“How precious are Your thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.”
Psalm 139:17-18
You may only be one, but you are still one—made in God’s Image (Gen. 1:27)—and created for a specific, beautiful purpose (Jer. 29:11; Ps. 139:14).
Have you ever been so in love that you couldn’t get the other person off your mind—i.e., that you were so “obsessed” with him/her that he/she’s all you could think about all day long? If so, God says “Welcome to the Club! That’s how I feel about you!!”
Isn’t that what today’s Manna is really saying, Pilgrim?
Most assuredly it is.
And, the reality of this Truth ought to knock the socks off each one of us. To think: The God of the universe. . .Who created everything that is. . .Who taught the birds to fly and the fish to swim. . .Who designed plants to absorb carbon dioxide out of the air and convert it into oxygen so we could live. . .is the same One Who says “My thoughts toward you are precious! Why, they’re more in number than all the grains of sand on the seashore. Even while you’re asleep, you’re still on My Mind. And, every morning when you wake up—whether you realize it or not—I’m the One Who’s standing there by your bed and greets you with a kiss.”
“Why do I do that?”
“Simply because you’re precious to me and I’m Head-over Heels in love with you and can’t get you off My Mind!”
Hallelujah!!
How does that make you feel, Pilgrim?
It should overwhelm you and make you even now want to bow your head, close your eyes and whisper, “Thank You, Lord” as hot tears of gratitude for His Grace stream down your face.
The Hebrew word “yaqar” is used here for “precious” and also means “to be heavy, make rare, be prized, set aside, etc.” It’s the picture of something that is cherished, with great care being taken to ensure that it is not lost, stolen or broken.
That’s really what the Apostle Paul was talking about in Eph. 2:10 when he wrote “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” This “workmanship” is really the picture of a prized heirloom that the owner sets on the mantle in his house in a prominent position so everyone can readily see it. And, when we read that “God has before ordained (before the worlds were created and before we were knitted together in secret in our mother’s womb) that we should live a life that glorifies Him in Christ Jesus,” we should step back and whisper, “Thank You, Father.”
You are precious to God, dear Pilgrim. You are loved and cherished by Him. He wants you to get to know Him in a personal and intimate way. Do not rest until you do—for that is truly the “Secret of Life” (Mt. 6:33; Phil. 3:10).
January 8, 2012
