Thoughtful Thursday: Who am I?

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are.

I heard this song recently and the words really struck me.  First, they struck me personally because oftentimes I feel very unworthy and insignificant, and can tend to measure my worth based on others’ opinion and expectation of me.  I have to remind myself that I belong to God and He knows my heart and loves me unconditionally.  Amazingly, He does this despite of who I am and how often I disappoint Him.

This brought me to the question of how many others have felt this way.  We have several people we can read about in the Bible that were unworthy in their minds, but God saw beyond what they could see, and with His power, they accomplished great things.

Exodus 3:11 “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Moses was tending sheep for his father-in-law when God came to him and revealed His plan for Moses to lead the children of Israel out of their captivity in Egypt.  Moses tried to give God a list of excuses as to why he was not the one.  God proved to him that it wasn’t what he could do in and of himself, but what could be done with God working through him.  Moses saw himself as a quiet shepherd, but we know him as the great leader God used him to become.

1Chronicles 17:16-17  “And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who  am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?  And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.”

As he did time and time again, David is recognizing his own unworthiness and God’s greatness.  He made this his practice when he was just a young shepherd boy, while God was using him to defeat giants.  He made this his practice when he was the King of Israel, and with God’s help was defeating nations.  David was far from perfect.  He was human and made mistakes just like the rest of us; however, in Acts 13:22 God says “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill my law.”   God saw David’s potential from the beginning, and David however unworthy he felt, yielded himself and God used him mightily.

Jeremiah 1:5-6  “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”

Jeremiah was only 21 when he began his preaching career and he preached for nearly 40 yrs.  He had great influence as a prophet of God.  Yet, God still needed to reassure him of his planned purpose that was set even before he was born.   

Luke 1:46 -48 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in

God my Saviour.  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from

henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

Oh how right she was!  This lowly handmaiden was the vessel that carried our Saviour, the Lord

Jesus Christ.  God’s perfect plan to redeem humanity from the curse of sin, most strategically

began with Mary.  Mary, coincidentally…or not, was of the bloodline of King David.  I just love

how God so beautifully orchestrated that!

Unable.  Unprepared.  Unsuitable.  Unworthy. 

We have all been there, we have all felt it.  When we are feeling lowly, humbled and abased, I

believe we are in the perfect place for God to use us.