I sat in the stillness of the early morning reading my advent devotional and my heart was stirred by the Holy Spirit. I had just read Luke chapter nine. In which Jesus asked his disciples two questions. The first question was who does the crowd say that I am. The second was who do you say that I am. Both questions will have answers that reflect the heart of those who are following him, but the second question stopped me right in my tracks.
I let that question swirl around in my head and trickle to my heart. I felt like I was supposed to answer the question. Who do YOU say that I am, Kim?
I had a quick answer, but I knew this question needed to marinate for a bit. I didn’t need to brush this off with the “church” answer and move on. It was time to reflect on what I believed about my savior, my JESUS.
As I was thinking about this question my mind turned to my family Christmas and my baby cousin’s bold curiosity. “Who dat?”, she asked, as I hoisted her to my hip.
Smiling at the recent memory, I flipped the pages of my Bible and found where people asked “who dat?”. I wanted to know that I wasn’t alone in trying to figure out who God is to me, and I wasn’t disappointed in what I found.
God, Who Are YOU?
We can look all the way back to the beginning of the Bible and find where people ask who God is.
In Exodus the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. The bush was on fire but was not burning. Being curious Moses walked over to the bush to see why the bush wasn’t burning. In this moment, God revealed his plan for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Questioning God and doubting himself, Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” It was important for Moses to know how to answer the Israelites when they asked, “Who dat?”.
God answered him, and just like my baby cousin, Moses immediately asked another question. He asked God what he should tell the Israelites if they ask what God’s name was. “God replied to Moses, “I am who I am.” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I am has sent me to you.” (
CSB)
God’s answer was a play on words and revealed who He is. God can choose to be whatever or whomever He needs to be in each situation that arises. In this moment, God is the deliverer of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt.
What’s in a name?
Another, “who dat?’ moment is found when Jacob wrestles with God and asks him what his name is. “Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he answered, ‘Why do you ask my name?’ And he blessed him there.” (Genesis 32:29)
It’s interesting to me that Jacob knew he was wrestling with God, but he still asked God what his name was. I tend to be the same way, I know God, and I know He can do anything He wants, yet I don’t always acknowledge that he is capable of it.
For example, I know God is the great physician and healer. However, when I received a phone call from my daughter’s athletic trainer telling me that he thought she may have broken a bone in her foot my first response wasn’t God heal her.
My first response was let’s get her to the doctor. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until I heard that she indeed had a hairline fracture and high ankle sprain that I started to pray for healing.
Just like Jacob I knew who God was, but I didn’t acknowledge him until I wrestled with the reality of my daughter’s injury.
God can be whomever we need him to be in that moment. The mind-blowing part is he can be healer, Jehovah-Rapha, for my daughter, and at the same time be Jehovah-Jireh, provider, for you. This is because God is omnipresent and not confined to a single moment or space.
God has many names.
I have learned over the years that for every season I walk through God has a name that goes with it. When there doesn’t seem to be a way, God is a way maker. God has been Jehovah-Jireh, provider. When I need healing God is Jehovah-Rapha. When I feel like no one sees me God is El Roi. He sees me even when I’m sitting alone pondering deep questions.
Who Do YOU Say that I AM?
When Jesus asks his disciples who the crowds say he is they tell him that the crowd believes he is an ancient prophet that has come back from the dead.
After they answer him, he asks them the same question, but on a more intimate level. “But you, he asked, ‘who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20 CSB)
Jesus didn’t really want to know who the crowds thought he was. He wanted to know what the disciples were thinking. He wanted to know what those closest to him thought. I’m sure this caught them off guard just like it caught me off guard.
Have you ever sat back and thought about who Jesus is to you?
I know who Jesus is and my immediate response would be like Peter’s answer when asked who Jesus is. Peter spoke up and answered, “God’s Messiah”.
Jesus is the Messiah.
According to Strong’s Concordance, Mashiach, pronounced maw-shee’-akh means anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest or saint); specifically, the Messiah.
When Peter called Jesus God’s Messiah, he was proclaiming that Jesus was God’s anointed one. Jesus is the King of kings, the High Priest, and savior of the world.
Jesus is our savior.
He came to save me.
He came to save you.
He came so that no one would perish but have ever lasting life.
The only way to have ever lasting life, to live for all eternity in heaven is through Jesus Christ.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
Are you following the crowd and agreeing that he is just another prophet?
If someone were to ask you, “who dat?”, would you be able to answer who Jesus is to you on a personal level?
Who is Jesus to me?
Jesus is my everything. He is my:
- Anchor
- Savior
- Friend
- Hope
- Father
- Strength
- Deliverer
- Healer
This list is just the beginning of who Jesus is to me.
Friend, I know life is not always full of rainbows, roses, and pots of gold.
To see rainbows there must be rain.
For roses to bloom there must be rain.
Are you in the middle of a storm?
Do you feel that there must be something better?
There is something better!
Jesus is better!
There is HOPE!
Jesus is our HOPE!
Accept Him as God’s Messiah, Immanuel, Savior.
Give Jesus access to your heart and the healing will begin. The hurt won’t necessarily go away immediately, but the JOY the healing brings will be worth the pain you go through.
Jesus is calling us to draw close to him.
Are you feeling a tug on your heart? I pray you will respond to that tug.
If you don’t know Jesus as your savior and want to know him as your savior read the article below.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html
If you accept Jesus as your savior. I want to know. Please leave a comment or email me. I would love to encourage you as you start your journey with Jesus.
I’m praying for you, my friends.
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