:57 declares over you and I. “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because He is the same yesterday, today and forever…I believe that promise is for today, and tomorrow and the next day…. and God GIVES US the victory! Don’t miss those two words in His promise. We can get up this morning and thank God for the victory. Expect the victory. Watch for it! And when we receive it through Christ…we celebrate and thank Him again! Because Jesus triumphed…so can we!

What does God say about you? You are victorious.

Little white lights strung over a patio in the backyard. A sunrise over the ocean. An orchestra playing your favorite song. Watching the sun set regardless of how good or how hard the day has been…for the moments that we can watch that miracle of extraordinary closure of the experiences and emotions of another number on the calendar…for that brief space we forget about the day and are held captive by the beauty of the moment.

It is rare that we describe someone as beautiful. Babies are beautiful. Brides are beautiful. A married couple renewing their vows after being together for decades…that is beautiful. All of these are moments in time. We often tend to judge beauty by those rare exceptional moments; but rarely do we acknowledge and take time to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary, every day lives around us.

WE…are His most valuable art. So precious are we to Him that He chose to send His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place so that we can live forever with Him. His Spirit, inside of us, makes us uniquely beautiful. Not beauty that is skin deep…but beauty that radiates from way down deep in our soul. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that “He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time.”

What does God say about you? You are beautiful.