Who Are You?

Gal.5:¹⁶ (NIV) “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

We are starting today’s devotional by diving headfirst into God’s Word. John 1:^19-23 “This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said.” (NRSV). The Prophet they are referring to is the one Moses spoke about in Deuteronomy 18:15 [please read].

John 1:^24-28 “Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.” (NRSV). As is characteristic of John, he told us where the enquiry took place. The only baptism that was available at that time was when Gentiles become Jews. But John was baptizing Jews and they could not understand why. Is he the Messiah, or the prophet, or Elijah?” John said, ‘No’. Jesus actually says in Matthew that John came in the spirit of Elijah. John said, “You think I am baptizing? There is one that is coming after me, He is greater than me, He is the Messiah.”

John the Baptist understood his calling and he understood it from scriptures. He quoted Isa. 40:3 [please read]. John knew who he was. It is important for you to understand who you are, to understand who God has called you to be. If you do not know who you are, people will come to you with their own suggestions. ‘You look like a prophet; you are a prophet. In fact, you are Elijah’. If you do not know who you are, you will agree with them. Interestingly, some people are growing beards today because they feel they are Elijah. You need to know who you are and the only place you can locate your identity is in the Word of God. The Word of God is the mirror; when you stand in front of it, you will see yourself as God sees you. Know who you are. No matter how many suggestions they came to John with, he refused every single one.

Sadly, many times, we run other people’s races and we compete with people we have no business competing with because we do not know who we are. Sometimes, we actively look for someone to rival because we do not know who we are. If you know who you are, you will stay in your own lane, running your own race. It does not matter who has gone ahead of you; you just be in step with God because that is what matters. It does not matter who is doing what, or what they have achieved. The key thing is, are you where God has put you?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me uncover my identity in God’s Word, in Jesus Name. Amen!