Exodus 19:3-6 (CEB)

Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”


Reflection

I have a guitar that I will never part with. Partly that’s because it is axiomatic that when a guitarist sells a guitar, they generally regret it and spend the rest of their days trying to figure out how to get another one just like the one they sold. A friend of mine sold a guitar to a buddy of his, only to buy it back years later (I never asked if the purchase price was the same or higher).

But this guitar is a treasured possession of mine. I bought my Fender Stratocaster in high school with my own money. I still remember every detail of that day. The guitar is a classic: beautiful, versatile, and so comfortable to play.

I know intellectually that this guitar is like any one of thousands Fender made that year. But it’s not. This one is mine. It’s been played in a lot of places that mean something to me. It went with me to college. I’ve played it in bars and churches. It’s seen a lot of great times with great friends. And that history makes it one of my treasured possessions.

I wonder if this is how God looks at us as humans: “I know there are millions, even billions of them. But this one is MINE.” Maybe God thinks about our history and says, “I’ve been through A LOT with him. Her? Wow. She’s been a trip!”

In the same way that I’ve committed to never sell my Strat, because it’s become so dear to me – God likewise has committed to us never to leave us or forsake us. No matter what, we remain God’s treasured possession.

By Joe Monahan


For Pondering & Prayer

Do you have a treasured possession that you could never part with? What’s the story behind it? Was it given to you by someone special? Is it handmade? What does its significance say about the things you value?

Prayer: God, we thank you that you look at every single one of us as an individual – unique, special and beloved. We thank you that you treasure us as your prize possessions. May we live worthy of that love today. Amen.