You Got Picked

My seasons have been changing. I find that in this shift, I need reminders of who I am.

I'm hoping this reminder from David's life speaks to you the way it always does to me.

David learned that his identitiy didn't change in any season. It was It was rooted in his unchanging God. His time as a shepherd was neither more nor less important than his time as king. It was all used by God, and that gave those experiences meaning. I can be used by God in any season. My identity does not rest in my role as mother, student, wife, teacher, leader, follower, CEO, or encourager. Those are things I do and roles I fill, but they are not who I am. God picked me—that’s who I am. God picked you—that’s who you are.

The world always pulls us from this, telling us who we should or shouldn’t be. This verse in Ephesians puts it just right: “You let the world, who doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live” (Eph. 2:2 MSG).

I’ve let the world put me in boxes a lot. Everywhere we look we are being asked to identify ourselves by things that don’t really define us. The world is desperately searching for something to give them worth and meaning, but our search is over. We are found. We can’t find meaning the way the world seeks it because we aren’t of this world. We don’t belong here.

These two views of identity lead to very different conclusions. It leads the world to a place of hopelessness and us to a place of hopefulness.

“Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust” (Ps. 40:4), not in himself, not in what he does, who he knows, or what he has.

David understood that neither his successes nor failures defined him. Only God defined him. When we give all of ourselves to God, He takes successes and failures and weaves them into a beautiful tapestry that all points to Him and nothing is wasted of our life. Really believe that today....NOTHING is wasted.

"He has given me a new song to sing,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

    They will put their trust in the Lord.

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.

    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.

    You have no equal.

If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,

    I would never come to the end of them." Psalm 40:3&5

Father, show me how the world tries to identify me, and let me put no hope in it. You can use both my successes and failures, but I am not defined by either of them. Weave every success and failure of my life into a beautiful picture of Your grace and mercy and let it give You glory. Let many see and put their trust in You. God, help me bravely be identified with You so that the world can identify You in me. Let Your light be seen in me. Please put a new song in my mouth and let me recite all your wonderful deeds, even though I will never come to the end of them . In Jesus’ name, Amen.