Don’t Forget Who You Are!

Matthew 11:1-3  1WHEN JESUS had finished His charge to His twelve disciples, He left there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.  2Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples   3And asked Him, Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one?
My husband preached about this last night, so I’m gonna steal some of his stuff for today’s devotional. 🙂 The John in this chapter is the same John that went about prophesying Jesus’ arrival, the same John that said he was unworthy to latch Jesus shoe when asked to baptize him, the same John that saw the heavens break open and a voice say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”, the same John that after baptizing Jesus, said “Stop following me, go follow him, He is the Christ”. Why then is John now saying “Are you the One”? Did he forget what he had seen and heard? Did he not remember everything he knew? Did the pressure of being in prison get to him? Can we see ourselves sometimes in John?
How many times do we read the Word and get a picture of who we are, or what we are entitled to through our covenant with Him, then a little pressure shows up and we forget because we don’t see the manifestation of it? We know the Word says in Romans 8:37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. Do we believe what the Word says or do we walk around defeated? We know the Word says in Isaiah 53:5 and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. Do we claim health and wholeness in our lives or do we tolerate sickness in our bodies?  We know Phillippians 4:7 says 7And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Do we stay in a position of peace no matter what is going on around us, or do we allow the circumstances of life to get us all frazzled?
James 1:22-24 says  22But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].   23For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; 24For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. When we read the Word we get a picture of who we are created to be, and what we are created to have. However, sometimes when the pressure of life shows up, we forget what that Word says. We forget who we are in Christ. No matter what goes on around you, remember that you are an overcomer, you are healed and whole, and you have the ability of God on the inside of you to enable you to push through any situation. Hold on to that Word and stay in remembrance of who God created you to be!