WE ARE GOD'S TREASURED POSSESSIONS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.”

“The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands. But those who hate Him, He will repay to their face by destruction; He will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate Him.

Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.”

Deuteronomy 7:6-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Can you remember watching movies or shows where someone was going after some kind of treasure?

Typically, they are following a map or some other clues to try and find where the bounty is hidden so to find it and have it for their own. These people, the treasure hunters, could be seen to have three distinct yet common traits when it comes to seeking what they wish to discover:

First, they relentlessly seek it.

Treasure hunters are always on the hunt for the treasure they want. They are persistent and persevering in their quest, devoted to the chase for the target of value. Indeed, nothing can deter them from finding what they set out to find and this is why treasure hunters usually are successful in getting what they’re after.

Secondly, they value their treasure.

It wouldn’t make much sense to invest and dedicate a lot of time and effort over something that was useless. No, treasure hunters go after things that are rich in worth, something important enough to make significant sacrifices to find.

Once found, the treasure hunters ensure they value what they have found and take good care of it so to ensure it doesn’t become lost again. While there’s thrill in the hunt, rejoicing comes with discovery and possession.

Finally, they protect the treasure they cherish so much.

Treasure hunters don’t leave their newly found riches unguarded. After all, they aren’t the only ones looking for riches and wouldn’t want someone else to step in and steal away what they had worked so hard to obtain.

Treasure finders seekers protect the treasures they acquire.

Okay, so what does this have to do with today’s message?

It actually forms the conceptual core for it. Look at these words from Moses to the Israelites pertaining to how their God saw them:

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.”

Truly, God treasured His people Israel. He leaves no doubt this through His own confession and the good news is that He treasures us as well today for as Christians, we are His beloved children.

The problem is that too many people, past and present, fail to treasure God as He treasures them. This places God in a position where He becomes a divine treasure hunter, seeking the very things He values so much, namely us. In doing this, we find Him displaying the same aforementioned of the treasure hunters discussed prior. The only difference is that His quest for souls is not worldly but spiritual, grounded in a desire to find the lost and bring them to His side, making them even more valuable as He instills holiness and righteousness within.

Consider these traits of God, the One who persistently hunts for people, His treasure:

1. He seeks them.

The Lord is always searching for those who have gone astray. He is tireless in His pursuit and fully devoted to the chase. There is no one or no thing that can keep Him from fulfilling His desire to find the lost. He never gives up on chasing after anyone because they are priceless in His eyes.  

2. He values His treasure.

The Lord invests a lot of time and effort seeking those His treasures so much, even though they can be quite elusive and stubborn. Still, God is willing to make unbelievable sacrifices for His treasure, showing this when He willingly gave up His one and only Son Jesus out of the love He had for His valued treasure, those He desired to become His blessed children. And when God finds a treasure person who was once lost, He takes good care of them because this is what someone does when they hold something of great value.

This truth leads us to the third and final trait: He protects His treasure.

You see, if God would leave His treasure unguarded, Satan would be able to come in and steal it away.

God isn’t about to allow that to happen.

Now of course, someone who is His treasure can decide to walk away from Him, something an inanimate object can’t do. And when they do this, choosing in a moment to not value the Lord as He values them, then they expose themselves to the enemy’s thievery, something that unfortunately happens way too much. Frankly, I can’t help but think how this must break God’s heart every time it happens.

Friends, our message today contains supremely good news for we are reminded how we are God’s treasured possessions. The same God of the Old Testament Israelites is our God today, a God who loves us, cherishes us, blesses us, values us, and protects us.

Could we ask for any greater gift in life than all we receive from a caring almighty, Heavenly Father?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.