Accepting Your New Identity after the Wait

Today’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Job 7-11
NT: Luke 22-24
W&W: Psalm 62-64
(Extra chapters to make up skipped days from last week)


Today’s Reflection:

I’m back on line this morning! Sorry for missing a few days. The internet hasn't made it to my mother-in-law's home yet! I hope you stayed up with your Scripture readings. If not, I’ve listed last Thursday and Friday’s chapters for you.

Today, we continue examining some insights from Joseph Bentz’s book When God Takes Too Long. The third chapter is entitled: “Remember your identity in God during the long days of waiting.”

Bentz makes the observation that throughout the Christian life, God often wants to move us from one identity to another… Abram becomes Abraham; Saul becomes Paul; a shepherd becomes a giant killer then a king; Jeremiah becomes a prophet; Joseph becomes a ruler. The question we need to consider is simply this: “No matter how long I have been stuck in one identity, what if God swooped in and gave me a new vision of myself? Would I be willing to take the risk of moving into it?”

A long wait contributes to becoming stuck in one identity. Waiting tends to gradually eat away at our identity. We assume that because we have been stuck in this role so long, this must be who we truly are. We latch on to this assumption so automatically that we block out even the possibility for new opportunities.

Today, God is saying to you, to me: “You’ve seen yourself in a certain way for a long time, but now I want to do something completely new in your life. Will you obey me? Will you stake everything on this new vision and trust me for the abilities, the resources, the outcome?”

I personally have had to answer this question in recent months. I’m doing my best to let God move me into a new identity. And, I would urge you to let God begin to move you into a new identity today!

An interesting note: in this week’s Scripture to Memorize, we find God moving Jesus from the identity of suffering servant to that of victorious savior.


This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Isaiah 53.12: Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.