When I was running this morning, a soft rain started to hit my face.  I was in the last mile when the song by Matt Redman, 10,000 Reasons, came on my Pandora station.

All of a sudden with my eyes wide open, I had a vision of heaven.  When the audience joins Matt in singing, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul! Worship His holy name!  Sing like never before, O my soul! I worship Your holy name!”, I saw a vision of every tribe and tongue singing worship to the Lamb.  I saw crowds around the Sea of Glass with voices rising in unison.  I was so moved by this ultimate unity of worship to the One Who is Exalted that I started to tear up as I ran.

And then something amazing happened.  I saw the crowd part in front of me and Jesus walked right up to me.  He stood before me and I didn’t know what to do.  I was so humbled and felt so unworthy that He would even notice me among the throng.   “Why are You standing here looking at me?”, I thought.

And then I heard Him say to my heart, “You are Mine.”

Then ensued a quiet conversation where I wrestled with that statement.  “But Lord, why do You single me out in this moment?  Surely you know how far from holiness my thoughts and actions so often are.  You know how much of my life I spend in selfish pursuits, acting as if my own small kingdom will bring me satisfaction and joy. I wish I had more good deeds and righteous activity to offer you.”

Again, I heard, “You are Mine.”

As I ran with this vision in front of me, I was crying, blessed, humbled and undone all at the same time.  The whole Gospel narrative of a perfect, holy Lamb who chose each one of us and knows us by name and loves us with such great compassion, all flooded my mind. The words, ‘You are Mine’ began to expand in meaning in my heart as if they were being blown up like a balloon.  It became so clear in that face-to-face moment that all of my sin, all of my weakness, all of my mistakes and failures are not and will never be more powerful than His redeeming love.  I am His workmanship and He is not ashamed of me.

He is not ashamed of you.  He says to you, my friend, “You are Mine.”

If you have received that free work of redemption through the shed blood of the Lamb, then nothing and no one will separate you from His care.  You have His attention.  You are not one spot in a throng of millions.  You are a soul that he knows with the intimacy of the both the Creator and the Bridegroom.  And we will spend all of eternity exploring the depths of a love and intimacy that cannot be worn out, used up or depleted.

If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can do so today.  Jesus is alive and His mercy is mind-blowingly awesome.  The Bible says, All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10:13)

Praise the Lord!! How great is our God! All glory and honor to the Lamb!