Destined

This (below) is one of the ten chapters that I read this morning. One word stood out to me...."destined"....I ask you to take a look. These kind of things strike a bit of fear in me. I know that God is Sovereign...I have considered how I think of my 'possessions' and I know it is at my discretion how I would like to 'treat' them. Some for fancy things, others for common use, some get thrown out and others are kept. I know that in Christ we have favor and therefore we are precious. I wish I could express this without causing anger. God doesn't place men in high esteem. He uses us for whatever purposes He decides. It is hard to consider this in accord with those we love but if we really cared about 'them' that much then what stops us from being in continual prayer for them? Why do we care so little that we would waste time with selfish pleasures and chasing after our own passions? We do not know who is destined for what. We do not know who the elect is and who is not. And why would any of us want to determine this in our own meager judgement? If we feel that someone does not know Christ....is going to hell...then that person is to be pitied, not condemned by us to hell by our pitiful, meager judgement. "Love others as yourself." Love in the same way you have been loved by Christ. Fall to your knees and cry out to God on others' behalf! Cry out to God in the same way you would want others to, if they were in your place...if they knew the Truth and you didn't. 
We get so frustrated with each other. We do not tend to bear with one another, overlook another's faults, we do not tend to want to bring out the best in others but only think they should be the best. "They shall know us by our love." Are you known by your love? Am I? What are you destined for?


So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

   "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
   a cornerstone chosen and precious,
 and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

   "The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone,"

 and

   "A stone of stumbling,
   and a rock of offense."

   

   They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined ("appointed" in KJV) to do.

 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2)