© by Stacy Lynn Harp, M.S.

I don't know about you, but this time of the year always causes me to do some deep reflection on who Jesus is and exactly what He endured on my behalf. In fact, yesterday, April 1st, was the 30 year anniversary of my first time walking into a Christian church.  I'll never forget it as it was Palm Sunday, and my mother had finally allowed me to visit the church with my friend Gail who had invited me.  Time flies doesn't it...

I remember it so vividly because I wasn't raised in a Christian home and my mother was so hostile to the gospel that it was literally a miracle when I was able to go to church.  So there I was, in church on Palm Sunday and learning the story of how Jesus was riding on a donkey and being praised by everyone as a king.  Sobering words to think about.

In fact, yesterday, while I was at the home church we've just started to attend, a lyric in one of the songs we sang really impacted me in a new way.  The lyric was, "You have called me, chosen for Your kingdom."

Think about this for a moment.  Jesus is THE KING.  Jesus has a kingdom and you and I, if we have received Him (John 1:12) then that means we are members in His kingdom.  In other words, we're royalty.  But here's the kicker - HE PICKED US!

Yeah - amazing isn't it?  I think so.  In fact, if you read the gospel of John, I guarantee you that it is going to blow you away how amazing Jesus is, and how amazing everything He is waiting to give us...is.  Plus, in John 15:16 we read the following, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."

Jesus did this. HE picked you, but even more amazing about this is that it doesn't matter if you're married or single, a man or a woman, a child or an adult, educated or not - Jesus picked you.  When you stop to consider Jesus, as we read in Hebrews, consider what it would take for a King to pick you to do anything.  (Yeah, that kind of hits you in the nose doesn't it. :))

I don't see any earthly king asking me to do one thing for them.  But a Heavenly King and a King who will reign here on earth one day, has! 

I don't know about you, but I think that makes Jesus all the more attractive and worth knowing.  Afterall, He knows what is in all of us, and He picked us anyway.  For me, that's something to weep over and something to rejoice over.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net