I have recently been in a Season that I would have never expected to find myself for the remainder of my life.  A Season that I believe Satan intended for utter destruction and God allowed to reinforce within me who and whose I am.  A Season of attack that continues to backfire on Satan as reflection and challenge brings into clarity the beauty of this life that is so easily overlooked.  A Season where my identity in Christ withstands the tests of the moment.

You see, my identity is eternal.  These tests are but moments against the walls of an eternity already secured.  Over the past 21 years of my surrendered faith journey, the cornerstone of whose I am and the resulting knowledge of who I am has been dug deep and laid on the solid foundation that is Jesus Christ.  The seeking, the reading, the prayer, the fellowship, the sharpening of iron against iron, the knowledge that has and continues to come through scripture and intimate fellowship with my Savior repels the lies of the Enemy.

I would not wish upon anyone the attacks that have come.  Equally, I would pray that everyone who experiences similar challenges would have the knowledge and warmth that comes from the arms of our Father God.  The lie of control tells us that we can prevent attacks that come against us.  Lies!  The truth that is Jesus Christ teaches us that these too shall pass and that he will sustain us through every season of drought and bounty.

So today I wanted to share again some thoughts of who God tells us that we are through his Word.  I want to encourage you to be expectant in whatever storms of life you are weathering.  If you are a child of God, remind yourself that he controls the weather and storms.  Remind yourself that like Job, he alone permits the attacks that he knows you are capable of withstanding for a purpose likely too great to comprehend at this point in your life.  Faith says you trust the purpose of the storm.  Live expectantly in this storm.  He is preparing you for something far greater than you can imagine.  Trust that the plans he has for you, justify this season of hardening you into his immovable force for impact and hope.

Know that this is who God says you are:

Free 

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Child of God

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Galatians 3:26-28 “… for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:5 “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”

Chosen 

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Old Self is Dead 

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Colossians 3:3 “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

New Creation 

John 3:3-6 “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

No Longer Condemned 

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Temple of the Holy Spirit 

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Warriors 

1 John 5:4 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

A Victor

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

You’ve got this!