In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.Psalm 25:1-5
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:12-13
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:3-14
Over the next five days we’ll center around the topic of our true identity. How can we know who we truly are? We have to know what God says about us first! Thankfully, our identity in Christ – that is, who we are as followers of Jesus – can be found rooted in the foundation of Scripture.
So many voices vie for our attention. It can be easy to hear others above the voice of God. For some, it’s falling into a social media coma which can often leave us feeling like we’re seriously missing the mark: Why can’t I prepare organic farm-to-table meals for my perfectly-dressed children, who are doing age-appropriate crafts…happily? For others, it is the constant barrage of opinions, whether good or bad, from friends and family. It may be negativity from a spouse or a discouraging work environment. We may even think that we define our own identities. At times, it may be tempting to conform our thoughts and views of ourselves to what we see and hear from others – good, bad, or indifferent.
In a sea of confusing voices and opinions, there is only one voice that offers the true and right answer to the critical question: Who am I?
Take a few minutes to write down what you believe to be true about who you are. Follow that up with today’s Scripture readings. Take note of who you are according to God’s Word, and what is yours through salvation in Jesus!
