We’re praying for our girls to find their identity in Christ this quarter. One of the moms asked me how I define identity from a biblical perspective. I told her what I’ve always told my daughter, that our true identity is who God says we are.
But here’s the thing, I know how large the gap can be between KNOWING what God says about who we are and BELIEVING what God says about who we are.
One of my favorite passages about our identity and our place in the Lord is Isaiah 43. Last week I shared with my girl moms group why I believe that chapter is so important for us to know and to share with our girls.
5 Truths We Need to Trust
Today, I thought I’d share those with you as well as a little printable you can use with your girl. These are truths we need to internalize, truths we can use to measure our feelings against God’s Word.
1. God created and formed us.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 ESV
God is intentional. He meant to create us, to form us just the way we are. Look at the first part of verse one above — “He who created you, He who formed you.” There is no incidental creation of God. He is always intentional and each of us is created and formed specifically by Him and for His glory.
2. God redeemed and called us.
I love this part — and it’s a great truth to share with your daughter or yourself when you feel left out, unseen, or not included. “I have called you by name, you are mine.” We are chosen by God. He has redeemed each of us as individuals, called us personally to relationship with Him.
3. God remains with us.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 ESV
This one gets me every time. As you read that verse above, I hope your thoughts take you to a story in Daniel 3. Three young men who refused to bow down to the king’s idol and were instead placed in the fiery furnace.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
Daniel 3:26-27 ESV, emphasis added
When it’s harder than we ever imagined, when the fires are burning all around us, when the storms are raging, when the water is over our heads, we are not alone! He is with us. The water won’t consume us. The flames won’t devour us.
4. God ransomed us.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Isaiah 43:3 ESV
Just as God gave other nations for the sake of Israel, so too He has ransomed us. The price He paid for our redemption? His Son. Consider Jesus’ own words in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In a world that will tell our girls their worth is found only in what they look like, who they know, or what they accomplish, we have a God who says, “You are worthy because I say you are worthy.” The ransom for our redemption wasn’t paid because we could earn it, but because we never could.
5. God loves us.
Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Isaiah 43:4 ESV
Here’s the thing, the one thing we need to tell our girls and tell ourselves — God loves us. We are precious to Him, honored by Him. His love isn’t based on who we are or what we do, it’s entirely rooted in Who He is and what He’s done. We can’t do enough to gain it and we can’t do anything to lose it. His love is faithful and sure.
So knowing those five things, believing them, how does that change us?
First, we need not fear. Verse five of Isaiah 43 says, “Fear not, for I am with you.” Whatever our situation, our circumstances, we need not fear, for God is WITH us.
And second, we bear His glory. Consider verse seven, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” When we recognize we are here for His glory, it changes everything. Because it’s not about us — it’s Him, always Him.
One last thing from verses 18 and 19 …
Remember not the former things,
Isaiah 43:18-19a
nor consider the things of old.
1Behold, I am doing a new thing
Don’t get trapped by your past! And don’t let your daughter believe her past defines her. God is in control of all things. He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9) and we can trust Him with our future.
Y’all, it’s so important that we know what God’s Word says. It’s vital that we take our girls to Scripture when they struggle with their identity and any other issue. We need to teach them HOW to weigh their feelings through the truth of God’s Word. And we need to be faithful to do the same thing for ourselves.
If you haven’t signed up for the monthly prayer calendars, you can do that here. I’d love to have you join the thousands of moms who are praying Scripture every day for their girls.
xoxo,
Teri Lynne
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