1 Peter 2:9

1 Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

What a powerful verse this morning! We have so many things to be confident about in our relationship with Jesus Christ...so many privileges that belong to us as believers. I desperately want to wrap my mind around theses truths in this verse.

I am part of a CHOSEN race. God chose me before the foundation of the world to belong to Him (Ephesians 1:4) It was nothing that I did or deserved!

I am part of a royal priesthood, meaning that I can go directly to God in prayer, in praise, in worship, in confession, etc. I have direct access to my Father anytime of the day or night because of my relationship with Jesus. This was not the case back in Old Testament times. The people had to go through a priest to make their sacrifices to God and to be cleansed of their sins. Today, I can have an intimate relationship with my Father.

As a believer, I am part of a holy nation. Just as Israel was God's chosen people to live in holiness and to be a light to the nations around them, I am called to live a life of holiness today. There should be something different about my life, the way I live, the way I talk, what I watch on television, how I spend my money, etc. Holiness should be a distinguishing factor in everything. I have a long way to go in consistently modeling holiness.

I am God's own possession. I belong to him in a special way, and I am of great value to Him. This should change the way that I see myself.

Because I believe all of these things, I should proclaim out loud the excellencies of my God. I should constantly tell others how He brought me out of darkness into His marvelous light.

May my life shout His praises!!! He is worthy!

"Father God, most Holy one...help me to start to understand all I am in You and how much You love me. Because of my belief in You, I should live so differently...full of confidence...proclaiming to those around me Your goodness and Your love. Help me to live in the Light...in Your Marvelous Light...all of my days!"

Until next time...