Often we sing about how precious the Lord is to us, but he wants you to know that you are precious to him!

 

In Old Testament times the High Priest wore a breastplate with four rows of precious stones on it.  Each stone represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel, and these were carried over his heart, so he could bring them before God. 

Jesus is our High Priest and the name of each one who has become a ‘living stone’ is written upon his heart.  He is constantly bringing us before the Father in Heaven.

 

Where do precious stones come from?  Usually they come from under the earth, from dark places that make it difficult and costly to find them.  Once they are polished though, their true beauty is seen, and light can be reflected from them.  We too have been taken from dark places at a great cost.  That cost was the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is now polishing us, so there is no mixture or impurity, and we can become living stones that reflect his light and beauty.

 

These are wonderful truths, and yet like the people in Malachi’s time, we may question whether it is really worthwhile serving God.  It is not always easy being polished!  Sometimes it seems easier for those who are not following God’s ways!  And they prosper!  How is this possible if we are precious to him?  The Lord heard the questions in the hearts of his people and he answered.  We will look at those verses in the next devotional, however let’s close by focussing on part of God’s answer in Malachi 3:17:  “They will be mine,” says the Lord Almighty, “