"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servants whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, and will there be one after me." (Isaiah 43:10)

The verse I chose for today totally blesses me and I pray it does you as well.

Have you ever wondered why God "chose" you? Most of us have, at one time or another in our lives, gone through a time in our walk that we really wondered why on earth God would choose us to be His children. We see ourselves as so insignificant that it's hard to understand why the God of the Universe, the Most High, Almighty, Sovereign, El Elyon, El Shaddai would choose 'me' to serve Him.

Look closely at this verse, though. ". . . my servants whom I have chosen so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he." That's why He chose you . . . that's why He chose me. So we will KNOW Him and BELIEVE Him and UNDERSTAND that He is God.

The word "know" in this verse is the Hebrew word "yadha". It is an ancient term which encompassed a very personal level of familiarity and was often used to depict the close relationship between a husband and wife. One of the greatest reasons you are on this planet is to learn to KNOW God intimately and with reverent familiarity. God wants us to KNOW Him so He chose us to reveal Himself to us.

But, there's more. He not only wants us to KNOW Him but to BELIEVE Him. To believe Him is to trust Him and in order to trust Him we must know Him. The Hebrew word for "believe" is "aman" which means to be firm, to be enduring, to trust.

The "trust issue" with God is a monumental problem in the lives of most Christians. We know the promises of God and yet we don't trust God to fulfill His promises. Why? Because we don't KNOW Him intimately; we don't know Him to be trust worthy on the level of knowing as described in this verse. We cannot trust someone we do not know; conversely, if we know someone to be trustworthy, we will trust them.

Finally, the third reason God has chosen us is to UNDERSTAND that He is God. But how can we understand that He is God? By knowing Him and believing Him. By allowing Him to reveal Himself to us through His Word.

We cannot KNOW God on this level by a short devotional like this delivered in your email or posted on a board. To know God on this level requires diligence to become intimately acquainted with His Word. His Word is the written record of who He is, revealing to us His personality, His character, His plan, His purposes, and His love for us.

Study the Word . . . develop an insatiable hunger and thirst for the Living Word. Don't allow anything else this world can offer to satisfy you. Learn who Your God is and He will reveal Himself to you in ways you never dreamed possible . . . He will manifest Himself to you through diligent study of His Word.

You have been chosen to KNOW Him, to BELIEVE Him, and to UNDERSTAND that He is God . . . don't wait another day. Set your mind to search the Word diligently. There isn't a more satisfying and fulfilling goal known to mankind.

Father, sometimes I feel so empty and so dissatisfied with life, not really understanding why You would choose me to be Your child. I feel almost lost sometimes, wandering around thinking I know You but knowing down deep within that I really don't "know" you on this level. Father, show me how to study Your Word; give me a hunger and a thirst for the Living Word. Open my heart to seek after You diligently through Your Word, so I can KNOW You and BELIEVE You and UNDERSTAND that You are who You say You are. Lord, I want more of You . . . I confess that I NEED more of You. Lead me to the never-drying fountain that more than satisfies my thirsty soul! In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved