HE IS OUR GOD - WE ARE HIS PEOPLE

Leviticus 26:12 “I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.”

I had the opportunity to take my youngest son to school recently. I cherish the moments that are just between the two of us. Now, there is no question that his mother is his shining star, but he demonstrates adorable behavior when he is alone with me. I got him ready and put his back pack on. I handed him his lunch and then out the door we went. He seemed so proud that it was just the “men” heading to school. As we drove to school, I talked to him. At a stop light, I would glance back at him, all buckled up in the back seat. With every glance, his smile would grow brighter, until it seemed as though his little dimples were like little caverns in his face. Then, the cutest thing of all happened. We pulled up to the drop-off point. His teacher came to the car to get him. My son gave me the “bye Daddy” wave. Although, he couldn’t find the words to express himself, he made sure his teacher could tell that I was in the car and that he had been with me. As I pulled away, he never took his eyes off of me. I looked back several times and each time he was waving and looking intently in my direction.

The connection is simple. He is my son. I am his father. He knows it without question. I am there to meet his every need. The connection is more than just that; it is a promise and a covenant. Every day, through not just my words, but my actions as well, I am saying “I am your father, you are my son”. I doubt that he ever wonders if I will be there for him. It is just a given that “Daddy” is a presence in his life. I realize that not every family is fortunate enough to have that balance and structure. I am so thankful for my family, though. You see, I am made in God’s image. Like God, I desire covenantal relationships to be a part of my life. It is that type of love and commitment that hold everything in place.

God looks upon each of us in the same manner. It is his desire to “walk among us”, to “be our God”, and for us to “be his people”. This passage in Leviticus contains a general enforcement of all the laws given by Moses; by promises of reward in case of obedience. God is saying if you follow my words, I will remain among you. This is a great and precious promise. It is a covenant that is typical of the spiritual blessings made real by the covenant of grace to all believers, through Christ. His promise to always be there means so much. It means abundance, peace and divine protection, victory and success in battle, and the favor of God which is a fountain of good. All covenant blessings are summed up in the covenant relation, I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and they are all grounded upon their redemption. Having purchased them, God would own them, and never cast them off till they cast him off.

God never forgets his promises. Their faithfulness to the covenant would solidify their position with God. No matter what would come their way, He would be there. He had identified them as His people. We have the same powerful promise today. God is never far from us. If our hearts remain fixed upon him and our faith in Christ persists, He is our Father and we are his children. And nothing can take that assurance away.