9 But you are God’s chosen treasure[a]—priests who are kings, [b] a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. 1 Peter 2:9 The Passion Translation (TPT)
I love this particular verse and it’s translation because it uses the word treasure.
It makes it clear that you are God’s chosen treasure.
You are so special.
Formed in your mother’s womb, God had a purpose for you before you were even born.
What Are You Chosen For?
Reading above it says God chose you as his treasure.
He created you so that you could broadcast his glorious wonders throughtout the world
You were created by God to be a letter that will tell others about who he is.
One quote that many of us have heard (maybe even more than once) is
you are the only Bible some people will ever read
William J. Toms (Source)
There is an individual in the Bible who broadcasted God’s works well.
Please would you give me the honor and allow me to elaborate on this?
There is so much to this story, and so many lessons you need to hear.
Hang in there, this may be lengthy but believe me, it is necessary.
A Boy Named Daniel
Daniel a boy estimated to be age 13 or 14 was living in a town called Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was doing well until her king disobeyed God.
As a consequence of the king’s actions, a king from the neighboring town called Babylon took over the city.
Nebuchadnezzar was the king’s name (we’ll call him Neb for short).
He wanted to take all the boys who were smart, and could easily be taught the native language of the Chaldeans (the inhabitants of Babylon)
Daniel was one of them.
Some time ago, I wrote a post that went into some detail of Daniel’s time in the palace and what he did to glorify God which you can read (here).
For now, just know that he made sure everything he did glorified the Lord.
He was a letter to God before Neb and let me tell you, Neb didn’t like it, not one bit!
Old Neb decided that he would begin to strip Daniel of his God given identity.
3 Attacks on Daniel’s Identity
- A New Name
Instead of calling Daniel by his new name, Neb called him Belteshazzar because it means “Bel protect the king” (Source).
By giving Daniel a new name, Neb was transforming him from a servant of God to an idolator.
2. A New Education
Neb had his magicians, astrologers, and other influential people try to indoctrinate Daniel for three years.
If Neb was successful at indoctrinating Daniel, maybe he’d feel his worth was in talents, not God.
Daniel was 10 times smarter than all the men Neb had known and Neb took note.
3. A New Career
Daniel was appointed to serve as one of the wise men.
While serving, Daniel successfully interpreted a dream no one else could and was made head of the wise men.
What Does This Mean For Me?
The devil is a sly and cunning individual and he will use whatever it takes to try to convince you that you are not special.
He will convince strive to convince you that you have no purpose, or that the people in your life would be better off without you.
He takes all of the peer pressure, the standards we place on ourselves, the way we feel we have to please those who are in charge of us, and tries to manipulate the situation.
He tries to make us feel like we are worthless failures without any purpose in life.
If you feel like you are a failure, or a “waste of space”, know that this could not be further from the truth.
You are a chosen treasure, the apple of God’s eye. You are redeemed, and you are his.
The individuals in your life are watching how you live, and they’re drawing conclusions about who God is.
You were chosen to broadcast the marvelous works of the Lord!
You may be feeling the pressure of not living up to the unrealistic expectations you feel others have but hang in there.
You are doing great things for the Kingdom of God simply by living your life.
Conclusion
Maybe you’re reading this and you’ve never accepted Christ as your savior.
Believe me, as long as you have breath in your body, it is not to late.
You cannot go so far that God cannot save you.
God created you, he chose you to fulfill a purpose that he had in mind.
Nobody else can do the work that you do.
You are a special treasure who has an opportunity to lead others to Christ, but you have to accept this free gift yourself before you can share with anyone else.
Maybe you know Christ, you’re living your life and trying to serve him to the very best of your ability, but the devil is trying to strip you of your identity.
It could be the devil is trying to get you to see yourself as a worthless failure.
Maybe you are feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders and as a result don’t feel like you will ever do well enough at anything to make a difference.
Oh dear one, how my heart aches for you.
I know how easy it is to feel the way you do (especially when you’ve made a career out of trying to help individuals in trouble).
I also know this, greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Tell the Lord how you feel, ask him to remind you that you are a chosen treasure and read the word to remind yourself of what a blessing you are to those around you.
It may not be easy, but live your life every day as a chosen treasure because that’s exactly what you are.
Reader, mind if I take a moment to pray with you?
Prayer
Dear Lord,
I pray for the person reading this right now.
If they have never accepted you as their Lord and Savior, I pray that you would draw them to you and forgive them of their sins.
I pray that as they grow in you and come to understand who they are, that you would help them as they broadcast your marvelous works to the individuals who are watching them.
I pray that you would give them courage to be a light for you in this dark world.
For those that are reading this who are already saved and have served you faithfully, I pray that you would gently and lovingly remind them of their inherent worth.
I pray that you would remind them that they are a chosen treasure, set apart to do works that no one else can.
Lord, wrap your loving arms around them and help them see what a blessing they are in the lives of other individuals.
Help them Lord, to stand against the attacks of the enemy which would work to try and change their perception of who they are.
May they always remember that no matter what, they are special in your sight.
Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers, and for working in the lives of each individual reading this post.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
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