Mine

I’m reading through the Psalms right now, and yesterday I was on Psalm 8. It’s a beautiful psalm, and in fact I’m just going to include the whole thing here for your reading pleasure.

Psalm 8 (ESV)

¹     O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵ Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶ You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,
⁷ all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
⁸ the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
⁹  Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

As I was reading it though, I got exactly four words in and stopped. And stared. Because I realized for the very first time the significance of those two little words: our Lord. This psalm is beautiful and one of the things I love about it is David’s juxtaposition between God and man; he is obviously awed by his magnificent creator, but entirely baffled by God’s continued notice, and even honor, of man. I see that wonder expressed in the first line. He begins his ode: “O Lord,” and then, a little overawed, adds, “our Lord.” This Lord, this God, this majestic creator is ours.

It’s astonishing really, that we would dare to express some kind of possession over this Almighty being. Because that’s what “our” expresses. Possession. Not strong possession, we don’t own Him or anything, obviously. But we can claim Him. He is ours, just as much as we are His. I would be so hesitant to say this, except that he says it Himself.

Jeremiah 24:7 (ESV)

⁷ I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

There it is, from God Himself, “They shall be my people and I will be their God.” He’s MINE! And He’s yours! And He wouldn’t have it any other way. He wants us to claim Him. He wants to be associated with us. He’s not like that boss that pulls you aside after a business dinner and goes, “Hey, I’d rather you didn’t tell people I’m your boss when we’re in public.” He’s not trying to disassociate Himself. He’s proud to be ours. He’s so pleased when we claim Him as ours, cause you can bet He’s out there going, “That’s my girl!” (or “That’s my boy!”) It’s just colossal to me that He would like to be ours. When I actually realized the significance of it, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Or maybe, to be seasonally appropriate, a ton of candy hearts. (I just now realized this is actually a very appropriate Valentine’s Day post.)

I am His, and He is mine. Let that sink in a little bit, and you’ll never be lonely on Valentine’s Day again haha.