There is so much in this life that can imprison us. We are not just bound by physical confines. Many of us are held captive by fear, by our past, by our sins. Even our accomplishments can hold us back from walking into what the future holds for us. It’s true. We can spend so much time living in the past that we become unable to live in the present and unwilling to embrace the future.

Even the most generous, loving, gracious people on earth are prisoners to sin. The Bible sets the boundaries that we are ALL sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus knew that without His sacrifice on the cross we would never be able to pay the debt to set ourselves free. And that is why He came…to pay the debt that only He could pay to set us free forever. John 8:36 (NIV) is a precious promise for you and I that is the key to unlock the door forever! “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

What does God say about you? You are free.

The first time my husband, Ken, and I heard our baby’s heartbeat, our hearts flooded with so much joy. We didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl. In fact, we didn’t really know anything about this little gift except that he or she was filled with possibilities and promise. When we brought home the first sonogram picture, in small print along the edge, the typed words “Baby Harper” were written. Once he was born, the nurse placed him in a hospital bassinet with a blue cap on his head and a note card that read ‘Baby Boy Harper’.

Once that name card was replaced with one that declared he would be known from that day forward as Cody Thomas Harper it launched his pursuit to be known not just by his name but for who he is and his contributions to the world.

We are each born with a desire to be known and a need to be loved. When we are born not even our mama or our daddy knows who we are or what we will become. But there is One who has known us since before the beginning of time. Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” So today focus on the fact that God created you and knows you. And indeed set you apart for a specific & vital purpose.

What does God say about you? You are known.

I started reading an article about the strategies of being resilient. The word ‘strategies’ made me expect monumental steps to achieve resiliency. To my surprise I saw things like “be mindful to breathe, to eat, to move…to practice one small step at a time”. My first reaction was, ‘well, duh!’ But as I thought about it more I found myself agreeing that being resilient isn’t achieved by giant leaps and bounds. Resilience is the steadiness of keeping on.

The Bible uses the word picture of a tree. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV) says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Regardless of the heat or drought, even when it was only a seed covered up by dirt, surrounded in darkness, it kept growing, focusing on being planted, not buried, digging roots deep toward the river, to withstand heat and drought, fear and anxiety. And it does not cease to bear fruit. When you hear that verse do you imagine a Charlie Brown tree? or a healthy, vibrant, growing tree that is rich in fruit? Perhaps we need to adjust how we see ourselves if we are putting our trust in the Lord each day. If we are, we are much more like that tree described in Jeremiah 17:7-8. You know, the one that keeps on keeping on, despite the situations surrounding it. Digging deep. Bearing fruit.

What does God say about you? You are resilient.

Auditioning for a part in the choir or a role in the play. Are you having flashbacks yet? How about gym class in fourth grade when you were selected halfway through…or maybe left til last? Whether you are being interviewed for a job or hoping to just not be the last one left to be added to the team in gym class…there is a common thread that tries to weave its way through our mind. The needle of rejection can pierce our spirit, even from the time of our youth, with a thread that sews words on our heart like unwanted, unacceptable, untalented, unskilled.

The stress and strain of rejection, even the possibility of it, leaves a mark. And each time we are marked by it the patch marked ‘not enough’ grows deeper and wider over our heart and in our mind. Until one day that wound of rejection holds more power over us than the inspiration of any dream we ever dared believe could come true. It can hold us hostage from becoming who God fully intended us to become.

There is ONE truth that trumps every rejection, cancels every negative word, heals every wound we’ve experienced in this life…and can set us free if we will allow it! The truth that we are loved by God and He has chosen us! 1 Thessalonians 1:4 says, “For we know, brothers and sisters, loved by God, that He has chosen you.” (NIV) God has a plan for your life and He has chosen you! And consider this, some of the rejection we’ve experienced may be because we’ve set our sights too low! Maybe God is paving the way for His higher and better plans?! After all, you are the only one God chose to live the life that only you can live.

What does God say about you? You are chosen.

Have you ever heard someone say ‘God knows the number of hairs on your head.’? If you’re fairly new in your relationship with the Lord you might not have heard that yet. But I can remember when I was a kid thinking that was an odd thing to say. Like who really cares how many hairs are on my head?! Well as I’ve gotten older I realize that the number of hairs on our head can change rather rapidly on any given day. It’s just one of many things we might find concerning to us from day to day.

Luke 12:6-7 reads, “Five sparrows are sold for just two pennies, but God doesn’t forget even one of them. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.” (NIV) In the time that the Gospel of Luke was written when someone purchased five sparrows that fifth little bird was free because one sparrow alone had no value. But even that single sparrow that we might say had no value – was valuable to God. He watches over and cares for every little thing. And that includes everything about you and I as well.

If God cares about the little things, imagine how He responds to the big things. We can be sure that God is keeping track of all of it. For even the hairs on our head are counted. So don’t be afraid! That’s what He said. Do. not. fear! For you are worth much more than many sparrows.

What does God say about you? You are priceless.

When I was a kid I remember walking in a crowded parking lot of the shopping center with my mom. She would want me to walk closest to the parked cars in the lot. She would position herself between me and any vehicles driving through the lane as we were walking. When I became a parent and my kids got old enough to walk alongside me, whether it was a parking lot, or on a sidewalk, it was just a natural thing for me to put myself between my child and any oncoming traffic. You’ve probably done the same.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. God gives us a place to know we are safe when there is danger present. And He goes even farther in helping us to know His comfort. See if you can just envision what Psalm 32:7 reveals to us. “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” (NIV) What a beautiful picture of His peace surrounding us when there is trouble nearby. He surrounds us with songs of deliverance! How many times have you and I heard the right song at just the right time?! What if that is the Lord singing a song of deliverance over you at just the moment you need it most?!!

What does God say about you? You are protected.

I have had this recurring dream over the years. I walk out onto an empty stage with a spotlight on me and a room full of people and I can’t remember anything that I’m supposed to say. Not. one. word. Talk about stage fright! The first time I remember it happening I was preparing for a fifteen minute monologue that I was going to be acting out on stage at a dinner theatre. It was so far out of my comfort zone that no matter how much I prepared for that moment I continued to battle the fear that I would walk out on that stage and forget every word of it!

Even though I spent hours memorizing and preparing for that presentation I still remember the nightmare and that fear of being unprepared. The fear was real to me but the reality was I had invested the time and I was prepared for that moment. I had to choose faith over fear to accomplish the task I was called to do.

So it is in living our lives for God. Each of us are called by God to do good things to fulfill His plan for us. How do we prepare? How can we be ready when an opportunity presents itself? And make no mistake. There will be many opportunities every day to do good things! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us the answer. Spend time soaking up God’s Word! “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (NIV)

No matter what your stage looks like…a kitchen, a classroom, an office, a construction site or a boardroom…you are not alone. If you’ll take the time to hear what God wants to say to you through His Word, you will find that you are more prepared than you ever thought possible. Choose faith over fear today.

What does God say about you? You are equipped.

What does ‘safe’ mean to you? The more I’ve thought about what it means to feel ‘safe’, I’m realizing that there is an action that must occur first. We must trust. Trust in something or someone must occur in order for us to feel safe.

How do we know that we can eat or drink the foods and beverages we have in our pantry and refrigerator without getting sick? We read the label and have a level of trust that the contents inside are exactly what the label tells us. We read the safety features on a new vehicle, a bicycle, or a stroller for our newborn…and we trust that the manufacturer has presented all the safety features and cautions that we need to consider before purchasing.

How do we know that we are safe in God’s care? We read His Word. It’s got all the ingredients of our life listed, along with all the many safety features, and comes loaded with cautions to direct us and help keep us safe on our journey. The question is what level of trust do we put in our Savior? His promises are trustworthy and we can be sure that if God said it…we can believe it! We can trust Him.

There are so many promises in God’s Word about being safe in Him. Proverbs 18:10 is one of my favorites. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe.” (NKJV)

What does God say about you? You are safe!

There’s nothing wrong with being independent. We should know how to take care of ourselves. It’s what our parents teach us and what we, in turn, teach our children if we have them. But there is something in our spiritual DNA that leaves us searching if we don’t find the connection we were created to make and preserve with our Creator.

In our search to connect we might make choices that lead us in the wrong direction, but if we will choose to seek God we will find Him. He longs for us to seek Him with all of our heart. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is an amazing word picture. Imagine this verse from Genesis 3:8 about Adam and Eve in the garden. “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden.” (NLT) Of course, that was right after they had disobeyed God’s instruction and everything for them, as well as for all of humanity, was about to change forever. But imagine that was a daily routine that they would connect with God…every day, in the cool evening breezes, maybe with a glass of sweet tea on their front porch.

Things changed that day and the entire Bible is filled with the stories of men and women on their search back to find connection with their Creator. When Jesus came to earth, He restored our relationship with God. We can walk with God in the cool of the evening, or as the sun is rising, while we’re driving to work, over our lunch break, wherever we are willing to make a space for Him. God is with us, always.

Through Christ, God redeemed us, each one, and we don’t need to live in fear of anything. Jesus restored our connection with God! Isaiah 43:1 tells us God’s word through the prophet Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” (WEB)

What does God say about you? You are His.

My first passport arrived and I was so excited! Other than the inside front page, which had my photo ID along with who I was and my citizenship details, the book was empty. But as I leafed through the book, blank page after blank page, I could just envision the possibilities. All of the countries I could visit and the endless stories I would tell!

As I have traveled to different countries, each country has turned a page and, with its own unique stamp, stamped my passport giving me permission to access its border, connect with its people and experience its own unique flavor and character. The customs stamp declares to anyone who asks that I am approved to visit but my cover page shouts in bold print that I do not belong there.

While I have enjoyed my visits to other countries there is nothing like coming home. And there is nothing like handing my passport to an officer at customs when entering my home country and proudly showing that I am a citizen of the United States of America. I belong here.

But even ‘here’ is temporary. As a believer this world is just a temporary stay. We have access to its sights, its people and experiences day after day, after month, after year. But our real home is heaven. Philippians 3:20 is clear. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) Our passport may be filled with colorful experiences and connections from all of our travels here in this life…but if you could see the seal of the Holy Spirit on our hearts it would clearly spell out where we truly belong.

What does God say about you? You are a Citizen of Heaven.