For You Are My Treasured Possession

March 27

Exodus 19:5 “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”

My first job was delivering a daily newspaper.  This meant being up by 5:30 a.m. so that my customers would have a chance to read the news before going to work.  This was a big responsibility for a fifth grader.  I took great pride in getting up every day and being reliable in delivering the newspapers.  The best part of the job was getting the monthly paycheck.  I don’t remember the amount (probably around $100 - this was back in the early 1980s).  But, payday meant I could buy what was really important to me at the time: baseball cards and candy!  I bought countless packs of $0.35 baseball cards with the goal of completing a full set of nearly 800 cards.  This took a long time because there weren’t many cards in a pack, and I often got duplicate cards.  Still, I continued spending money hoping the next pack would complete the set.

For years, I spent money on baseball cards to complete full sets.  In my teenage years, I stopped buying individual packs and bought the complete set from stores.  In my early twenties, I stopped buying baseball cards and sets.  But, that didn’t stop my dream of someday being able to “cash in” on all the cards I have thus making a lot of money.  In many ways, those cards were a treasured possession of mine.  I kept them in mint condition and meticulously recorded what I had for individual cards and sets of cards.  A lot of time was spent on this treasured possession. (The last time I checked on the value of the cards told me I’d not be retiring anytime soon and would need to continue working. I would only receive a small payout if I were to sell them).

As much as a treasured possession the baseball cards were/are, how much more am I a treasured possession to the God of the universe?  The time I spent with the cards - organizing, creating lists, keeping them safe, etc - allowed me to know the cards well.  I knew what cards I needed and who the players were on the cards.  I knew what number the card was and the value of each card.  I had intimate knowledge of that treasured possession.  Isn’t this true of God?  He knows me intimately - far better and greater than I’ll ever know myself.  He knows every detail of me - even the number of hairs on my head.  I am created in His image.  I am His beloved child.  I am His treasured possession.  I am of great importance to Him.  He desires I follow Him and obey His commands.  God wants me to point my life to Him and follow Him.  What comfort to know God sees me as a treasured (valuable and important) possession.