Longing to BelongSample

Two powerful forces are at work to define us: the impressions people draw from our appearance and behaviors, and the core beliefs we hold deep inside about who we really are. Ultimately, our core beliefs have the upper hand in shaping our identity. In the depths of your soul, do you believe what other people say about you, or do you agree with God’s view of who you are? 

You were knit together by the master craftsman, who watched you and wanted you before you were born. Your existence was anticipated and planned by the Creator of the universe, who laid out every moment of your life before a single day had passed. You are God’s masterpiece, equipped with everything needed to do the incredible things God planned for you to do and to be the complex person he created you to be. 

In Exodus 3, God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses looked inward and came up short. Born a Jew, raised an Egyptian prince, and living in self-imposed exile, he had little confidence in his qualifications as a leader. So he protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” 

In response, God didn’t motivate Moses to tap into his inner strength or inspire him to acknowledge hidden greatness. Instead, God redirected Moses’s focus, saying, “I will be with you” and “I am the one.” 

Moses argued his inadequacy and lamented his limitations. God promised his presence and proclaimed the infinite nature of his being: I AM Who I Am. 

When you feel less than equipped for your calling, God responds to your self-doubt with assurances of his all-sufficiency. You can say with confidence, “God equipped me with everything I need to be the person he created me to be.” Don’t forget, your tongue has power. Use it for good.

Declare this truth: 

I am wonderfully made.

Pray this aloud:

Dear God, I believe you made me for a unique purpose for just such a time as this. I rest in the knowledge that you see me as no one else can. You see what I am becoming, not merely what I am now. As I commit to follow your lead and obey your commands, I trust that you will accomplish everything through me that you have purposed to do. Amen.