"You are… God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1 Pet.2.9)

Awe has been defined as a feeling of great respect mixed with fear or wonder'. Something that inspires us with awe is termed awesome'. Like God. And to know that we belong to God and are called to worship and enjoy Him, to emulate His ways and do His bidding, is also awesome. An awesome responsibility. An awesome privilege.

The Israelites of old knew they belonged to God, and were under His hand. They rejoiced in Him, the Creator. "Praise the Lord.... Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven." (Ps. 148.1, 11-13).

This is not something only for the people of the past. God is always to be praised, not least because of the glorious world that we live in. Praise Him from the top of Everest! Praise Him from the satellites in space! Praise Him from the wonders sweeping across the face of our television screens! These things are all possible as part of an ordered world which He has set in place, stretching through all time and into eternity. All the natural world exists to His praise, orchards and forests, mammals and snakes and birds. World leaders are an example of His creative power, so are vigorous sportsmen, sturdy young mothers, as well as the elderly softly murmuring in hospital wards, and lusty newborn babes crying for life. So let all creation praise the name of God ‑ it is the only name truly worth praising.

"Outstanding in His creation are His own people who love Him. They are His monument by which He is known" (Psalm 148, The Message). So it is an awesome thing to belong to the living God.

But who does belong to God? "O Lord, all the world belongs to You" ‑ all people everywhere are His, in one sense, and His purpose extends ultimately to the last dregs of humankind. Israel have been His people. He has respect to those who in their religion are seeking after Him, however misguided or partial their understanding. But the saints are specially His, who are called, chosen and faithful. Yet if you esteem yourself to be a saint, beware. Do not set yourself in front of the humblest of believers who trust in Jesus. "Simply trusting every day, trusting through a stormy way, even though my store be small - Trusting Jesus, that is all."

To belong to God is the privilege of any who believe in Jesus. We may not be theologians or students of prophecy. We may not be very knowledgeable, or anywhere near perfect. Even our doctrines may not be fully correct. But we have heard about Jesus, learned about Jesus, we have come to know Him and love Him. We know that He came to reveal the Father to humankind, and that the way He chose to die was a death for our sake. We believe in Him, and so we belong to Him.

This belonging is a reciprocal relationship - it cuts two ways. If I believe, He saves me. He gives me life. The fullness of His love enters into me. He belongs to me... and the line between us is unbreakable. My problems are His care, whether they arise from the world around me or from inside myself. He is the one who keeps me safe.

I belong to Him like something He has purchased (but bought on the cross, and not in the supermarket). I belong to Him like a prisoner of war (though the battle was in my mind, and not fought with shells and mortars). I have given myself to Him. So I am swallowed up in Him, just as He gives Himself to me ‑ gives, to the extent that I am willing to receive Him. It is an awesome thing to belong to Christ.

Will it be known by others that we belong to Him? In general people are known by what they have done. Who was it, for example, that insisted upon an apostle staying at her home ‑ who sold purple cloth and lived in Philippi? Lydia, of course, a woman of action; who also believed the good news of the Lord Jesus. She believed, she belonged, and the course of her life was changed. As for ourselves, because we believe, the course of our life is altered inevitably. So the actions by which people know us are altered. Actions speak louder than words, it is said. Yet we are known by words as well, for out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.

This is a challenge to us, that what we say and what we do should both indicate who we belong to. Who am I? Little John Smith, a son of God? Someone like Lydia, a seller of purple cloth and also a believer, a child of God? Am I a humble believer, growing in the fruit of the Spirit…in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self control? Do I find time to pray? Am I thoughtful... courteous... grateful... and good humoured? It is an awesome thing to live the life of a humble believer.

Because we believe and belong to Him, we want to serve Him. Others may tell us, our friends or our church or our fellowship, what we should be doing in order to serve Him. Perhaps we prefer our own ideas. "This is how I will serve Him," we think. But is that what He is thinking? Are we indeed following "not my way, but His"? His way is not uniform, regimented, a straightjacket, a rigid path for all to tread. Just as He gives us different gifts, so He sets differing paths before us. We serve where He calls us, where He gives the opportunity. For instance, in Matthew 25, the 'sheep' took all sorts of different opportunities to help those in trouble. Then they discovered what they had really been doing. Jesus said, "Don't you see? When you're serving others you are serving Me." Eight year old Charlotte was serving others, when she went with her father on a sponsored walk right across the mountains of England from coast to coast, through the wind and the weather, and raised a thousand pounds. Our own acts of service may be less spectacular, though a sudden challenge may cause us to surprise ourselves. Or our service may just be doing what we don't want to do, for the sake of others. What is important is to be faithful to every opportunity that we are given.

That is how we spread God's love. "What a glorious time is spring, when all the trees are budding; the birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming. That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it, you want to sing, it's fresh like spring, you want to pass it on." It is an awesome thing to share God's love in the lives of others.

And what more can we say? The future? If we belong to God now, and begin to worship and enjoy Him, to emulate His ways and do His bidding, this awesome relationship will continue in a future life, a future age, in whatever way He plans it for us. Praise the Lord!

GC