Who Am I? I Am His
Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far? (II Samuel 7:18)
II Sam. 7:12-29; Gen. 32:9-10; John 15:p-15
What Is God Saying?
David was the greatest of kings. He was also the greatest of warriors. This had its glory. It also had its price. Because he was a man of war who ‘shed much blood and waged great wars’ (I Chron. 22:7), God gave the building of the Temple (David's greatest dream) to his son Solomon. David had a great vision of a Temple to God's glory. He drew up the plans (I Chron. 28) and gathered many needed supplies (I Chron. 22:2). Yet he was denied the honor of building it. God had not rejected David in doing so. He had a greater honor reserved for him. In II Samuel 7:15 God promises David a kingdom that will be forever. Could there be a greater honor than to have as one of his descendants the promised Messiah? Jesus was born in Bethlehem, David's birthplace. Jesus' mother, Mary, was told by an angel that her Child would be given the throne of David and that his kingdom would never end (Luke 1:32-33). David was given a great name; he was showered with respect and honor; his kingdom prospered as no other; and he was assured that his name and his fame would continue, through the Messiah, to the end of time and for eternity. Little wonder that David asked, ‘Who am I?’ The humility was real. The thankfulness was earnest. Disappointed in his fondest dream, the Temple, he was fulfilled beyond all dreams in his forever kingdom through Jesus Christ.
How Does This Apply To Us?
If David asked the question as an ancestor of Christ, how much more should we, as inheritors of that kingdom, ask, ‘Who am I?’ We know that with Jacob we are not worthy of the least of all God's mercies (Gen. 32:10), yet we have been given by the grace of God, the greatest of all blessings, eternal life. We are part of our Lord's everlasting kingdom. What have we done to deserve it? Nothing. What can we do to show our thankfulness? Obey the commandments of Jesus and share His love with others. Who am I? I am very important, I am His!
Pray With Me
Thus far, dear Lord, You have brought me. An unknown road lies ahead. It may be long or short, hard or easy, bright or dark, but at its ending, I will still be able to join David in saying, ‘Thou hast brought me thus far.’ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I am content and secure in that knowledge because He who never changes never forsakes. Every day I can awake to this trustful awareness, ‘Thou has brought me thus far.’
Yet, Lord, the thought is humbling and even overwhelming. I, the undeserving, am undeserted. Forsaking, I am not forsaken. Willfully wandering, I am patiently sought. Condemned by my failures, I am comforted by Your victories. Loveless, I am loved. Hurting, I am healed. Hiding, I am found. Please don't let my feelings of unworthiness lead me to self-demeaning despair. Instead of always asking, ‘Who am I?’ let me be glad for the assurance of who You are.
Lost in the wonder of Your love, I am set free from enslavement to self. I don't know why I deserve such favor and protection. I just want to become so identified with Him who was willing to become identified with me in the death my sins deserved, that instead of asking, ‘Who am I? I will simply say, ‘I am His!’ Then I will know why I am chosen though undeserving and why I have been brought beyond all danger and disaster and defeat by the providence of a merciful and mighty Lord.
To the praise of Him who leads all who are willing to follow in paths of righteousness and through valleys of shadow to eternal glory. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
In prayer, it all comes into focus. It is not, look at who I am. It is, rather, look at who God is! In prayer, we look at what we may become because of who He is. Prayer is the climate in which God cultivates the new life He has given us in Christ. Who am I? Good question. I am His! As Paul wrote to his greatly loved friends in Philippi, ‘I feel sure that the One who has begun his good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ’ (Philippians 1:6).
