Deuteronomy 26:18
“The LORD has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments”.
This verse tells us an amazing fact about how The Lord views us, we’re a “treasured possession”. We all want to be loved and thought of as special. This verse does this.
This can be difficult to understand. It might help to look at our “treasured possession”s and make a comparison. Jesus described the kingdom of heaven as a merchant in search of great pearls. Once he found one, he sold all his goods to earn enough money to purchase it (Matthew 13:46). People will pay dearly for a treasured possessions.
I watch “American Pickers”. The guys on the show come upon people with huge collections of antiquities. Most people have items they won’t sell. Sometimes the pickers will push them by asking for a price, if they were to sell it. The owners intentionally give a overinflated amount, just to steer them away from that item. Other times the owner won’t play that game. The possession is seen as priceless.
Continuing with the “American Pickers” show. Many of the owners have their best items in a special room that’s decorated just for those items. These rooms have a museum-like feel. Only certain people are allowed in to view. It’s mainly for them, their family and others by invitation only. This is how treasured possessions are treated.
Jay Leno is a car collector. He has a like garage, like a warehouse which stores his cars. It also has a museum-like feel. I saw an episode which focused on a favorite car from his youth. He found one and bought it. The car wasn’t very expensive. Especially in comparison to his other vehicles. It was valuable to him, because of his memories of that car. The show had him driving the car, all the while narrating why this car was special. That’s how people treat treasured possessions.
Let’s summarize. Jesus’ parable of the pearl had the merchant selling all he owned for a precious pearl. The picker examples had their possessions as priceless as well as stored in a special setting so the item can be adored. Finally, we had Jay Leno with a car that wasn’t special to many, but was to him. We can take all of these descriptions and apply them to how God views us. We are His treasured possession.
God gave His Son as a sacrifice for us. Like the pearl, He paid a High price. The Lord sees us as special. Psalm 139:17,18 says that God has so many good thoughts toward us, they outnumber the sand on the seashore. The Lord has special places for us. He puts the sheep in Psalm 23 in the perfect places (green pastures, by the still waters, righteous paths, and so on). If we let Him guide us in life, we will end up in blessed settings. Ending with Jay Leno. We may not be prized by some, but we can be assured that He prizes us. Just as Jay dedicated a show to one such car, so God could do the same for us. The thought might surprise us. What would He talk about? He knows. If we don’t know, He wants to tell us. Psalm 23 says He prepares a table for us. It’s like a banquet in our honor. God has gifted and uses all of us. There is much that’s special about each of us. As we walk with Him, He wishes to show us.
Lord, thank You that You treasure us. Help us to see ourselves as such.