WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MAY 22, 2025
TOPIC: GOD’S MOST PRECIOUS POSSESSION
BY T. O. BANSO
“After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, ‘Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession’” (Zechariah 2:8 New Living Translation).
Every child of God is His most precious possession. Despite what God’s children are going through, either as consequences of sins or mistakes or as part of the trial of faith, God cares for them This is important because, as a result of the negative experiences God’s children are going through, some of them, sometimes doubt if God loves them or cares for them.
The prophet Zechariah said, “After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, ‘Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession’” (Zechariah 2:8 New Living Translation). This scripture is talking about the judgment of God against the nations that have plundered Israel, including Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.
The New King James Version renders the scripture thus: “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.’” Child of God, you are God’s most precious or treasured possession. In other words, you are the apple of His eyes.
In Moses’ songs to the Israelites, he said, among other things, “He [God] found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10 New King James Version). Note again the phrase “the apple of His eye.” This refers to the Israelites, God’s covenant people. In the New Testament, believers in Christ are God’s covenant people. Every Christian is God’s most precious possession – the apple of His eyes.
Everyone guards his eyes and won’t allow anyone to thrust something into it that can hurt him. Nobody will allow any particle to enter his eyes. David prayed in Psalm 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation says, “Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings..” God will keep, guard, or protect you as one does the apple of his eye.
As your eyes are dear to you and you protect them, God says His children are His most precious treasure, the apple or pupil of His eye, and He will keep, guard, or protect them. Aren’t you glad that you’re the apple of God’s eye, His most precious treasure? The troubles or challenges of life cannot devalue you before God.
Don’t forget that He created you in His image (Genesis 1:27). Also, don’t forget that when Jesus died on the cross for your sins, He bought you with His precious blood. One of the ways to know how much you value something is the price you are willing to pay for it.
1 Peter 1:18-19 says that believers were not redeemed or bought with corruptible things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and spot. He bought you and the entire world from the slave market of sin with His blood. You are God’s most precious treasure. He cares for you.
The LORD continued in Zechariah 2:9: “I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me” (New International Version). God would raise His hand in judgment against the nations that plundered Judah; the goods of these nations would be taken by those who were their servants. The Lord will fight the enemies of His children today too. He will trouble those who trouble them.
The LORD allowed Israel and Judah to go into exile, but He did not forget her. He promised to restore them to their homeland, and He did. He did not forsake them permanently. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 30:3 New International Version).
Your negative experiences don’t mean you have no value before God. You’re God’s most precious possession. He may discipline you, but He’ll never forsake you. He’ll plunder those who plunder you, fight those who fight you, bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.
However, learn from the four horns or nations that plundered Judah. Zechariah 1:21 says the four horns scattered or oppressed Judah so that no one could lift his head, but God sent four carpenters/smiths to terrify them and throw them down. Don’t maltreat or oppress anyone, especially a child of God. God won’t hold you guiltless. Saul of Tarsus persecuted believers, but Jesus told him he persecuted Him (Acts 9:5). Later, Paul explained that he did it in ignorance and unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13). Anything you do for the least of the children of God you do for God (Matthew 25:40).
Never forget that you’re God’s most precious possession just as other children of God are. “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession” (Zechariah 2:8b New Living Translation). Don’t let your negative life experiences make you feel you are of no value. Your value is not determined by troubles or victories, lack or abundance, and failures or successes.
Any child of God, who has gone back from following Him, should repent now, ask for forgiveness, and return to Him. Nobody can out-sin God’s grace. “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20 New International Version). We are saved by grace, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). All backsliders and sinners must accept God’s salvation through Christ Jesus and obey His Word, doing good deeds or works.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, thank You, for making me Your most precious possession and caring for me. Holy Spirit, help me to see myself based on what God says about me in His Word. Father, plunder those who plunder me and fight those who fight me.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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