You ARE who God says you ARE!

Feeling insecure today? You are not how you feel.

Feeling afraid today? You are not how you feel.

Feeling unworthy, incapable, or under-qualified? You are not how you feel!

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You are not what you do. You are not what has happened to you. You are not what people say about you. 

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You ARE who God says you are.

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Listen for His voice today. Let His voice of truth be the loudest one you hear today. 

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Look to Him—see who He is and then you can see more clearly who you are.

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Physicists and scientists agree that even an apparently insignificant event such as a butterfly flapping its wings in Africa can affect the atmosphere in Alaska.

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Isn’t it true that even a small thing, such as the beautiful hymn, “Be Still My Soul,” can transform the atmosphere in the room where it is being played?

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The same is true for words…just a few encouraging words of Truth from God’s Word can transform the atmosphere of our thought-life.

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Read these words out loud and see what happens to your atmosphere…

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You ARE who God says you ARE…

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In Christ, you ARE…

   BLESSED with every spiritual blessing,

      ACCEPTED in the Beloved Son of God,

         ADOPTED as a child of the King,

             CHOSEN before the foundation of the world,

                REDEEMED by His Blood,

                    FORGIVEN by His Grace,

                        LOVED with an everlasting love.

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When you feel betrayed, God says: You are BLESSED

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

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When you feel ignored, God says: You are ACCEPTED

According to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:5-6)

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When you feel abandoned, God says: You are ADOPTED

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. (Eph. 1:4-5)

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When you feel inadequate, God says: You are CHOSEN

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4)

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When you feel rejected, God says: You are REDEEMED

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. (Eph. 1:7-8)

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When you feel condemned, God says: You are FORGIVEN

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. (Eph. 1:7-8)

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When you feel forgotten, God says: You are LOVED

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4) 

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3) “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 33:27)

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Take a few minutes to ponder these lyrics...

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Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

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Lord Jesus, Thank You for this encouraging Truth from Your Word, that in Christ, we ARE who You say we are. Thank You for the free gift of salvation, that we are justified on the basis of Your finished work on the Cross. Thank You that, right now, we are under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Because we have placed our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed by Your precious blood. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. Knowing that God’s love for us and approval of us will never be determined by our performance is the most encouraging promise to which we cling! What great things You have done! We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Ephesians 1 …pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

Look In—as you meditate on Ephesians 1 …pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

Look Out—as you meditate on Ephesians 1…pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.