# [Who Are You Lord](https://bluebookstudy.captivate.fm/episode/who-are-you-lord) > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.![[Kerrville Cross 7.jpg]] ### Opening Prayer: *Dear Jesus, Who am I really? What do you see in me that you would move heaven and earth to capture my heart? My life feels like a collection of other people’s expectations and disappointments. I do not even know anymore who I truly am. Reveal to me my true identity, my true place in Your story. Give me grace to hear your voice; shut out all other voices, and let me hear from you alone. I ask this in your name. Amen. (The Sacred Romance Workbook by John Eldredge)* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 62 #### My Soul Waits for God Alone #### To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. *62 For God alone my soul waits in silence;from him comes my salvation.2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.* *3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood.* *They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah* *5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,for my hope is from him.6 He only is my rock and my salvation,my fortress; I shall not be shaken.7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;my mighty rock, my refuge is God.* *8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;God is a refuge for us. Selah* *9 Those of low estate are but a breath;those of high estate are a delusion;in the balances they go up;they are together lighter than a breath.10 Put no trust in extortion;set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.* *11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.* #### Scripture for the Day: Luke 15:11-32 #### The Parable of the Prodigal Son *11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.* *17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[b] 22 But the father said to his servants,[c] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.* *25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”* #### Reading for Reflection: *Then an amazing paradox begins to dawn upon me: that I am never more truly myself than when I have given myself up to God. My actions are never more authentic than when they are the Spirit’s actions through me. I am never more genuinely human than when I am most godly. The more harmoniously God lives within me, the more freely I live. God has most glory before the world when I am most genuinely human.* ​ *Perhaps there is an echo of Jesus’ final prayer here, that the Father is glorified in the Son, and the Son is glorified in those the Father has given him. As the early church writer Iranaeus recorded:* *The glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God.* *Left to ourselves, we can never handle our own uniqueness. We have to give the burden of “being me” to God’s care and nurture. But in doing this, we discover more of the greatness of our loving Father. For if God is indeed God, then he has a separate perception and thought for everything that exists. Every creature at every moment is specifically known and sustained by him. An infinite love has an infinite attention to loving each creature in its own specific way. As Jesus said, not a hair of our head goes unnoticed by our heavenly Father.* *Because of this, it is no idle pretence or false arrogance on our part to believe that each one of us has a unique journey to make in the company of God. It is this profound individuation of our whole life before God that gives substance to the reality:* ​ *He loved me; he gave himself for me. (The Transforming Power of Prayer by James Houston)* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Arise (by Ryan Long) *Beloved can you hear me* *I call across eternity* *I am your God* *Are you listening?* *Arise my Love and Come with me* *Arise my Love and Come with me* *Your heart is sore. Your feet are weary.* *Your hope is gone. Your head is hung.* *Leave behind the nothing* *That you've become.* *Arise my love and come with me.* *Arise my love and come with me.* *Arise and come and become what you believe.* *Lay down your burdens my love and come with me.* *Arise my love and come with me.* *Arise my Love and Come with me* ### Closing Prayer: *O God, our Heavenly Father, who created us beautifully and wonderfully, may we always look to You for our value and worth, remembering that we are a unique expression of your infinite love, care, and creativity. Help us, O Lord, to see ourselves as you see us—objects of your extravagant love and tender affection. Through Christ. Amen. (JLB)*