CWW Week 19 - Day 4 - Who Are You?

Scripture

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) reads:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Devotional.

This verse emphasises the identity and purpose of those of us who believe in Christ, highlighting our status and the mission to proclaim God’s glory. It reflects themes of spiritual identity, divine selection, and the transition from darkness to light.

There must be a reason that God has set us aside. Why us and who is us?

We are a chosen people? Well how are we chosen? What are we chosen to do? So many questions that need to be answered.

Do you remember when you were in school and the teacher asked for a volunteer to do something that took you out of the classroom? All the hands would go up and we would call out; “Pick me, pick me.” But alas only one was chosen and it was usually the one who was the best behaved in class.

I remember the first in depth conversation I had with my wife Michelle. I asked her what she was looking for in her life. She replied “a life partner.” I thought my arm was going to break off at the shoulder as I threw it skywards yelling, “ Pick me, pick me.”

We are all students in God’s classroom of life and He is the great teacher. This is why Jesus was called Rabbi which means teacher in Hebrew. The only difference is that we are all chosen when we put our hands up and not just one. The only criteria for selection is that we have the faith and testimony of Jesus, which means we give Him the glory for our good behaviour and we stick to His ten basic principles for a good life, His commandments.

When we accept Jesus, we become chosen to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. This doesn’t mean that we all become priests or pastors although some may; but that we are called to spread the good news of the Gospel that will be seen in our actions and the way we live. The Holy nation refers to the fellowship or community of believers that we form when we come together in Christ. We are his living, breathing, walking and talking church no matter where we go.

As new people in Christ, the old has passed away and what has risen is a new person. One that shines in the darkness. We become completely reborn and in so doing we are truly the possessions of God. Our continued citizenship in this Holy nation requires that we abide in our Father and hold fast to His principles as we learn and grow together in compassion and forbearance.

Like a giant school of bait fish in the ocean, hungry sharks will circle to feed on us, but together we support one another and resist the attacks as they come.

As a special possession of God we praise Him in worship and daily connection. As He calls us from the darkness to the light He will equip us to deal with the challenges that we face as we come to terms with the life we once lived. We will be taught forgiveness and understanding as we realise how heavy the burdens are when we don’t. Our cares and worries will be handed to Jesus as we come together.

Our new identity, feeling strange at first, will become comfortable as the fruits of this new life keep coming forth in sweetness and grace.

We need to be very careful however.

When I was a cattle mustering pilot in the outback of Queensland, I was stationed on a huge cattle station of three and a half million acres. During the drought one year, I was tasked with flying around the property checking that all the underground bores were pumping and the water flowing.

I noticed one tank was all but dry and while the windmill was working, no water was entering the big tank next to it. The tank was made of corrugated steel with big earth banks pushed up the sides. I landed next to the tank and got out to take a look.

When I looked into the tank, the stench of death struck me like a brick. In the sludge in the bottom of the tank were the rotting corpses of animals that had jumped in for a drink and could not get out.

There were two animals still alive. A full grown female Kangaroo and a young Dingo wild dog pup. I noticed the remains of the pup’s mother and a young kangaroo I took to be the joey of the surviving female. I jumped into the sludge of rotting carcasses to grab the animals and throw them out.

As I went to grab the pup first, the kangaroo attacked me. This happened repeatedly. I realised that the kangaroo had become the surrogate mother of the pup who’s mother may have partly eaten the baby roo before she died. The scene was horrendous. 

I eventually grabbed the dog and threw it up over the bank. The Kangaroo was too big to do that to however, so I jumped out and crept around the wall where I could just see her ears pocking skywards above the top. I reached over quickly and grabbed her and pulled her over the side.

We were both exhausted. For what seemed like an hour we lay puffing together in the red dirt. Her eyes were wildly fixed on mine in terror. As she looked at me she jumped up and ran around the tank. Before I knew it she had jumped straight back into the sludge of death. I could not believe it. As I watched on in amazement, the Dingo pup ran up the side of the dam and jumped back in with her.

I was left with no other option. I took the rifle from the aircraft and shot them both to put them out of their misery.

How many times have we seen a woman finally get the strength to leave an abusive husband only to return or start another relationship with an another abusive man.

Why does this happen?

Because they have learned how to adapt and live in this familiar world of abuse and fail to comprehend the possibility of being a new person because the changes of this new life are too frightening to consider. Perhaps they have come to think that an abusive life is all they deserve.

Being reborn into a new life does present it’s challenges. But when we realise how valuable each one of us is to the Creator, then the challenge is worth the steps.

Questions.

1. Do you often feel like you are living in that tank and you can’t get out?
2. Have you ever set yourself free only to jump back in again to familiar circumstances?
3. Are you now ready to eject from the darkness into the light of a loving relationship with God? 

Prayer.

Dear Lord, Papa God.

As I sit in the classroom of life contemplating my future Papa; I pray that You will see my hand raised high and You will hear me yelling “pick me Papa, pick me.” Thank you for giving me the chance to exit darkness. Lord I pray that You will keep me focussed so that I don’t run back to where I came from. Lord my faith and trust in You grows everyday. For this I thank you in Jesus name. Amen.

Have a great day with Jesus.

Graham Hood.