What a blessing!

I have read Deuteronomy enough times now to know the flow of the book. It isn't one of my favorites. However, I know that God definitely has a message for me in it. But tonight, as I read through the early chapters, I felt like I was reading a completely different book. Words seemed to dance on the page for me. And one passage in particular struck me.

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
-Deuteronomy 7:6

Context
Here, Moses is reminding the Israelites as they prepare to (finally) cross over the Jordan river into the promised land, that God will deliver them from any and all nations possessing the land. Moses tells them that there are idol worshippers and sorcerers in the land, and that the Israelites need to show them no mercy, but instead destroy them and their idols, for the Israelites are God's chosen people. By illustrating the value of the Israelites to God, Moses is hoping they will listen to the commands and instructions God is giving so that they will prosper - which, Moses explains to the Israelites, cannot happen if the Israelites fall victim to the allure of witchcraft and idol worship.

Holiness
We think of the word "holy" as meaning pure and clean, and perhaps it often does. But here, the word "holy" really means set apart, or ordained for a special purpose. God needed the nation of Israel to be a special people, because from it we would eventually receive our Savior and sacrificial lamb. Truly, the Israelites were holy, or set apart for a special purpose - they would form the bloodline for Jesus Christ, who would come to save all of God's people.

Chosen
I think this verse stuck out to me tonight because, though I know the context in which it was written, it still applies so very much to us today. Read it to yourself, like this: "Dana, you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you, Dana, out of all the peoples on the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." How does it feel to hear God speak directly to you? I never thought of myself as being holy. And to be chosen out of everyone to be special and treasured by God... that feels incredible. And though it might seem a little cheesy to read it that way, I still know in my heart that it's true. God hand-picked me to be valued in his eyes. I think back to my days on the playground, and how incredibly proud I felt to be the first one picked for a dodgeball team. How much more amazing is it to know that God, the Creator of everything, picked me for his team!

Treasured
I never really thought of myself as treasured. I mean, my parents loved me dearly. My kids admire me (sometimes). My friends enjoy my company. My husband adores me. But all of that combined can't compare to what it is to be treasured by the God of the universe. Is there even a verb for that? His love and adoration for his chosen people is so great that they need to invent a word to describe it. It's too big! He doesn't just love his people, he values them above all else. He lets the grass die in the field. He lets the seas churn and create storms that stir them into confusion. He allows the earth to shift and move and crumble. But his chosen people... for them, he sacrificed himself in flesh so that our relationship didn't cease to exist when the fires came, when storms roared, when earthquakes shook, when famine took over. For us, he literally gave his body and soul. He didn't just die for us, he died for us. We can't possibly fathom in our mortal minds the depth of his love for us... the best word they could come up with is treasured, one considered especially precious or valuable (freedictionary.com).

Now what?
Now that I know that I am holy, chosen, and treasured, what do I do with that? Well, in the context of the Israelites, Moses was giving a spiritual peptalk. He needed the Israelites to be strong and keep themselves from getting sucked in to the wicked ways of the nations they would encounter on their way to the Promised Land. And in order for them to understand by what authority they were to do this, they needed to understand God's motivation - he treasured them dearly, and he chose them to go forward and do the task for which they were set apart. For us, there aren't any Amorites or Canaanites to slay. But we know that for each of us, God has established a purpose and plan for which we are set apart. He chose us, specially and purposefully, to do something fantastic in his name. And he did so because we are treasured, precious and valuable.

I am holy, set apart to do something wonderful in his name. I was specially chosen to do it. And I am treasured for it. And you are, too.

Now, doesn't that make you feel a little better?

Sunshine and Psalms

For several days now the weather in southeast Texas has been absolutely beautiful, save the abundance of pollen that sends me into sneezing fits. We have enjoyed sunshine, soft breezes, and the sweet perfume of a nearby sweet olive tree. The dogs have been in the back yard nearly all day basking in the sunshine. If my eyes weren't nearly swollen shut, my throat closed and sore, and my nose constantly dripping, this would be an absolutely perfect day. I decided to take an Alavert and head to the backyard and sun myself with the dogs. Well, not exactly with the dogs. You know what I mean.

I opened the umbrella at the outdoor table and opened up my Bible. I figured it would only be fitting to read about the Creation while sitting in it. The sunshine on my face, the softness of the cool breeze, and the sweet scent of springtime all conspired to create a smile in my heart that not even a 10-in-a-row sneeze-fit could wipe away.

What God revealed to me was something beautiful, amazing, overwhelming, and captivating. While I marveled at the number of times I could sneeze, in a row and without pause, God was showing me something bigger at which to marvel: Creation itself. I wanted to share with you Psalm 104:

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides he wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate--
bringing forth food from the earth;
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

He made the moon to mark the season,
and the sun knows when to go down.
You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.

How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number--
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works--
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Praise the LORD.

-Psalm 104, NIV