Matthew 16:13-15
When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Phillipi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is? They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?
Last Sunday, I attended church at Iglesia del Caminos, the church with which we have been serving. Pastor Mike was preaching on this passage of Scripture. Again, I walked unexpectantly into the other half of what God was trying to teach me, the part where I discover my cat.
In this passage of scripture, Jesus was asking the question to show that they didn’t truly know who he was in their hearts. They did not have a firm foundation. In verse 15, only Peter could answer. Simon Peter said,” You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back,”God Bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are,really are.”
I’m pretty sure that what God was trying to teach me was not exactly what Pastor Mike was teaching on. Mainly, because my notes now make no sense. Oh well! All I know is that God uses what He wants how he wants. Pastor Mike ask the question, “In what do you place your security?” Something in me broke loose, I began crying out to God. I knew my security was not him. For so long, I have been protecting myself. I am afraid of being hurt, rejected, abused and left to fight alone. God has been constantly reminding me that his protection is far better than mine. He is so much more equipped to protect me. My protection usually means having a ready defense to people’s judgments. After fighting this battle for so long, I still find myself a slave to the opnions and praise of others and at the mercy of their judgments and assumptions.
In those moments, I heard God reassuring me.
Trust me.
I will protect you.
No matter how many times your heart gets broken, I can heal it.
I can fill you to overflowing if you will just quit trying to protect yourself.
This is what I am asking of you.
Drying my eyes, I realized this was the key to so much for me. How would I ever love others like God if I was always waiting to be hurt? Essentially, I am still playing the victim. Why do I still feel like a victim? I am doing a horrible job of protecting myself. No more. From this point on, my answer to Jesus question, “Who do you say that I am?” comes from:
Psalm 46 v. 1 God is our refuge and strength An ever-present help in trouble. V. 5 God is within her, she will not fall;God will help her at break of day. V. 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
The God of Jacob is my fortress.
The verse in Matthew, talks about having a firm foundation. I need to add to my foundation. I need to know God as my protector. Next time, I need protecting I will be safe inside my God, my fortress.
What does this have to do with my cat? Discipline is for God to define and me to obey. While reading the Bible, praying and studying are valuable ways of disciplining oneself, I have to untie that cat and allow God to define discipline in my life. I love when God hits me with truth out of the most unlikely places. God saw the opportunity to teach me something invaluable through something that might seem silly. I have to remember He made me and He knows me best.
The cat is free!
Our friendly neighborhood cat, LOLA.
