When Heaven Names You
Well now, friend, come on over here and ease yourself onto this ol’ front porch. Oh, my, it’s so good to see you! Mercy, look at you showin’ up today like a fresh breeze sweepin’ across a field of wildflowers. If you could hear that fussin’ lil’ ol’ squirrel over yonder scoldin’ a big ol’ raccoon that keeps sneakin’ off with the last of the corn, or smell that peach cobbler coolin’ on the sill, you’d know you’ve landed in a place where your heart can settle in and breathe deep. Now let’s examine a truth that’s sturdier than an ol’ mule standin’ firm on a narrow ledge. Matthew 16:13-16 tells us, “Jesus asked His disciples who folks said He was,” but then He leaned in real close and asked the question that mattered. “Who do YOU say that I am?” And tucked right beside it is Proverbs 27:19, which says, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” These two verses fit together real good like two creek minnows swimmin’ in the same ripple, each one pointin’ us toward the truth of who He is and who we are.
Now, friend, folks have always had plenty to say about Jesus. Some plum thought He was a prophet, some sho’-nuff’ thought He was a teacher, and some downright thought He was stirrin’ up trouble like an ol’ Banty rooster crowin’ long before daylight. But Jesus wasn’t lookin’ for a popularity report. He wanted His disciples to know Him by revelation, not rumor. And that’s exactly how He wants us to understand ourselves. The world’s mighty quick to slap labels on us. Friends, family, coworkers, social media, even that bathroom mirror will try to tell you who you are. But just like Jesus turned away from the crowd’s chatter, we’ve gotta turn away from all them noisy voices and ask Him, “But who do YOU say that I am?”
Peter didn’t guess. He didn’t take a poll. He spoke from revelation. And friend, that’s what God sho’-nuff’ wants for you. He plum wants you to know you’re fearfully and wonderfully made, just like Psalm 139:14 says. He wants you to know you’re chosen, treasured, redeemed, and loved. James 1:23-24 reminds us that the Word is a mirror. If you look into it, you’ll see your true reflection, not the warped one the world tries to hand you.
Father, teach us to hear Your voice above every other. Show us who we are in You. Help us lay down every false label and pick up the truth You speak over us. Make Your Word our mirror and Your presence our confidence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well ok then, friend, as you make your way from this ol’ porch and into the chores of your day, carry this truth the way a river carries sunlight across its ripples, steady and sure. Hold on tight to what God says about you with the quiet confidence of a lil’ ol’ deer movin’ through a mornin’ meadow, knowin’ exactly where it belongs. Keep His words real close the way a wise ol’ tortoise keeps its shell, not out of fear but out of knowin’ it was made for protection and purpose. And move forward with the calm certainty of an ol’ farmhouse windmill turnin’ in a gentle breeze, doin’ what it was built to do, trustin’ the Lord to keep remindin’ you who you truly are every place your boots land.
With joy,
Gwen
