Scriptures:
** all from New King James Version (NKJV)
Exodus 19:5
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
Deuteronomy 7:6
6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:2
2 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 26:18
18 Also today the LORD has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments,
Psalm 135:4
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.
Malachi 3:17
17 “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
Titus 2:14
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
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Recently, I was introduced to an online game, Bejeweled 2. The screen displays many different “jewels” and to play, you are to “Swap adjacent pieces to make horizontal or vertical chains of three or more identical gems.” You are given points for the matches, and the matching gems disappear as others fall from the top to fill in the gaps.
I was thinking about how God has made us His gems, His jewels, His peculiar / special treasure / people – as we are accepted in the Beloved, we are “bejeweled!”
From Malachi 3:17, jewel: Strong's H5459 - cĕgullah
Root Word (Etymology)
From an unused root meaning to shut up
1) possession, property
a) valued property, peculiar treasure
b) treasure
Not too long ago, I found myself telling a young woman at a store how much God loves her, how special she is to Him, how treasured – so much so that He sent His Son to make sure she could be with Him throughout eternity.
Later, I was also thinking about God’s directives for us to fellowship, to be close (like the chains of gems in the game.)
Matthew 18:20(KJV)
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Hebrews 10:25(KJV)
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Although there are different versions of the game available (I do play online for free), there is one I especially like. The colors and shapes are more appealing to me, and I like the special visual effects. Since I’m attending different churches now, this seems somewhat of a parallel – different churches, different game versions, doing the basic things similarly. But I’m not trying to find the one I like best as much as the one I think I’m supposed to attend. I think I might know, but haven’t quite gotten there yet…
I really have to be careful and monitor my time playing the game as I can easily lose track of time while doing so. I have to question if it is the best use of my time (usually, NOT.) My Lord, though, in His great mercy and grace has been giving me lessons as I play, mostly about the aspects of my personality that still have to be adjusted to be Christ-like.
Job 14:14b-17 (The Message)
All through these difficult days I keep hoping, waiting for the final change—for resurrection!
Homesick with longing for the creature you made, you'll call—and I'll answer!
You'll watch over every step I take, but you won't keep track of my missteps.
My sins will be stuffed in a sack and thrown into the sea—sunk in deep ocean.
Song: Revelation Song, performed by Phillips, Craig and Dean
Romans 8:1-25 (New International Version)
Life Through the Spirit
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Future Glory
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
…and my journey with Him continues…
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