If you were to introduce yourself, what would you say? How would you describe yourself? What things would come to mind first? What makes you who you are or gives you importance or self-worth? What is your identity based on? Marital status, job title or memberships? A prestigious award or a degree you worked really hard to get? There are many things that we can and should be proud of. Being a Mom or Dad is a worthy endeavor. Obtaining a great education which helps us to land an awesome job, is certainly a worthy accomplishment. We all have something that we feel gives us status, honor, and identity. We take pride in our accomplishments or things that we do well. There is something that we all wrap our identity in. Maybe it’s the square footage of your house, the neighborhood you live in or which side of town. Maybe it’s how up to date you are on the latest gadgets and technology. How many “friends” you have on Facebook? Maybe which stores you shop in for clothing or the new car in the garage. Something that you own or possess gives you identity.
If we find worth in our houses, neighborhood we live in, our automobiles or a collection of some sort, than what are we going to do if we lose them? Or if someone breaks in and takes them? What if something else negative has happened to you? What about a divorce and the heartache that goes along with it. Does this weigh on your mind and cause you to have a cloud above you as you seek out ways to define your life? What about the loss of a job and the income in that particular tax bracket you were in? Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, Repossession. Some are left to wonder if these things define them. The poor health that someone has can also be what they feel gives their life definition. The devastating feelings one can feel when they lose what they were all wrapped up in, be it a relationship, title, or possession, can cause a lot of harm to the individual, family and friends all around them.
We find this descent into darkness in the life of King Saul. His cautionary tale is given to us in the book of 1st Samuel. In chapter 9, Samuel is told by the Lord to anoint Saul as king over Israel. So this is God's man for the job. After a victory in battle, the prophet Samuel tells the nation of Israel to "fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him", but if they disobeyed they and their king would be swept away. In the very next chapter, King Saul refuses to wait for Samuel to come and perform the offering and does it himself. By this very act, Saul would not pass on his kingdom to his son and he began a long run down the slippery slope of disobedience, fear and entitlement. He would reign for 42 years, even though God had already removed the promise of the kingdom from him. He would spend years being jealous of and trying to kill his son-in-law David, the next in line to the throne. His madness is clearly seen as he was devastated by the loss of his kingdom. He was the King, but had lost God's favor over his life. He had lost his title and sense of self-worth through his disobedience to God. The sense of loss and the anger that he had towards David, whom God had hand-picked as His replacement, kept Saul pursuing David for years trying to murder him.
As we read the Scriptures, we begin to see a picture of ourselves that only our Father in Heaven could provide. The fog of things that we could pride ourselves on will lift as we begin to see ourselves as His children, known and treasured by our Creator and Giver of Life. We will come to know how deeply loved we are. We will know that we are His children, considered righteous because of Christ’s work on the Cross. By that Cross, He redefines who we are, Beloved Friends of the Maker of our hearts. The Author of Love, has created us for His glory and His pleasure. He wants for us all to come to Him and have the Relationship that tops all others. No one in this life will ever know us the way that He does, since He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He says we are worthy and that we are worth all that He went through to redeem us from our sins. This is a great Truth to base our Identity and worth on!
I can’t think of a better place to go than to the One who knew me first, who had the design of me and my life in His thoughts before the Creation of the world. When my plans go wrong, I can remember that His plans for me are better. When life has me down and crushed, He is with me to Comfort and Protect. When I blow it big time, He offers forgiveness and not condemnation. His Unfailing Love and Love without restrictions and limitations should bring us to Him as the Source of the best friendship we can ever have, Our Best Hope and Lavisher of Love, Jesus.
If we find worth in our houses, neighborhood we live in, our automobiles or a collection of some sort, than what are we going to do if we lose them? Or if someone breaks in and takes them? What if something else negative has happened to you? What about a divorce and the heartache that goes along with it. Does this weigh on your mind and cause you to have a cloud above you as you seek out ways to define your life? What about the loss of a job and the income in that particular tax bracket you were in? Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, Repossession. Some are left to wonder if these things define them. The poor health that someone has can also be what they feel gives their life definition. The devastating feelings one can feel when they lose what they were all wrapped up in, be it a relationship, title, or possession, can cause a lot of harm to the individual, family and friends all around them.
We find this descent into darkness in the life of King Saul. His cautionary tale is given to us in the book of 1st Samuel. In chapter 9, Samuel is told by the Lord to anoint Saul as king over Israel. So this is God's man for the job. After a victory in battle, the prophet Samuel tells the nation of Israel to "fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him", but if they disobeyed they and their king would be swept away. In the very next chapter, King Saul refuses to wait for Samuel to come and perform the offering and does it himself. By this very act, Saul would not pass on his kingdom to his son and he began a long run down the slippery slope of disobedience, fear and entitlement. He would reign for 42 years, even though God had already removed the promise of the kingdom from him. He would spend years being jealous of and trying to kill his son-in-law David, the next in line to the throne. His madness is clearly seen as he was devastated by the loss of his kingdom. He was the King, but had lost God's favor over his life. He had lost his title and sense of self-worth through his disobedience to God. The sense of loss and the anger that he had towards David, whom God had hand-picked as His replacement, kept Saul pursuing David for years trying to murder him.
As we read the Scriptures, we begin to see a picture of ourselves that only our Father in Heaven could provide. The fog of things that we could pride ourselves on will lift as we begin to see ourselves as His children, known and treasured by our Creator and Giver of Life. We will come to know how deeply loved we are. We will know that we are His children, considered righteous because of Christ’s work on the Cross. By that Cross, He redefines who we are, Beloved Friends of the Maker of our hearts. The Author of Love, has created us for His glory and His pleasure. He wants for us all to come to Him and have the Relationship that tops all others. No one in this life will ever know us the way that He does, since He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He says we are worthy and that we are worth all that He went through to redeem us from our sins. This is a great Truth to base our Identity and worth on!
I can’t think of a better place to go than to the One who knew me first, who had the design of me and my life in His thoughts before the Creation of the world. When my plans go wrong, I can remember that His plans for me are better. When life has me down and crushed, He is with me to Comfort and Protect. When I blow it big time, He offers forgiveness and not condemnation. His Unfailing Love and Love without restrictions and limitations should bring us to Him as the Source of the best friendship we can ever have, Our Best Hope and Lavisher of Love, Jesus.
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