This last summer, I was a camp counsellor in Bushkill, Pennsylvania, and it was the best thing I've ever been a part of. I learned so much about life, about God, about others, and what God's plans are for me over the next few years. I experienced more growth in those three months at camp than I have over the course of the last six years, which is how long I have been a Christian. I know, huge. God stretched me, molded me, and taught me how to completely depend on Him. He blessed me every single day that I spent with our kids, and He continuously showed me His grace and mercy through every situation that I was faced with. He showed me who I am in Him, and that aside from His will, nothing else in life matters.
That being said, I wanted to share some verses from Psalms that have helped me find my identity in Christ, because apart from Him... I am nothing, and I can do nothing. But in Him, anything is possible, and He will take me farther in life than I could ever think of going.
"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." Psalm 16:8
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage." Psalm 27:14
"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." Psalm 37:5
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 [My favorite verse]
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:3&4
"For God alone, my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.Trust in Him at all times, O people, pour out your heart before Him; God is our refuge." Psalm 62:5-6&8
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26
"But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God is the the rock of my refuge." Psalm 94:22
"I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2
These verses are a reminder to me that God is the only One in whom my hope belongs. No matter who it is in your life, no matter how much you trust them, they will let you down one day. but God won't. He is literally incapable of lying, therefore He will always come through on His promises.
I wanted a visual reminder of the things that God has done in my life this year, so I got a tattoo of an anchor on my wrist. Hebrews 6:19 says that God is our sure and steadfast anchor for our souls, and He is our only hope... God changed me so much this year, and I consider myself blessed because of it. Every day, many times throughout the day, I see my anchor, and I think about everything God has done in me and everything He has yet to do. I know that if my hope stays in my God, He will always take care of the rest, no matter how big or how small it may be.
There is a certain freedom in finding who you are in Christ, and I can't really put it into words how great it feels. I have become totally independent of the world because I'm fully dependent on Him, and I have never had more joy and peace in my life. I really hope and pray that whoever reads this article can also experience the freedom that Christ offers us.
