09/26/2018
When you rise in the morning, and first open your eyes, are you awakening to the world, or to God? Is your first thought of getting a cup of coffee (or juice) and beginning another day at work, or is it in thanksgiving to the Lord for this day with Him? What does your checklist look like, and is it your own personal one, or is it written for two? These answers depend on who you think you are.
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:2-3 ESV
How we begin our day has everything to do with who we think we are. If I think I am first and foremost a husband then my initial thought will be to look over at my spouse. If I believe I am a provider then my first thought will be of work. But, if I think that I am one with Jesus Christ, and above all else I am in Him, and He is in me, then my first thought will be of thanksgiving, spending my day, and all I do in it with God. Deciding who we are is paramount in determining how we will live our life. So who do you believe you are?
“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
John 14:20 ESV
There were times in my life when I played different roles, and in those times I would have answered the question of who I was quite differently. There were times when As a young boy that I thought I was a cowboy, or a football player, and when I woke up I would pull back the covers, see if I still had my cowboy boots on, (yes I slept with my boots on) and then grab my hat and pistols as I headed towards the living room to watch Roy Rodgers, or The Lone Ranger. Later in life I became other things, a student, a computer professional, a husband, a father, a manager of people, a writer, and several other things but there were also times when I was lost, and didn’t know who I really was. Have you ever felt lost? Are you feeling that way now?
When we put our trust in the world, and search alone for who we are in it, we will feel lost. Even believers can become convinced that there is something in life that is more pressing and important than God at a certain juncture. It is during these times, when they are searching alone, that feeling lost comes upon them, and yet in the midst of this desert they are not alone...
“you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:9-10 ESV
And, as for those who have never known Jesus, this sense of being lost is what you feel as you wander from one definition of who you might be to the next... lost; or at best confused. But as helpless as you might feel you are, you are not alone, and God has sent someone to rescue you... Jesus.
“He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."”
Matthew 15:24-25 ESV
On the news the last couple of days you will have undoubtedly seen a story about an 18 year old Indonesian boy who was swept out to sea by a storm on a makeshift wooden boat, and lost there for 49 days before finally being rescued. If you listen to the reports you will hear an interesting fact “He only had the Bible with Him, and when he became desperate he even turned to it as he looked for help.” These are the words of a reporter who didn’t know God. This was a person who didn’t see the miracle... this is someone who didn’t understand that 49 day’s meant something, that it wasn’t by chance that he had a Bible, it wasn’t lucky that he was fed on fish that he was able to catch, it wasn’t scientific that he was able to drink seawater (that should have killed him) by pouring it through his shirt, and when he was finally rescued, it wasn’t happenstance that as the crew set him on the deck of their ship the first thing he did was pray as they tried to drape a blanket over him. Who did this young man think he was? He was lost at sea, but was he ever truly lost? Was he alone as the reporters claimed, or was he abiding in Jesus Christ, and God?
“He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions."”
Daniel 6:27 ESV
So when we rise in the morning who do we think we are? Are we afloat in the world alone, or are we abiding in Jesus Christ? Are we first and foremost a husband, father, or a worker, or... are we a godly husband, a godly worker, a godly father? If we define ourselves first as a child of God then that is how we will live our lives. If we do this then the morning news reports of a young man lost at sea will cease to be just a curiosity, and be transformed into a miracle performed by God to reveal himself. Eating fishes will remind us of other miracles, drawing fresh water from the salty sea will remind us of water in the desert, and the number 49 will become 7x7 instead. These among the many signs that God’s hand is in our world, and defines who we are.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Son Jesus, and in His abiding in me, I in Him, and we in you. Thank you for defining who I am and never abandoning me. Thank you Lord for each day I awake to find that we are still together in this world, and for hearing my prayer of thanksgiving, and for the many blessings and mercies that will come this day. Thank you Holy Father for the signs and wonders you give us, and for opening our eyes to them. As I make my way through this world, and this life, it is a comfort knowing that I am not alone, and that as I try to determine who I will be each day I am always your child before all else. As my worldly roles change, and the years go by, I am still young in you Father, and secure in your mercy and grace. Guide me Gracious Father, and never let go of my hand as I am buffeted by the world. You are He who defines me, and though I might cast myself as other characters in life, I always find you there in my true self. I cling to you Holy Father, and find solace in you when I am lost, and companionship in you when I feel alone. Praised be your name, and forever your grace and blessings in my life. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God of every morning, and every day. Holy are you in leading me in your way and your will. Great is your name, and greatly to be praised!!
“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."”
Isaiah 35:3-4 ESV
Rich Forbes