Amnesiacs

 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. I Samuel 17:45......"David knew who he was....It was not little him against this huge warrior. No, it was this puny Philistine warrior against almighty God." Paul Tripp

In his devotional New Morning Mercies, Paul Tripp asks why the Israelite army cowered in fear of one Philistine soldier while David, a shepherd boy, didn't? He said the answer was simple; they were "identity amnesiacs." They forgot who they were in their God. David didn't. Sadly, and to our shame, we more often resemble the trembling Israelites than we do the confident youth. We too often also suffer as identity amnesiacs. We forget who we are in Christ. Indeed, too often, we have never known who we are in Him to begin with.

The Bible is filled with examples of this. Moses had to be persuaded by God that he could carry out God's will for freeing a nation of slaves. He could do so because his Almighty God would be with him. Gideon, whom the Lord came to as he hid in a wine press, needed several "proofs" by the Father before he would agree to lead his oppressed people out of their bondage to the Midianites. This was so even after He greeted him with the title, "valiant warrior." This is how God saw him in relation to Himself. It was not how Gideon saw himself. Countless men and women have stood with these through the centuries. Men and women who never fully realized who they were, are, in Jesus Christ. Where might you and I stand with them today? Where have we fallen into the trap of being "identity amnesiacs?"

Scripture tells us that we can "do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us." He has proven this again and again through people like you and me. Jesus started with a group of very flawed disciples and in Him, they took His message of life throughout the known world. He is still taking very flawed people and doing the same. He is able to do so because though they know how flawed they are, they also know how empowered they are in Him. The problem for so many of us is we can't get our eyes off of our flaws and onto His perfection. The Israelite army, including their king, Saul, could only see the size of the warrior Goliath. They lost sight of the infinite grandeur of their God, along with all of His promises to them of being victorious over their enemies. David, as he looked upon the giant, remembered how his God had enabled him to prevail over the bears and lions that attacked the sheep he guarded. He knew this same God would give him victory over the giant. He knew that even a giant has limitations. His God had none. He still has none, and we who are in Him, really can do all things that He places before us and brings us into.

Where in your life has identity amnesia taken hold of you? What giant, mountain, obstacle, and yes, impossibility lies before you? Where has the view of them blocked your view of Him? Where have they caused you to forget who you are in Him, and who He says you are? Those suffering from amnesia live in a kind of fog, but the fog lifts when they regain the memory of who they are. For all of us today who suffer in any way from spiritual amnesia, may the fog lift. May we remember who we are and what He has promised. May we look past the giant, the mountain, the impossibility, and see the One who leads us and is with us. David ran to the battle and won. Let us run to our own battle as well....because in Christ, we have already won.

Blessings,
Pastor O