Who Am I?

     A number of years ago, one of my favorite Christian groups, Casting Crowns, introduced a song that continues to be a blessing to both myself and my husband.  The song asks the question, "Who Am I?"  According to an interview with Mark Hall, the song was written as he was meditating on Psalm 8:4 considering the majesty of God and man compared to that standard.  The lyrics reflect the questions we ask in our own hearts:

George Muller, a man who
answered that question in
God's Word.

     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 am a flower quickly fading,
      Here today and gone tomorrow,
      A wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind
     Still you hear me when I'm falling
                                                         And You've told me who I am,
                                                         I am Yours, I am Yours.

                                                     Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
                                                       Would look on me with love and watch me rise again?
                                                       Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
                                                       Would call out through the rain
                                                       And calm the storm in me?

At this point, the chorus repeats and ends with the words "Whom shall I fear?"  Indeed, everyone is looking for the answer to that question of who we are and why are we here.
     In Psalm 8 (as I alluded to above),  David asked the same questions in light of God's great majesty.  Verses 3-9 read:  "When I look at your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth."
     When we seek to answer the question, "Who am I?", we need look no further than God's Word; for in His Word, we find out who He is and who we are in relationship to Him.  David shows his amazement that God would even be mindful of us and care about us as He does, and yet, God has crowned man with honor and glory to be His image bearer here on earth.  Only when man comes into relationship with God through Christ (the only means of salvation) can man truly reflect and fulfill the place to which God has called him.
     Yesterday, in our Sunday School class, we discussed Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book "Studies in The Sermon on the Mount" and considered the self-centeredness of man which is at the root of all sin in our lives.  In the book, Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives the example of George Muller, a Christian evangelist who cared for over 10,024 orphans during his lifetime in Bristol, England.  He writes the very words of Muller:  "There was a day when I died, utterly died to George Muller and his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of even my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God" (pg. 257, "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount").  This is what God desires of us all who are called by His name.  Selfless living, however, cannot be accomplished apart from a saving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.  Only as His Spirit fills our life can we have ears to hear and eyes to see who we are and to whom we belong.  Likewise, our minds cannot conform to God's apart from looking into His Word faithfully.  It is in the pages of the Bible that we see God's holiness and our sinfulness, but we also find the Savior who frees us from our bondage.
     When we look into the Word, we will understand our purpose and why God has made us.  Our worth and significance are found in Jesus Christ.  When we realize the grace, mercy and majesty of our Creator, we will say like David, "what is man, that You are mindful of him...".  The more we read the Bible the more we will come to know God, trust Him and find out who we are.  Then, like George Muller, we can come to a place of selfless service where the opinions of others do not matter.  The only thing that will matter is glorifying the Lord and following Him.  May we be faithful pilgrims on this journey to rid our hearts of self and allow God to fill us with His Spirit.  Open His Word today and begin the journey.
 Selah!