Three times in Daniel 9-10, the Lord repeats this precious declaration to a weary and pleading Daniel.

The New International Version of the Bible translates God’s words in this way:
“You are highly esteemed.” (Daniel 9:23, NIV)
“You are highly esteemed.” (Daniel 10:11, NIV)
“You are highly esteemed.” (Daniel 10:19, NIV)

The New Living Translation of the Bible translates God’s words to Daniel like this:
“You are very precious to God.” (Daniel 9:23, NLT)
“You are very precious to God.” (Daniel 10:11, NLT)
“You are very precious to God.” (Daniel 10:19, NLT)

Imagine with me for a moment, if you can, imagine what it would be like if you and I lived our lives as if we were “highly-esteemed” by the Almighty and Everlasting Sovereign Lord and God of the Universe. Imagine if our daily and moment-by-moment orientation to life reflected the reality that we are “very precious to God.”

When we know – when we understand – when we come to own, for ourselves, the reality of what we are in Christ Jesus before Father God, it would change everything!

It would change how we:

  • pray.
  • make decisions.
  • relate to others.
  • relate to changing circumstances or the unforeseen circumstances or problems that arise in our lives –
  • It wouldn’t solve those problems necessarily, but it would change our perspective toward them, how we understand ourselves in relation to them, and how we respond to them.

Every single thing in our lives would change – for the better – if we could just learn to BE what we already are in Christ Jesus before God. And that is as eternally-beloved sons and daughters to Father God.

If you believe Jesus is God’s Son, and if you have trusted in Him to be your Savior, then, in Him, your primary identity is this:

  • You are highly-esteemed by God.
  • You are very precious to God.
  • You are a beloved son, you are a beloved daughter – eternally beloved of the Father!
  • And Jesus – Jesus is very fond of you.

Imagine a world, where those who have been saved and redeemed by Christ, lived as though they were deeply treasured and beloved by Father God.

Just imagine it!

  • Imagine the confidence we would live in.
  • Imagine the way we would treat one another.
  • Imagine the way we would approach problems.
  • Imagine the kinds of prayers we would pray!
  • Imagine the generosity and the hospitality that we would exhibit toward others.
  • Imagine the good we could accomplish in the Name of Christ’s love for us…
  • If we simply behaved as if we were what we already are…

Imagine if you were completely free of

  • all guilt, all shame, and all regret…
  • completely free of all your insecurities…
  • all self-doubt…
  • all self-judgment and self-condemnation…
  • all second-guessing your worth or value…
  • all comparisons to others…
  • all pressure to keep up with somebody else…
  • all sense of “am I good enough” or finding our validation in the approval of others…

Imagine you were completely free to BE who you already ARE in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 6:18 – “I will be a Father to them,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “and they will be My sons and daughters.”

1 John 3:1 – “Behold! What manner of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should called the sons and the daughters of God – and that is who we are!”

Ephesians 3:12 – “Because of Christ and His faithfulness to us, we can now come confidently into God’s Presence, assured of His glad welcome.”

When you come before Father God, in Christ, you are greeted with the assurance of His glad welcome.

I don’t know, but I wonder if the writer of the song “Good, Good Father” was familiar with these verses from Daniel 9 and 10. He wrote, “You’re a good, good Father – it’s Who You are, it’s Who You are, it’s Who You are.” (3 times)

And in response: “And I am loved by You – it’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am.” (3 times)

You are highly-esteemed.
You are highly-esteemed.
You are highly-esteemed by God, the NIV says.

You are very precious to God.
You are very precious to God.
You are very precious to God, the NLT says.

THAT is the truest thing about you. That is your chief identifying characteristic. That is now at the core of your being as a follower of Jesus:

  • You are highly-esteemed by God.
  • And you are very precious to God.

Or as Brennan Manning says, “Jesus is very fond of you.”

Here is my prayer for you and for me, as we learn to BE who we already ARE in Christ before God:

Ephesians 3:17-21 –

17 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all God’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.