Daily Devotional

November 24th, 2021
by Pastor Jon Shabaglian

"Identity Check!"

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

It’s remarkable how much understanding who we are, affects how we live. If we are over confident in our own strength, pride and selfishness are rarely far behind. When we understand we’ve been purchase by costly blood from Jesus, the Servant of all, living as a servant to others, is just a natural outflow.

As 1 Peter tells us, we are a “chosen people and a royal priesthood,” which enables us to wake up each morning with our heads held high, because of “Him who called (us) out of darkness into His wonderful life.” As followers of Jesus, we’re children of the King! And not just any King…the King of all Kings, and Lord of all Lords. The One who when He spoke, every atom exploded into the ever expanding universe that we’re still barely learning the tip of the iceberg about! That identity, comes before being American, our ethnic & cultural identity, our occupation, the skills set we’ve been given, etc.

When our identity is out of order, life breaks down on so many levels: to a lack of shalom (God’s peace) personally, and to others that we influence. Yet when it is in order, shalom pours through us, and splashes on our hurting world in a wondrous way!

So today is an Identity Check! Pause, read this 1 Peter passage one more time, lift your head high, and walk as a royal priesthood, and holy nation!

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