I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown Myself to those who did not ask for Me.
Romans 10:20

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.”
John 6:37

God decides who gets to know Him. He often reveals Himself to the least likely people; He seems to take special delight in it. People who weren’t looking for Him at all, who were running away from Him in rebellion, suddenly find Jesus and their lives begin to change.

It’s been said that you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your relatives. They’re family, so you love them. It’s not always easy, but they’re family.

We don’t get to choose our brothers and sisters in Christ, either; God gives them to us, and commands us to love them. We might not even like the kind of people He brings to church; we might find some of them irritating or embarrassing, “not the right sort” of people.

Brother, if you’re going to church hoping it will help you to climb the social ladder, you’re barking up the wrong tree. The world despises those who truly follow Jesus.

God is in the business of redemption: Jesus saves. That means that in God’s Kingdom you’ll find yourself crowded in with people you probably wouldn’t have chosen to be with, people whose lives were a mess, whom God has chosen to rescue.

The best part is that you’ll learn to love them, and you’ll be loved by them. You’ll see how God is working in their lives - and in your own - and it will be good.

Jesus, forgive my shallow view of life and my backwards priorities. Help me to see people as You see them. Change my heart, Lord; make it more like Yours. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles