I AM A CHILD OF THE KING

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name.

You're mine. "

Isaiah 43:1

(THE MESSAGE)

(This is part 5 - click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) 



This is the Father talking to His children.  When He says "you are mine" He means that you are His child!  You belong.  So, it's your Father talking to you, His child.  I look at this in two ways.

The word child doesn't only refer to age, it also refers to family.  That means that as an adult, I am still a child because I have parents - and even after they're gone, they'll still be my parents.  Even after I'm 'gone', I'll still be their child.

It refers to a deep and unconditional love-bond that intrinsically ties us to a person who will always look out for our welfare, support us and desire to keep us protected from harm.  Whether biological or adopted - the bond is the same.  This is true when GOD calls you His child.  Be encouraged that when you worship, it's not this distant figure up somewhere in the sky that we call 'the heavens'.  It's Abba, it's Dad, it's Father.  That's who we worship, and that will never change, regardless of age or earthly stature, you have a Dad.  You belong.

The second way to look at our 'child' identity is how we were when we were young.  As a young child, you recognize that you have limitations but you behave as if you have none.  As we grow, we tend to believe that we can do more and more on our own, and so we take on more and more responsibilities.

Whilst this can be really awesome, it can also be detrimental to our identity!  We start to think that we can live life on our own, that we only need a protector when things go wrong.  We believe that, eventually, when we’re strong enough, we’re ready to go it on our own.  And this is where we go wrong in life!  We’re not meant to go it on our own.  Our identity is not to be alone, it is to belong.  

Young children don't go to many places without their parents, in fact, their parents are generally always near by.  Wherever you go, your Father is near.

We come back to Rom 12:3 – our identity is to be found in GOD.

"The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him."

When I am near to GOD, I know who I am.  I am not afraid - I am redeemed - I have a name - I am a child of the King.