Wanted
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Ephesians 1:1
Even before He made the world, God loved us and
chose us in Christ (v.4).
Two weeks ago, our friends traveled to Ethiopia to
meet and bring home their newly adopted daughter.
For a couple of years, our friends have prayed for
little Lilia, saved thousands of dollars to pay the adoption
expenses, and then waited months and months until they
could welcome her into their life. But before they knew
who would be their daughter and before they knew her
name or face, they were already waiting for her. They
wanted her.
In his Ephesians letter, the apostle Paul offers a long list
of the myriad ways God has waited for us and desired
us. In the original Greek, these verses (1:3-14) are one
long, gushing sentence (more than 200 words). It’s as if
Paul gets carried away with excitement and his words
run off the page as he attempts to describe the extent of
God’s love for us. Paul tells us that:
• God chose us “before He made the world” (v.4).
For those of us who have always felt left out and never
included, we can relish in the fact that we’ve been
chosen. And we were chosen long before we took our
first breath.
• God “decided in advance to adopt us” (v.5). For
those of us who live with the constant fear that we will
somehow bungle or mismanage God’s kindness, we can
rest in God’s firm decision to love us. If we want Jesus,
we will find He has already (and for a very long time) wanted us.
• God “has showered His kindness on us” (v.8). For those of us who have
never felt another’s extravagant, I’m-crazy-about-you love, we can rejoice in the
reality that God delights in us.
If you have never felt that you were truly wanted, know this: God wants you . . .
more than you can imagine. —Winn Collier
more›
Read again through these
verses (vv.1-14), marking
each word that expresses
how God feels about
you or the desires God
has for you. What does
this tell you about God’s
character and heart?
next›
When have you felt the
least desired or wanted
in your life? What does
it feel like to be desired
by God?
