I love the birds that come around.
I can often tell a bird either by the sound it makes or by sight. The local birds, anyway.
I was excited to see the flicker at the edge of our lawn. I hadn't seen it for awhile and was worried that the starlings had killed it.
Yesterday, I heard a certain bird call and I wanted to double-check the identity of that bird. I have this app that will identify the bird when you record the call. Wouldn't you know it. When I got the app up and going, the bird quit the call. I thought, I think I can imitate that call. So I did. But I didn't fool the app.
"Human - almost certain." I laughed and laughed! I'll have to try harder on my bird calls! I seem to be able to "talk" back and forth with the cardinal. Is he fooled or is he playing games with me?
"In the pride of your heart you say,
'I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.'
But you are a man, not a god."
This king had an identity problem. He was prideful!
I am memorizing Romans 12. Well, I am attempting to do so. The older I get, the harder it is. Verse 3 says:
"For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."
The Living translation puts it this way:
"Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."
Many people think less of themselves perhaps.
"You're no good"
"Loser"
"You're stupid"
"You are just useless"
"You are so boring"
"You are fat"
Last week in our Bible study, we went over our identity in Christ. If you love Him and are a Christ-follower, you can claim these as your identity! Here are a few of them with some verses to go with them. There are more, of course, and more Scriptures to say these things.
"I am a child of God" (John 1:12)
"I am helped by God" (Hebrews 4:16)
"I am not condemned by God (Romans 8:1)
"I have Christ's righteousness" (Romans 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:21)
"I am completely forgiven" (Col. 1:14)
"I am tenderly loved by God" (Jer. 31:3)
"I am the sweet fragrance of Christ to God" (2 Cor. 2:15)
"I am a temple in which God dwells" (1 Cor. 3:16)
"I am blameless and beyond reproach" (Col. 1:22)
"I am a branch on Christ's vine" (John 15:1,5)
"I am Christ's friend" (John 15:1,5)
"I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit" (John 15:16)
"I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom. 8:17)
"I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved" (Col. 3:12)
"I am a member of Christ's body" (1 Cor. 12:27)
"I am a saint" (Ephesians 1:1)
"I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit" (Eph. 2:18)
"I am assured that all things are working together for good" (Romans 8:28)
"I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence" (Eph. 3:12)
"My needs are met by God" (Phil 4:19)
"I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God" (1 Cor. 6:19,20)
"I am God's workmanship - His masterpiece" (Eph 2:10)
"I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength I need" (Phil 4:13)
I don't know who first posted this so I don't know who to give credit to. I saw it on Facebook several years ago. I LOVE this!
Don't listen to Satan's lies. Read Psalm 139. He created you! He loves you! He died for you! He desires to have you follow Him. He is the Good Shepherd and will come and look for His lost sheep.
"I once was lost, but now I am found."
Be the "found" one! Your identity is not "lost" or "unworthy".
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you (to Me) with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3