We Are Precious In His Sight

I was thinking about my younger years recently. There were some definite ups and downs. There were those that bullied me and those that were good friends. How I saw myself depended on who was standing by my side. When it was my friends, it was much easier to see my value, but when those that didn’t like me were around, I felt weak and vulnerable... not courageous. Now, if those same people were around me when my folks were around, I wasn’t afraid. When someone trusts us, believes in us, and loves us, we are much more likely to be able to face the world than we are on our own. The weakness in this scenario is that there were times that my parents couldn’t be there. I was alone. Even though I tried to do what was right, I was much more likely to fail when I was on my own. On the flip side of that coin, if someone was always watching, I might get paranoid or think that I was being judged. Even the most honest person can have issues with emotions and assumptions that interfere. Now let us consider God. I have the most precious identity because I belong to God... I am loved, precious to Him, holy, a saint, part of the royal priesthood, justified, and set apart for His work. Wow. That’s a pretty amazing identity. The bullies?...the Devil, the world and my own sinful desires. The closer my walk with God, the less these enemies influence me. I never have to fear being alone with a bully if my heart is surrendered to God. I need to constantly remember that He is with me. I would not misbehave if my parents were watching me. Consider, however, that your Father is watching you. How does that change what you do with your life? My heavenly Father can never be influenced by untrue factors or emotions. He sees me for who I am...and He still loves me... and you. If I stumble, He is there to help me. If I sin and my heart is broken, longing for our relationship to be renewed, there is forgiveness. If I experience great anguish in life due to living in a sinful world, He will comfort me and bring healing. We need to break this mind-set that God is disconnected from our everyday life and realize, for good or bad, that He is right by our side. Does that bring you comfort or indifference? Father, thank You for always being with us, in all our seasons. May we always recognize Your presence and serve You faithfully. Amen