Who Am I?

WHO AM I?

TEXT: 1 Samuel 17.32-37

INTRODUCTION:

If you are a parent, then you most likely seen a movie called “Toy Story.” One of the main characters is a cowboy named “Woody.” In “Toy Story 2,” Woody is kidnapped by the owner of a toy store, who intends on selling him to a toy museum. Upon arrival at the owners apartment, he meets three other toys, a cowgirl, a prospector and a horse. While talking to them, the prospector calls him by name. Woody is shocked because he does not know how they could know his name. The prospector responds, “why you don’t know who you are do you?” The cowgirl later tells him that, “you’re valuable property.” Even though he was not aware of it, he was star of a old children’s television program.

I am here to tell you that you are valuable property, you are important.

In our text David is checking on his brothers at the battlefield. Goliath is making his threats. The army of Israel is hiding. David tells Saul, do not be afraid, I will go fight this giant. However, in their conversation, notice the words of Saul, “You are not able to go fight Goliath, you are only a youth, and he has been a fighter since he was young.” (v. 33). You will notice that David is aware of more than Saul, for he knows who he is and who he belongs to. He tells Saul, “The Lord . . . will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” (v. 37)

Goliath does not think much of him either, the Scripture tells that “when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him . . .” (1 Samuel 17.42a) Disdain means ignore, disregard, scorn, neglect or overlook. That is what Goliath was doing. Why, because Goliath saw him as “. . . but a youth . . .” (1 Samuel 17.42b).

This would make you wonder if this is what David is thinking when he writes Psalms 42 and 43. For there he asks a question three separate times, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me?” (Psalms 42.5, 11; 43.5)

Seeing what had taken place in the early life of David and in our Scripture, one would have to ask how is his self-esteem. Does he have a high regard for himself or does he see himself as someone low on the human scale.

This is what I want to know. How is your self-esteem. Do you see yourself as a nobody and a nothing, or do you truly see yourself as God sees you. Low self-esteem is defined as to not value or have high regard for yourself.

If anyone would have low self-esteem, these men would. These came from small backgrounds and became something great.

We see also a story in Genesis, where God had created a man and a woman. He placed them in the garden, which provided everything they needed. He came down and visited with them in the cool of the day. Yet one day, Adam and Eve took of the fruit that was forbidden and their eyes were open. The Scripture states that “. . . they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons . . . and . . . hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God.” (Genesis 3.7, 8) They were someone great and they fell. However, that did not make them any less valuable to God. When God came down and found them in that condition, he made for them clothes and covered their sin. That is how much God cares.

Illustration: ($5.00 bill - Fresh and crisp, crumbled up, and stepped on - still has value)

In John 10.10, Jesus tells us that, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The devil would like to destroy us, not only spiritual and physically, but would like to make us feel like we are less than what we truly are. On the other hand, Jesus wants us to have life and not just to live, but to live to the fullest. How can we accomplish this. Let us look at a few suggestions.

SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU

How does God see us? In Genesis we read where “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (2.7) When God looks at us He sees His creation, made by His own hands. God sees His masterpiece. When one reads Genesis you will notice that God spoke and thing became. Yet in this passage it tells us that God took extra time and formed us and breathed the breath of life into us. We are His personal creation. One of the friends of Job even clarifies this when he says, “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33.4)