Truth: Grounding in Sonship
None is a stranger to life's difficulties. We live in a fallen world- circumstances, events, and people remind us of that every day. It's easy then to lose ourselves in chaos. Stormy waters can cause our heart to lose True North, like a ship in rough seas- how do we remain grounded and steadfast? As God's sons, it's vital we ask this question. It's one thing to remember who we are, reminders are essential, but when it comes to our identity, we need more than that. We need the truth about who we are to transform from head knowledge into heart knowledge- to change from a fact into a lived reality. To do so, we need more than occasional reminders; we need practices that help us stay grounded in our identity as Sons. Psalm 1 paints a beautiful picture of this.
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither-
whatever they do prospers.
"but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,"
When the Psalmist writes, "the law of the Lord" in verse 2, he is referring to the Torah, or the first four books of the Hebrew Bible. The Torah, amongst other texts, was widely read by the ancient Israelites as God's Word. To them, His Word was an image- a snapshot of what life as His Children was meant to look like. Today, most Christians extend that belief to the rest of the Hebrew Bible and include the New Testament. The Bible most Christians use today is meant to ground us in God's story- to reveal who He is and unveil our place alongside Him.
If you've been on a TNF trip, you understand what it means to delight in God's Word as described above in verse 2. We do that in Montana.
"You are my beloved son!"
We bask in that Word from our Creator on every trip, enjoying what it means just to be God's son- free from the burden and brokenness of the Imposter Life. It's easy for us to do that in the Bitterroot Valley, where every blade of grass speaks of God's beauty, and distraction is far away.
But, if I had to guess, you returned home to a gale of responsibilities, burdens, and people that clamored for your attention, threatening to pull you out of your heavenly Dad's delight. Maybe you've felt similar returning from a fantastic family vacation. Away, you gain some margin through rest and play, only to be blindsided the moment you re-engage with the "real world." It sweeps in with the force of a tornado and uproots the tree freshly planted in your heart. In this chaotic state, we find ourselves returning to our convenient lifeline, the Imposter Life.
"and who meditates on his law day and night."
This brings me back to my original question: How do we remain grounded and steadfast amidst the storm, rooted deep in our identity as sons?
The Psalmist posits an answer: we meditate on God's truth day and night.
What does the word "meditate" here mean? Well, there are a few ways to define this word. Based on the way Biblical authors use it in the Old Testament, it could mean, "ponder or focus our attention." In this case, we focus our attention on who God says we are according to his story. Another meaning could be to "utter or speak." In this case, we meditate by uttering or speaking aloud who God says we are. Either way, we begin to see what it means to "ground" ourselves in Sonship.
As a son of God, I focus my heart's attention and utter, or speak aloud, the truth of who my heavenly Dad says I am. When the Imposter says, "You're nothing," or incites fear, anxiety, pride, or frustration, we turn to the Words our heavenly Dad speaks to us and "meditate" on them. We let them sink deep into our hearts and ground ourselves there. The storms don't overtake us because we are keeping our hearts' attention on our heavenly Dad.
Recall Peter's experience of walking on water amidst a storm in the Gospel accounts. When did he begin to sink? When he turned his attention away from Jesus. That is what our heavenly Father is calling us into: to embody meditating on Him and His Word amid the chaos of life.
We write that simply, but we are aware of the difficulty here. God's truth often starts as words on a page. When we read them, they may not have much meaning. But over time, as we return to them and meditate on them, they become a lifeline-a way of grounding our hearts in Him.
Looking at Jesus' Life
Jesus experienced moments of chaos and trials in his life.
His cousin John the Baptizer, the one who helped prepare his arrival, questioned him, "Are you the one, or is there another?" Jesus replies by harkening back to Isaiah 61, the same verses he used to announce his ministry (Matthew 11). Jesus' mother and brothers question his sanity, saying, "He is out of his mind." Jesus responds by claiming that anyone who does the will of his Father is his brother, sister, and mother (Mark 3). The Pharisees and Sadducees question his identity; over and over, they try to trick him and expose him as an impostor, but they can't. Jesus always returns to the truth of who he is and why he is here.
The most potent moment occurs right before his greatest trial. The night before his death, he asks his Father if there is another way. Even in the overwhelming burden of what's to follow, he submits to his Father's authority, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Matthew 26).
Jesus remains grounded throughout the Gospels, always returning to the words spoken over him at his baptism, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3). His identity is his anchor. It's how he prevails through the storms of life. He is an example we need as we learn to do the same.
Identity Verses
Before we introduce you to the rhythm we have prepared, we would like to do an activity. Via the link below, you will find a PDF of Bible verses. We affectionately call these Identity Verses because they are verses that remind us of who we are as Sons. Identity statements, or concise summaries of the verses, introduce each series. Before you move on to the Trust section of this Rhythm of Sonship, take 10 to 15 minutes and read through the identity statements and verses.
Choose 4 - 5 verses that jump out to your heart, ones that seem to almost "leap" off the screen at you. Write them out in your journal and include the corresponding identity statements.
Once you finish, move on to the Trust: the Wilderness section for this rhythm.
© 2025 The New Frontier Ministries