Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,

Nothing encourages us more than to see progress in the right direction. Achievement awards mean more to a child than participation awards. It is not enough to just show up, we want to be used. God understands that better than anyone. When He shows us His will and we acknowledge the challenge to join Him, we are encouraged to have been chosen.

Isaiah 49:7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

This Word of prophecy is all about His chosen. Despised by the ruling class, abhorred by all, and nothing more than a slave in their eyes, a thing to be abused, that was all of us. But then we were chosen and our redeemer put us first and ignored the ruling class.

Unlike the playground pick, God doesn’t choose us because we are the most talented, the biggest, fastest, or strongest. He chose us because we are the most pliable.

Jeremiah 10:9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men.

We are the raw material that has no shape or form but in the hands of the Master Craftsman, we become a thing of beauty and worth. God is that craftsman. When we mature in the knowledge of the mystery of Christ we are used by God as tools in His hands to shape the next generation.

The secret to that is to surrender to the Master. His hands do the work.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

The secret to that mystery is to surrender our will to His.

The only way to discover His will is in a close personal relationship with the Master.

2 Corinthians 9:13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,

Our participation award is our relationship with Him.

• Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
• Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
• Isaiah 47:4 Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 48:17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.
• Isaiah 49:7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Redeemer; Redemption:

re-dem’-er, re-demp’-shun (paraq, “to tear loose,” “to rescue,” padhah, ga’al; agorazo, referring to purchase, lutroumai, from lutron, “a ransom”):

Few of our beliefs are as complicated as redemption. The gospel, the good news, is simple because it needs to be received by people who need the help of the redeemer without having to understand His complexity in order to be saved.

As we get to know Him things get more and more complicated. We need help and He has given of Himself to accomplish that in the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

• Romans 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
• Ephesians 1:9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
• Ephesians 3:4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,
• Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• Ephesians 5:32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
• Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,