PSALM 100 – Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

The Apostle Paul would open his letter to the Ephesian believers with these words, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). Carve out time in the near future and ponder the many spiritual blessings God has given us in Christ. We would need more than a few minutes as the list will be quite long and lead to a season of praise and worship.

One of the greatest of spiritual blessings appears in the Apostle Peter’s first letter and is expounded in today’s scripture. Peter would write of the believer in relationship with God – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). What a treasure chest of blessings for the child of God! We area chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, and God’s own possession. It is the last one we find in today’s scripture–God’s own possession or His people, the sheep of His pasture.

As we think on this blessing, of being God’s possession, we must ask, “Do we see ourselves in this light? Do we honestly believe God delights in owning us as His choice possession?” These questions are important because if we doubt, then gone is our joy, our assurance, and our peace as a Christian. And this identity, as God’s possession, is constantly attacked by the devil. He works tirelessly sending forth fiery darts like, “You, God’s possession? With the struggles you have as a Christian, I don’t think so. And what about God delighting in you as His sheep? No way. Look at you and all your sin. No way He takes pleasure in you.” This is the work of the devil. This is what he desires to do; get us to doubt we are God’s choice possession, the apple of His eye, and the delightful sheep of His pasture. Should he get us to question these identities in our relationship with the Lord, our walk with Him will not be one of joy and assurance, but of unbelief and slavish fear.

Yes, we are God’s choice possession. We are the sheep of His pasture. We are His people by creation and salvation. Why? Because He says so, not always because we feel so, and here is where the Christian life rises and falls. We abandon ourselves on what God declares of us not what we feel or even think of ourselves. He calls us His possession and sheep. Believe Him. Exercise faith in His Word. Start to praise Him for what He says of us and watch how joy, assurance, and peace deepen in our lives. That is what it means to live by faith, not sight or feelings.

Spiritual blessings. God gives us so, so many. Rejoice in them, and rejoice that the greatest of blessings is being His possession and sheep. No, we will find no better place of protection and no stronger refuge for us in this dangerous world!

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for claiming me as Your own; for choosing me to be a sheep in Your pasture.”
QUOTE: “To have God say of us, ‘Mine’ by creation and salvation is the greatest blessing a person may ever know.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim