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The world and everything in it belongs to God (Ps. 50:12), and he does whatever pleases him in the heavens and on the earth (Ps. 135:6). Is it not wondrous to meditate on the fact that it has pleased him to make a people for himself - a people he set apart as "objects of his mercy" (Rom. 9:22 & 23) whom he has designated his treasured possession (Deut. 14:2)?

Once we were individuals who hated God and were ripening for judgment (Rev. 14:18). We walked in darkness, in the pride of life, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature ( Is. 9:2; 1 John 2:16; Eph. 2:3). But now we who walked in that darkness - in that way of death - have seen a great light for God has removed the scales from our eyes (Is. 9:12; Acts 9:18). He has gifted us with faith (Eph. 2:8). We know the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and we see his glory. We know that he has loved us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). We know our sin and we know that Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us to redeem us from all wickedness. We are astonished and we marvel that he has made us a people to be his very own, even his treasured possession forever (Titus 2:13 & 14; 1 Thess. 4:17).

And even as we would judiciously care for and protect any possession which we treasured, so is God concerned above all that we can ask or imagine to care for us - to keep us safe. God teaches us in his word that his lovingkindness toward us endures forever and that his vigilance over us is constant and amazing (Ps. 136; Ps. 121). Our God watches over his people, his true church, corporately as a great treasure and cares for each one of us as a special jewel. He says, "... I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine (Is. 43:1; John 10:1-3). Indeed, we are God's treasured possession.

Remember that when the children of Israel came to the Red Sea, God, by the blast of his nostrils, parted the waters that they might walk to the other side on dry land. But he brought the waters down upon Pharaoh and his armies when they came in pursuit and they "sank like a stone" (Ex. l5:5-10; Ps. l36:l3-l.). What peace is this! When we feel that we are going to be submerged in the deep waters of life - those times of heaviness and persecution when we are plagued by Satan's discouragements and fiery darts - we can remember and meditate on this and know that our loving and unchangeable Lord (Heb. 13:8) is with us now as he was with his people then and that the waters will not engulf us (1 Cor. 10:13). Truly we can all rest assured that "God will set us high above the enemies that surround us" (Is. 43:2; Ps. 27:6) for we are his treasured possession. Remember that when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were put into the fiery furnace they were untouched by the flames (Dan. 3:1-30). We, too, can be confident that when we must walk through the fires of life - those trials and temptations that come sometimes day after day - that the flames will not set us ablaze but are there only to refine us that we might come forth as gold (Is. 43:2; Zech. l3:9; Dan. 12:9; Job 23:10) for we are God's treasured possession.

Remember that when Daniel was thrown into a den of lions, God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that his servant would not be harmed. (Dan. 6). How much more awesome then is our Lord Jesus who came to destroy the works of him who prowls around like a roaring lion intent on devouring us! (I Pet. 5:8). Let us rejoice that we are eternally safe for our Lord has shut the hungry mouth of the great lion Satan. He cannot shatter or destroy us for we are God's treasured possession.

When we are called to walk through the dreadful deserts of life- those empty, bleak times when we feel alone and scared - it is good to ponder that God fed his people in the desert by raining down on them manna, the very "bread of angels", and that "he split the rocks in the desert to give them water as abundant as the seas!" He guided his people with a cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night (Ps. 78:l4-25; Deut. 8:l5). We go with unshakable confidence knowing that in our most desolate places in life - even then our God will never leave us nor forsake us (I Sam. 12:22; Heb. 13:5).

How could he! For we are God's treasured possession , precious in his sight (Is. 43:4). While we were yet in sin, did he not give his own son to die for us (Rom. 8:32)? We who have been washed in the blood of Christ are even God's portion and his inheritance (Deut. 32:9). If he is for us, who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)? God guards us as the apple of his eye. He will deliver us from the lion's mouth and from every evil attack and will bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18). If we would fall, he spreads his wings to catch us and carries us on them (Deut. 32:9-11). No weapon forged against us will prevail and we will refute every tongue that accuses us (Is. 54:17; 1 Pet. 3:16). Even to our old age and gray hairs, the Lord will keep us. he says, "I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (Is. 46:4; 2 Tim. 3:10 & 11; 2 Tim. 4:16-18; 2 Cor. 4:7-12).

How blessed we are that Jesus has loved us with an eternal love and purchased us with his blood that we might belong to him. We who are Christ's treasured possession "have crucified our sinful nature with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). We who belong to Jesus are dead to sin and alive unto him. How appalling it is then that we fall into sin as much as we do for the Lord wants us to live in the liberty and beauty of holiness (Ps. 19:45; Rom. 8:21; Gal. 5:13; Ps. 29:2). "Be holy for I am holy", he tells us. "You are my treasured possession and you are to keep all my commands." (Deut. 26:18). Let us ever declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light for we are his church - his very own - even his TREASURED POSSESSION.

O love of God, how strong and true!
Eternal and yet ever new;
Uncomprehended and unbought
Beyond all knowledge and all thought.

O love of God, how deep and great!
Far deeper than man's deepest hate;
Self-fed, self-kindled like the light,
Changeless, eternal, infinite.

O heavenly love, How precious still
In days of weariness and ill,
In nights of pain and helplessness,
To heal, to comfort and to bless.

We read thee best in him who came
To bear for us the cross of shame;
Sent by the Father from on high, 
Our life to live, our death to die.

O love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way!
Eternal love, in thee we rest,
Forever save, forever blest
Horatius Bonar, 1861

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