Day Eighteen (of 31 Daily Reminders)

Who God Is…

God is eternal!  (“I Am that I Am” Ex 3:14; the God who was, is, and will be)

[The eternal Son of God (without beginning or end) stepped into time; He took on a birth date and a death date out of love for you and me!]

 

Who I am/we are in Christ…

I am chosen!

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
Eph 1:4

Consider what He has done – before the world was made, He chose us, chose us in Christ to be set apart and without fault in His eyes.

[Even before the world was made, God loved us and chose us as His own. He wanted the very BEST for us! He set us apart to be His holy people…I, {state your name}, have been chosen by God and set apart for His purpose.]

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Pet 2:9

But you are different from the rest of the world: you are a “chosen people”, a “kingdom of priests”, a “nation set apart”, “God’s own people” (all the old titles of God’s people now belong to you). You have been chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of the true God, who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

[By His grace we are God’s people – called, sanctified, set apart – to join Him in His mission of redeeming and restoring creation. We were in the darkness of sin until He called us; we deserve none of this. Now we have the privilege of pointing people to the light!…I, {state your name}, am chosen and set apart to be involved in God’s mission in the world!]

 

His promises for me/us today…

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my strength come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”
Ps 121:1,2

I look up to the mountains. Does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who not only made the mountains but all the heavens and the earth!

 [When our entire focus is on our problems or the problems of those around us, they loom so large! … But when I step back and put my focus on the Lord, things don’t seem nearly so overwhelming to me, {state your name}.]

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘be strong, do not fear; your God will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come and save you.”
Isa 35:3-4

Let the Good News of what God has done and is doing, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are terrified and afraid, ‘be strong, do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’

[There is much in this life that can overwhelm us and leave us feeling unsettled. In those moments when everything is stirred up, it is good to be reminded that the Lord is on our side! … I, {state your name}, am His child and He has my back!]

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isa 40:29-31

He gives strength to those who are tired and worn out; He offers renewed strength to those who are weak. Even youths will become exhausted and young men will give up. But those who wait with hope in the Lord will continually be renewed. They will be able to soar above their problems like eagles soar above storms. They will run and won’t become weary; they will walk and not faint.

[When we find ourselves exhausted, worn out, overextended, we can look to the Lord for strength. When we are weak, in Him we are strong. By His grace we can soar above the lifestorms that come… In Him and in His strength, I, {state your name}, can face whatever troubles life throws my way!]

 

His callings/my vocations…

As you reflect on these words from the Lord, what do you sense God calling you to be or to do? How do these words and promises from the Lord speak to you today with the particular joys and struggles that are part of your life and life of faith?

Think of the people who are closest to you in the vocations He has given you?  [husband/wife; family; friends; neighbors; others]. What are some of the “take-aways” from these verses that you could share with them to encourage or support them in the challenges they face as they live in this broken world?

Now take a moment to pray, using the words of some of these Scriptures to shape your prayer, as you pray them back to Him. Pray them specifically for those things that you or those you love are dealing with today!

 

This is from the devotional tool, “31 Daily Reminders”, that I have designed to help you begin each day aware of Who God Is, of Who We Are In Christ, of His Promises That Sustain and Empower Us, and of the Various Callings/ Vocations He Has Given Us.  If you would like a hard copy of these devotions, just let me know!