Daily Devotional

I love working with the youth. One of the benefits is I get to see little problems that they deal with and have the opportunity to address them before they become major problems for them as adults. Identity is one of those problems. It seems like there is a constant group of voices telling us who we should be, what we should care about, and what we need to do with our lives. Whether it be from advertisements, news media, or worse…social media, we tend to have this never-ending source of noise telling us something about ourselves. While it’s normal to look to other people to help us figure out who we are, other people’s perceptions of us aren’t always accurate. We need a reliable source to help us discover who we are.

In the verse above, God says to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son.” What an enduring title that communicates so much. First, we see God as a father, provider, and protector. Then we see Jesus as a beloved, created, image-bearing son of the Father. The neat thing is we see elsewhere in the Bible, that Jesus encouraged His followers to “pray to the Father who knows our need.” (Matt. 6:8) So we also are sons and daughters of the most High God. Because Jesus is the representative of all humans, God is saying that to us, too. God’s voice pushes past the places where we feel awkward or insecure, saying, “You are my child. I love you and am pleased with you right now.” Jesus shows us that what God says about us matters the most. When we follow Jesus’ lead, we see that God’s word helps us discover who we are. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.