1 John 3:1 NIV —  See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Love: An intense feeling or deep affection.

In reading today’s key verse and definition of love, is it easier to receive and give grace? God loves us so much that He identifies us as His children. I see our identities built in the lineage of Christ Jesus. Our identities are not dependent on our past, nor do they need to be tied to our future, but rather the gifts we offer in the present moment of today. So here it goes; my name is Julie Wicker and I am a child of God. I am a wife and a mother. I am a daughter and a sister. I am a niece and an aunt. I am a sister-in-law and a cousin. I am a church member. I am a friend and a co-worker. I am a runner. Identity is the characteristics determining who or what a person is.

Take a moment to look at Ray’s photo of the beach. In recent years as I have walked the beaches, God spoke to me that we are just like the broken seashells on the shore. Our God is bigger than the ocean that holds them, just as God is bigger than any fears and the brokenness we may feel. Are you feeling fearful or broken? Have you acknowledged that God is bigger than those feelings? Have you claimed your identity in Christ Jesus?

Let’s pray. Dear God, I surrender all my fears and brokenness over to You. I acknowledge that You’re bigger than anything I am going through. I seek Your grace. I claim the identity I have in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.