WHO AM I?

It is not uncommon to hear someone say, " I am trying to figure out who I am." Even when we get to middle age and beyond we sometimes hear this question echoing in the recesses of our brains.

It is especially confusing if we have defined ourselves by what we do - our careers, our home responsibilities, our various roles in life. When those roles change, are we at a loss?

But the more important question is, how does God see me? While meditating on these thoughts I came up with the following Scripture verses:

Luke 12:6-7 NKJV

"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Psalms 139:13-16 NKJV

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Genesis 16:13

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the one who sees me.

James 1:23-25 NKJV

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

Psalms 17:8 NKJV

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

Psalms 19:12-13 NKJV

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.

Psalms 19:14 NKJV

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalms 26:2-3 NKJV

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.

Psalms 27:8-9 NKJV

When You said, "Seek My face,"My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."Do not hide Your face from me;

Psalms 27:13-14 NKJV

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD;Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Psalms 119:11 NKJV

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

End of year thoughts

For the month of December I have taken a break from posting on THE GOD WHO SEES ME - A Devotional Prayer Journal. This has been for the purpose of focusing on the Advent season in my companion blog, LIVING THE WORD at http://prayingtheword.blogspot.com/.

Now it is December 23 and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We have been blessed with Christmas music, fellowship with friends and family and wonderful messages of hope in the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ these past few weeks.

Tomorrow we will attend a Christmas Eve service where some of our children will be performing. Then we will have a quiet evening with our daughter and her family.

Our entire family of 24 of us already celebrated at our house on Saturday evening with dinner, musical instruments, singing, children acting out the Christmas story and Ron sharing his annual words of wisdom with his children and grandchildren. After that, of course, all the presents were opened. What a blessed time with our now 13, soon to be 14 grandchildren and their parents. We have been blessed indeed.

Today we were invited to view the 3D/4D ultrasound of our grandson to be born in February. What a miracle it was to be able to see him before he is even born. This was a new experience for me - a nice Christmas present! I presented the Mom- to-be with a hand crocheted blanket.

Next week I will continue where we left off in November in the book of Proverbs. I am praying about my own personal devotional goals for this year, and I hope that you too are planning some quality time in the Word in 2009.

I started a group blog on the Vox.com network back in August to encourage other people to post from their personal Bible reading. I call it "Find The Time in 2009." (A little early but here it is 2009 already.) I do hope that all of you will find the time this year to spend every day reading God's Word and applying it to your lives.

ORDINARY PEOPLE

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ZECHARIAH AND ELIZABETH

Read Luke 1:1-25

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord." Luke 1:13-15a NIV

* * *

For many years this humble couple in Jerusalem wanted a child, but in spite of continued disappointment, they faithfully served and obeyed God. Zechariah was one of many priests who took their turns burning incense in the temple. How surprised he must have been at this sudden visit by the angel Gabriel, promising him a son - so surprised that he reacted in unbelief: Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." (Luke 1:18)

* * *

How wonderful it is that God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Little did Zechariah and Elizabeth realize that they would become the parents of the prophesied forerunner of Messiah, John the Baptist.

* * *

Lord, I have no idea what your plans are for the future of our children, but my deepest desire is that they will follow You. We are ordinary people, but I am trusting in Your extraordinary plan for our lives.

* * *

And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:17 NIV (Malachi 4:6)