Towards the end of I Samuel chapter 12, we read the astonishing statement: “For the sake of His great name, the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own.”

“Pleased to make us His own…” what an extraordinary announcement. God chooses to make us (sinful, rebellious, self-centered people) His own. He even calls us “…my people” in II Chronicles 7:14. That is grace and mercy at work.

And again, in Revelation 21, John asserts “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people and He will dwell with them. They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

“My people…” That phrase makes me think of my mom’s extended family from Little Rock, Arkansas. She was forever referring to the Gammel family as “my people”. Thousands of individual families reside in those rolling hills, but my mom was proudly associated with just “my people.”

That same kind of identification and pride is at the heart of Samuel’s warning. He urged the Israelites to turn from their idols and serve the Lord with all their heart. He referenced their deep, personal connection with Yahweh as a motivation for personal holiness.

There’s a great message there for you and I this week. Because God has chosen us, placed His imprimatur on us, claimed us as His own, He deserves our worship and adoration. He deserves our praise. He has earned our lasting respect and we show it with our obedience to His will.

Picture for a moment, a crowded street with tons of people running back and forth. You are one of those folks. You have places to go and things to do. Jesus appears and suddenly he cries out with a loud voice, “Yes, that one is mine!” He points to us. He claims us. He lets it be known that we belong to Him. We are part of His people.

Repeat after me: “He was pleased to make me His own. He was pleased to make me His own. He was pleased to make me His own.”

Wow! That thought should motivate us this week. Let’s consider the areas of our lives that need to change. What should we start doing or stop doing in obedience to His will? How can we reflect His gracious love and assertion that we are His?

Let’s make Him proud!