You Are God’s Own Possession With Bishop David Ray

God counts His people as His own possession, and that means more than any sentimental thing sitting in a home. Possessions, pictures, a mom and dad’s Bible, a vehicle, clothes, a checking account, or a 401 may carry value, but God values His people with a possession the human mind does not fully understand. Romans 8:28 says everything works together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. That word everything does not leave out trouble, death, family problems, fear, or those critical points where the mind says it does not know what to do next.

God does not always fix it overnight, but God keeps working it together. Faith has to hold on when the old fleshly mind feels unsafe and insecure. The Holy Spirit keeps the battery running in the mind, giving life to the bones and strength for hands and feet to keep moving. Love for God has to go deeper than love for husband, wife, children, or self, because self gets upset, self thinks wrong, and self starts doing what pleases self instead of what brings honor and glory to God.

First Peter 2:9 names God’s people as chosen, special, royal priests, a holy nation, and God’s very own possession. That chosen name ought to make the soul smile on the inside. Royal priesthood means God’s people are not meant to walk below their priesthood, below their potential, or down in misery like they have nothing. God’s people are royalty in God, only here temporarily, headed to heaven, and called to live, think, talk, and walk like it right now.

God’s very own possession shows others the goodness of God. The goodness of God is not picking and choosing who deserves a food box, because God’s giving is for everyone. Yet the goodness of God also brings the Word of God, because food without Jesus is not enough kingdom work. God called His people out of darkness into wonderful light, and that is why His goodness must be shared.

Psalm 46:1 brings the comfort that God is refuge and strength, always ready to help in trouble. Trouble may be facing someone this week, but God is right there ready to help. Prayer has to come before the next move, even when a person has been doing the work for thirty seven years. Being God’s possession calls for faith to walk into it, stop wasting life on complaining, and receive the special place God has already given.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God values His own possession [00:38] God’s people are not loose items in the world, hoping to be noticed. God holds them as His possession with a value deeper than human sentiment can measure. When that truth settles in the mind, insecurity begins to lose its right to rule. [00:38]
• 2. Everything serves God’s good purpose [03:19] Romans 8:28 does not make trouble look small. It makes God look faithful in the middle of trouble. Even the negative things can be gathered into God’s purpose, moving the soul closer to Him instead of farther away. [03:19]
• 3. Love God more than self [07:16] Self can be a mess, getting upset, thinking wrong, and reaching for its own pleasure. Love for God pulls the heart out of that narrow place. A deeper love for God changes thinking before it changes circumstances. [07:16]
• 4. Royal priesthood must walk higher [13:06] First Peter 2:9 gives God’s people a name bigger than their feelings. Royal priesthood is not pride, but holy identity received from God. Walking below that calling makes misery feel normal, but God calls His own to live like they belong to Him. [13:06]
• 5. God’s refuge is ready now [22:41] Psalm 46:1 does not present God as distant help for later. God is ready in trouble, ready right now, and ready before the next hour passes. The soul still has to ask, receive, and walk into the help already offered.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:22] - God’s People Are His Possession
• [02:12] - Everything Works Together In God
• [06:06] - Loving God Through Trouble
• [10:17] - Called According To His Purpose
• [11:52] - Chosen People And Royal Priests
• [16:54] - God’s Very Own Possession
• [17:27] - Showing Others God’s Goodness
• [21:21] - Called Out Of Darkness
• [22:22] - God Is Refuge And Strength
• [24:08] - Walking Into God’s Possession
• [26:26] - Receiving It By Faith

1. In 1 Peter 2:9, what names and descriptions are given to God’s people, and which of those names stands out most in this passage? [11:52]
2. In Romans 8:28, what does the word “all” include when life is going wrong, and what kinds of hard situations were brought up alongside that verse? [03:19]
3. According to Psalm 46:1, what two things is God called, and when is He said to be ready to help? [22:41]
4. What practical examples were used to describe things people usually value deeply, and how were those examples used to help explain what it means to be God’s possession? [00:38]

1. If God’s people are called His “own possession,” how should that change the way a person thinks about insecurity, worth, and safety before God? [02:26]
2. Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good for those who love God. How should that be understood when the “all things” include loss, fear, confusion, or trouble that does not get fixed overnight? [06:06]
3. 1 Peter 2:9 calls believers a royal priesthood. What might it look like for someone to walk below that identity, and what might it look like to live in a way that fits it? [13:06]
4. 1 Peter 2:9 connects being God’s possession with showing His goodness to others. Why is simple kindness not meant to be separated from sharing the Word of God? [18:21]

1. Where has insecurity been talking louder than God’s truth in this season? What would it look like this week to answer that fear by saying, “I belong to God”? [04:36]
2. When life has felt critical or confusing lately, who has been getting the first conversation—other people, personal thoughts, or God? What would change if prayer came before the next move? [23:43]
3. Loving God more than self is a serious matter. Where has self been taking the lead lately through hurt feelings, wrong thinking, or the need to please self? [07:47]
4. Royal priesthood is not just a church phrase; it is a way of living. In what part of daily life has there been a habit of walking below what God says is true—at home, at work, in speech, or in attitude? [14:04]
5. God’s goodness is meant to be shown to other people. Who is one person or family that could be served in a real way right now, and how might that service also make room to speak of Jesus? [17:31]
6. God is a very present help in trouble. What trouble needs to be named honestly before God right now instead of carried alone for another week? [24:36]
7. Complaining can keep a person standing outside what God has already offered. What complaint has been repeating in the mind lately, and what would it look like to walk by faith instead of staying in that complaint? [26:11]