The Book Of Isaiah. Day 194, Chosen By The Lord And Made Upright

As Chapter 44 opens we find the Lord reminding the people of Israel that He chose them. The Lord doesn't make mistakes. The Lord doesn't go back on His promises. He hasn't "unchosen" them. 

"But now listen, Jacob, My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen." (Isaiah 44:1) All of us who have placed our faith in the Lord can refer to ourselves as "chosen" because the Lord called to us and we answered His call. He makes the salvation invitation to everyone and in that sense everyone who accepts His offer of salvation is a precious and chosen child of God. 

Have you ever felt rejected? Have you ever felt like you were always picked last? We need never feel that way with God. He knew us before we were ever born and He already planned to hold out His hand of mercy to us. He has not rejected us or picked us last. He chose us before He ever created us.

The Lord continues His comforting message to the descendants of Jacob. "This is what the Lord says---He who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen." (Isaiah 44:2) I believe that the name "Jeshurun" only occurs three times in the Bible and that it is always a reference to Israel. It means "the upright one". We know from our studies of the Bible that the people of Israel did not always behave in an upright manner. But the Lord bestows this title upon those who have placed their faith in Him; it is imputed righteousness. 

You may recall from our study of Genesis that Abraham believed the things the Lord told him and that, because he placed all of his faith in the one true God, righteousness was imputed to him. You and I are not perfect either, and yet the Lord looks upon us and sees the righteousness of faith. We have trusted in what God the Son did for us on the cross and when the Lord looks at us He doesn't see our sins. He sees us as "upright ones" because we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and we are clothed in His righteousness. To reject us and consider us unrighteous would be to reject what His Son did for us. It would be like saying what Christ did wasn't enough to cleanse us. It would be like saying that living in Christ doesn't keep us in right standing with God. Certainly we will make mistakes but those mistakes don't rob us of our forgiveness, for the Apostle John assures us: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

We likely cannot recall every sin we've ever committed but there is a way to pray about that too. David prayed to the Lord like this: "But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." (Psalm 19:12-13a) There are willful sins---things we go ahead and do even though we know they are wrong. And there are sins that we are not aware of---the ones David refers to as "hidden faults"---and we can pray for forgiveness for both types of sins. David prayed this prayer sincerely because he did not want his life to be ruled by sins and riddled with mistakes. And just as the Lord accepted his repentance, He will accept ours also.