Morning Reading 2Thes2:13-14

2Th 2:13-14 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.��������

If you have put your faith in Jesus and you trust him to save you then you have a truly remarkable truth to add to your faith. That God chose you (together with these Thessalonian believers and every believer through history) from the beginning for salvation. I realise some people don't like the idea that God is sovereign in salvation - they like to think that God offered them salvation and they accepted it. The idea is not entirely wrong of course - we need to "repent and be baptised for the forgiveness of our sins". But on days like today I need to know God has loved me from the beginning.

I've just been in a foul mood so far today - too much to do and not enough time as ever, then people expecting more of me than I can give, which is beginning to get me down. So good to sit down, step back and know that from the beginning God chose us for salvation.

If it was up to me today I wouldn't choose salvation - not that I would be thinking straight - but I would chose snapping at people, getting annoyed and being angry. But with great thankfulness these verses enable me to see the truth - there is no escaping the Lord's saving reach. He has chosen to save us, he has chosen to do that by sanctifying us by his Spirit (there's always a God reason for a bad mood!) and by giving us faith in the truth of the gospel. He has brought us into this place through the gospel proclaimed by the apostles in order that we might possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Possessing the glory of Jesus is beyond my imagination! But it's got to be good!

My prayer for today then has two parts: praise for salvation I cannot wriggle free from and prayer that many others would through the gospel of the apostles be given salvation, sanctification, faith and ultiately the glory of Jesus as their own possession.