DAD'S RAMBLINGS --

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BELONGING TO GOD

"Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine." (Numbers 8:14)

What a wonderful thing – belonging to God.

The nation of Israel – the children of Abraham – was chosen by God as a special people. Deuteronomy 7:6 says of Israel, " 'For you are a holy people to the LORD our God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.' " In addition, out of all the tribes of Israel, God especially chose the Levites for special ministry. They belonged to Him. They had a closeness to God and His presence and got to see and do things that the rest of the Israelites were not allowed to take part of.

An even closer relationship with God was experienced by Moses, who was chosen by God to be the leader of the nation and also the one whom God would talk with face to face. And Aaron was chosen to be the leader of the priests.

There is a pattern here. Jesus chose 12 disciples to be His followers. But then there was an inner core of Peter, James, and John. They got to see things the other disciples did not see. For example, Jesus took Peter, James and John into the mountain where He was transfigured. Then He told them not to tell the other disciples what they had seen (Mark 9:9-10). Even closer to Jesus was John, who had a special intimacy with Jesus. He was identified as "the one whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20).

It is a special thing to be called to be a follower of the Lord Jesus. It is an even greater thing to know that we belong to Him in close relationship. There is a special bond of relationship with the Lord Jesus that nothing else on this earth can equal. My desire is to have intimate closeness with Jesus.

Now I belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to me.

Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.

Love, Dad