I am a Woman of God

"I am a woman of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ!"  That mantra was floating through my mind over and over as I sat across from three people who sincerely believed there was something demonic inside me. (NOT a situation you find yourself in every day, and certainly not what I expected in coming to a "prayer ministry," but we have to be on our guard and know the truth!)  Again, there is a huge difference between demonic attack and demonic indwelling, and for any 'Christian' to believe, let alone teach that the latter is possible for those who are in Christ really saddens me...  

"Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world... If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation... He (not they) who is in you is greater than he that is in the world... God is light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all... Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption... How can light live with darkness?  What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?"

And I'm memorizing this one - join me, won't you:

"We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead,we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ." ~Eph. 4:14-15

Mmmm, I love that!

Beth's "Identity Declaration" has been so wonderful for me, and God timed it perfectly as I memorized that less than a week before the cult-ish "Peace in the House Ministry" experience. A few weeks after all of that, the Captivating Retreat added new layers to my identity in Christ. Beth's description is somewhat general and applies for all Christian women, but God also has a very unique and personal "ID card" for each one of us. He even says (in Revelation 2:17) that those who are victorious will receive a new name in heaven that is understood only between that person and Christ - how awesome and intimate is that!? 

(I have at least 10 nicknames for each of my puppies, so it makes sense to me that God would have some individual names for His kids. lol) At Captivating, we prayed specifically that God would reveal a bit of how He sees us personally -- that we would get a better sense of our unique identity in Him. There are four awesome metaphors I believe God showed me there - each relating my life purpose back to something I really love (one of which I think would make you laugh out loud, but it's fantastically brilliant for me). :)

Anyway, although it might not make as much sense to others, I wanted to share at least this one...

The first image that came to mind when asking how God sees me was that of a rainbow, and I wrote out a description... Colorful, transparent, peaceful. Positioned by God, close to the storms. Uniquely beautiful, symbolizes restoration and hope.  Rare, loved, glowing, brings light and joy after storms.  Easily dismissed by cynics, but reminds true believers of God's presence and His promises - His heart for life in the midst of storms that could have destroyed us but for His grace!

YES!  I love it.
I could say so much more about that, but it just seems unnecessary.
I am a woman of God, and God knows my heart so personally.
And He knows yours. And it matters to Him!
And that is beautiful!! =)