We are excited to introduce a brand new devotional to help you discover who GOD says you are! Kevin Barnett, the author, has given us 10 devotionals out of his 34 devotional book. If you want more of this goodness, be sure to pick up the full devotional on Amazon. 

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As Marvel Comic fans, we recognize that above phrase  from the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger. If you  will remember at a crucial point in the movie, the main  villain, the Red Skull, asks Captain America, “What makes  you so special?” Cap answers, “Nothing. I’m just a kid from  Brooklyn.”1 Now, as true as that statement might have been, in  fact there was something special about the man Steve Rogers  or as we fondly know him, Captain America. He might have  only been “just a kid from Brooklyn,” but we know, he was  so much more than that.  

What makes you so special? Is there a particular gift or  talent that you have? What have you been chosen to do? What  has God called you to do? It’s O.K. if you are unsure of the  answer right now, but just know that God has chosen you for  a perfect part. The part of you! 

Here is a good example. When Marvel Studios casts the  different actors and actresses to portray their characters, what  happens? They cast the best, possible person to play that character. The person that will be the best believable person  for that role. The person who can be that character. After they  cast Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, over the years people  have said, “nobody else could fit that role.” Robert Downey  Jr. IS Tony Stark. There will never be anyone who can fill  his shoes. When Marvel Studios began looking for the actor  that they wanted to portray Tony Stark and Iron Man, they  had auditioned many actors but the one actor who stood out  was none other than Robert Downey Jr. Now, if you know  his story, you know that his past was filled with drug use  and prison time. Let’s just say, he was pretty messed up but  Marvel saw something in him. They looked past his faults,  his failures, all of “shortcomings and mistakes” and they cast  him as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  

We all make mistakes, right? But those mistakes and failures  do not define us. They do not define our future, our destiny,  our identity or our purpose. They also cannot keep us from  moving forward or being who we are supposed to be! 

Question: Has there ever been a time in your life where you made a mistake and you thought your life was over... how did you get over the situation and move on? 

Think of all the people in the Bible who messed up, they  made mistakes, yet God still used them. When God looks at  us, He sees what we will and can become. I think of King  David. Remember his encounter with Bathsheba? But that  didn’t end his life or make him give up! Look at Abraham!  He messed up and tried to do things on his own to make  the promise happen that God had promised, but God gave  Abraham the promise of Isaac anyway! 

We tend to dwell on the negative and our current state,  but we don’t stop to think, maybe God has something in store  for us! Marvel saw something in Robert Downey Jr. They saw  what he could become, not what he was at the moment. They  chose him for Tony Stark/Iron Man. But one thing they did  come into agreement on was that the biggest risk would have  been NOT to cast Robert Downey Jr. for the role.  

Question: Has there ever been a decision that you have  made that was beneficial to you but, you know that if  you hadn’t made that decision that things would be very  different? 

God chose you to play the part of you in this bigger than  life movie we call “LIFE.” Why? Because He knew that you  were the greatest YOU before you were even formed in your  mother’s womb. Think about it. There is no one else that  could play the part of you.  

In Jeremiah 1:5 (AMP), it says, “Before I formed you in the  womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument],  and before you were born, I separated and set you apart, conse crating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  

 And in Psalm 139:13-14 and then verse 16 (TPT) it says,  13 “You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside  and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my  mother’s womb. 14 I thank You, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything You do is marvelously breathtaking.  It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly You know  me, Lord! 16 You saw who You created me to be before I became  me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days You  planned for me were already recorded in Your book.”

God is probably the best casting director, and the best  director. He’s even better than George Lucas or Steven Spiel berg or Jon Favreau. Think about it. Nobody else could have  played the part of Noah. I mean, can you imagine, having to  deal with all of those animals had to be rough! Nobody could  have played the part of Moses, but Moses. Nobody could have  endured the fire like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. No body other than Daniel could have survived a night with those  lions. God chooses the right person for the right job. Never  think, “Why God?” Thank Him for where He has placed you.  There is a MARVELous reward for playing your part.  

It’s better than an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy or  even a Grammy. There is a crown of gold waiting just for you!  God knows what He is doing. The clay doesn’t say, “I don’t  like this…or I’m not sure about that, or I don’t know, that  handle doesn’t look right or my nose could be smaller.” No,  it doesn’t work like that. The clay stays moldable and flexible  in the Potter’s hands. He knows what He is doing.  

In the book of Ephesians 4:11-13 and verse 16 (TPT) it  says, 11 “And He has appointed some with grace to be Apostles,  and some with grace to be Prophets, and some with grace to be  Evangelists, and some with grace to be Pastors, and some with  grace to be Teachers. 12 And their calling is to nurture and  prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry,  and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of  Christ. 13 These grace ministries will function until we all attain  oneness in the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what  it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one  perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and  fully developed in the abundance of Christ. 16 For His “body”  has been formed in His image and is closely joined together and constantly connected as one. And every member has been given  divine gifts to contribute to the growth of all; and as these gifts  operate effectively throughout the whole body, we are built up  and made perfect in love.” 

WOW! God knew you before YOU knew you. It’s just so  hard to imagine, but thank God it’s true. To think that the  creator of the universe thought about you from the beginning  of time. He chose you to be you.  

Even at times when we are unhappy with ourselves and we  question God, think of these verses. In Romans 9:20 (TPT) it  says, “But who do you think you are to second-guess God? How  could a human being molded out of clay say to the one who molded  him, “Why in the world did You make me this way?”  

Then in James 1:2-3 (TPT) it says, “My fellow believers,  when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties  see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy  that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs  up power within you to endure all things.” 

Now, go play your part. And be the absolute best YOU  that God made you to be!

Captain America is of course one of the more popular Marvel heroes and also one of the first ones that was introduced  back in the golden age of comics. Captain America was first  created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby back in 1941. The story  of Steve Rogers is a familiar tale. An unlikely underdog transformed into a victorious hero. It’s familiar not just because it’s a favorite of comic book fans and comic readers, but because  it’s our story too. In the Bible, God on more than one occasion  converted the most unlikely candidates into mighty heroes.  He still does so today. The fictional tale of Captain America  mirrors our Christian life in many ways. 

As we discovered in the last chapter, you have been chosen  to be you. Not because of what you can do, or what you can’t  do, you’ve been chosen because God knew He had just the  right part for you!  

In 1 Peter 2:9-10 (MSG) it says, “But you are the ones chosen  by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be  a holy people, God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made  for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” To me, that sounds like God knows exactly what He is doing  and if He knows what He is doing...that’s good enough for me!  Surprisingly, Steve Rogers is chosen for this special project, not  for his strength, but for his weakness.  

In Captain America: The First Avenger, Colonel Chester Phillips  challenges Dr. Erskine’s choice, “You’re not really thinking  about picking Rogers, are you?” Erskine replies, “I am more  than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice.” Frustrated,  Phillips responds, “When you brought a ninety-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, maybe he’ll  be useful to you like a gerbil. I never thought you’d pick him!”2 Curious isn’t it? Why would Dr. Abraham Erskine choose the  most frail and feeble candidate available? Steve wonders the  same thing. The night before his “procedure” that transforms  him into Captain America, Steve asks Dr. Erskine, “Why  me?” Erskine explains, “This is why you were chosen. Because  a strong man, who has known power all of his life, will lose  respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of  strength and knows compassion.”3 God tends to make similar  choices for similar reasons.  

Just like Dr. Erskine didn’t choose Private Hodge for the  procedure, God doesn’t necessarily always choose men with  big muscles and better physical qualities to do His work.  

1 Corinthians 1:27 (MSG) it says, “Isn’t it obvious that God  deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and  exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow  pretensions of the “somebodies?”  

And, 1 Corinthians 1:27 (Mirror Bible) says “It is almost  as if God deliberately handpicked the wacky of this world to embarrass the wise, the rejects to put to shame the noble.” I love  how that reads! 

Here is an example. When sending Samuel in search of  a new king, God warned, “Don’t judge by his appearance or  height...the Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People  judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT) God isn’t interested in people of great  power, position, or prestige by worldly standards; rather, God  seeks out those who are humble in heart - the meek, the lowly,  the oppressed, the wacky, the nobodies and the poor.  

As Dr. Erskine told Steve Rogers, “Now maybe what we  need is the little guy.”4 God loves the little guys!  Moses assured the Israelites of this when he said, “…the  Lord did not set His heart on you and choose you because you  were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest  of all nations!” (Deuteronomy 7:7 NLT) 

Look at David! When he went out to fight Goliath, he was  just a scrawny little kid with a slingshot. “The little guy!” But  what happened? He killed Goliath! God chose David to do  that very thing. It didn’t matter how strong or weak he was  because David had a destiny, because he was chosen. David  fulfilled that destiny. Not because of his size or what he did,  he was a shepherd and he defeated a GIANT! 

I absolutely love the story of Gideon. We’ll hear about him  several times in this book. For seven years Gideon grew accus tomed to being bullied and beat up. A nomadic tribe known  as the Midianites would wait until the Israelites had harvested  crops and raised their cattle, and then swoop down and raid  their farms, stealing what they could and then destroy the  rest. They were your run of the mill everyday neighborhood bullies. Gideon was a loser in his own eyes, but that didn’t  stop God! The Lord chose Gideon anyway and transformed  him into a mighty man of valor - a hero to God’s people and  to his own tribe. What God did for Gideon, He can do for  you! Perhaps you can identify with Steve Rogers or Gideon.  

Maybe you’ve looked in the mirror and seen a frail failure  or the runt of the litter. You might not be the strongest, the  smartest, or most successful person you know, but you know  what, that’s OK! I’ve got good news for you! God loves the  little guys! Because Steve was so willing and his heart was  pure, he was the BEST choice.  

He became even stronger, taller and filled with power  once he went through with the “procedure.” Just as Erskine’s  formula coursing through his veins transformed Steve from  the inside out, the Holy Spirit flowing through us begins to  change our hearts and minds and gives us strength and power!  We just have to be willing and open and positioned for what  God has for us. Remember...we’re chosen.  

Chris Evans turned down the role of Captain America 3  times! He was offered the part. He was chosen, but he had to  accept the part to be able to play the part and be what he was  supposed to be. Like Steve Rogers, you and I have been chosen  despite — and possibly even because of — our weakness. God  specializes in transforming zeroes into heroes.

In the Golden Age of Marvel comics, scientist Hank Pym  discovered groundbreaking and life-changing technology that  enabled him to shrink to the size of insects. He then designed  two types of shrinking suits, one for himself and one for his  wife Janet Van Dyne, and they became the crime-fighting  duo known as Ant-Man and the Wasp. In the comics, they  were part of the founding members of the group known as  the Avengers, fighting alongside Iron Man, Thor and Captain  America. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the story picks  up in the film “Ant-Man.” 

If there was ever a character that Marvel humanized and  made us really care about, I believe it’s Scott Lang. You will  see as we go through this chapter, and you may just end up  liking Ant-Man more than you thought you did! Scott Lang,  of course, is the person that Hank Pym watches, keeps an eye  on for a long time then chooses to be the NEW Ant-Man.  

In this chapter, “Purpose In The Passion,” I want to take  a closer look and a step by step of Scott’s journey from the first Ant-Man film to his part in Avengers: Endgame.  I believe it’s a great story of someone who was lost, try ing to find his purpose, trying to find his way, trying to do  the right thing, yet he ends up in a mess (in the Quantum  Realm) but ultimately ends up being the one who helps  the Avengers discover HOW to reverse the snap and bring  everyone back home.  

In my opinion, other than that rat, to me, Scott Lang  is the hero of Avengers: Endgame. But we will get to that in  a moment. We first meet Scott Lang in the first Ant-Man film, as he is being released from Prison. He was doing time  for being a thief. He gets out and he is adamant about not  going back. He wants to stay out of trouble, and regain his  relationship with his daughter. That is his focus. He wants  to fly straight and do things right. But, Scott’s weird gang of  friends tries to sway him otherwise. He gets a job at Baskin  Robbins, but that doesn’t last long because his boss finds out  who he is and what he did, therefore, discouraging him from  what his focus is. (sound familiar?) We try to do the right  thing, but distractions come in and get us off focus of what  we need to be doing.  

So, unfortunately Scott gets discouraged enough and gives  in to his “friend’s” request to do a “job.” That “job” ends up  getting him in trouble, BUT actually getting him into trouble  in a good way. How? His purpose of course is ultimately to  end up as Ant-Man. But there is a journey to your purpose.  Your purpose is driven by passion. 

After he got into “trouble” for doing what he thought  would help him, which it did in a way, Hank Pym saw great  potential in Lang. He told him, “I’ve been watching you for  a while now. You’re different. Now don’t let anyone tell you that you have nothing to offer.”19 Who can relate to that? God  watches over us and when the right time comes, He calls us  out and calls us for a purpose. At first some of us may ques tion, “Is this right?” After several failed attempts to master  the Ant-Man suit and its powers, Lang told Pym that he was  the wrong person for the job. He not only felt like a failure  as a father, but as a superhero. 

In the Bible, a man named Gideon also felt like he had  nothing to offer. The angel of the Lord appeared to him saying,  “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”  

Judges 6:12 (AMP) says, “The Lord is with you, you mighty  man of [fearless] courage.” But Gideon could not see how God  was with him. Haven’t we all felt like that. We feel less than,  we feel like we may have nothing to offer and feel very small,  yet we know God is with us. 

God was determined to use Gideon and didn’t give up on  teaching him His ways, just as Hank Pym didn’t give up on  training Scott Lang. To demonstrate that He didn’t need vast  forces to defeat the invaders, God shrank the size of Gideon’s  army, cutting it down from 32,000 soldiers to a mere 300 men. 

Your purpose will not leave you alone. The passion inside  of you, should push you to whatever it is that you know God  has for you. If you don’t know what it is, the discovery should  be your determination to find out what it is. Scott spent the  first part of Ant-Man doing just that. Once he discovered how  to operate the Ant-Man suit and how to fight, he took another  step toward who Pym saw what he was to become. And of  course, by the end of the film he defeats the enemy and he  becomes the NEW Ant-Man. But, there’s so much more to  come for Scott. When we become who we are supposed to be,  we are used in ways that we never thought of or dreamed of. Philippians 4:13 (Mirror Bible) says, “In every situation I am  strong in the One Who empowers me from within to be who I am.” We see in the second film, “Ant-Man & The Wasp”, Scott  continuing to try to do what’s right and walk in his purpose.  However, at the beginning, if you remember he is on house  arrest for fighting with Captain America in Germany.  He got sidetracked and went to do what he thought was  right, but it got him into trouble. You can’t allow yourself to  get side-tracked or distracted when you are on your way to  your purpose or if you are walking in your purpose. It will get you into trouble! Maybe not house arrest, but it can cause  you some unwanted stress! 

In Ant-Man & The Wasp Scott discovers the Quantum  Realm and all of the weird and crazy stuff that goes along  with that. But that was a key to his journey that would soon  come in Avengers: Endgame. He had been there just once at  the end of the first film, but that was all he knew of it. Sometimes we discover things along the way that will help us in  the future in our purpose. Learn all you can, discover all you  can and never quit discovering the new and sometimes the  weird and the crazy! So, at the end of Ant-Man & The Wasp,  Scott, Hope, Janet and Hank Pym are all doing tests and  preparing to send Scott back to the Quantum Realm. Well,  it ended up being more than just a test; it ended up being a  waiting period. What do I mean by that? Even though it was  the “SNAP” that made him stuck there, it put Scott there for  a short time. A waiting period. Sometimes before we walk  through the door of purpose, there is a waiting period and  a time we are standing in line to be the next one to fulfill or  walk through our door of purpose!

Psalm 27:14 (TPT) says, “Here’s what I’ve learned through it  all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with  the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep  on waiting—for He will never disappoint you!” 

I’m sure Scott got a bit impatient when he was unable to  come out of the Quantum Realm. He was stuck there! But  with waiting, that becomes a learning time. We learn things  sometimes while waiting.  

We aren’t rushed into things; we are just in waiting. Some times that’s not a bad thing. So, that sneaky little rat was the  joked hero of Avengers:Endgame. Its possible God put him  there to get Scott out. Who knows! God will put things in mo tion when we least expect it, to get the ball rolling. And then  we are released unexpectedly! That rat was crawling around  and pushed the right buttons to release Scott. Unexpectedly!  He was released into his purpose! Because what happens next?  He ventures to find Captain America and then explains to him  about the Quantum Realm and how that could help reverse  what Thanos did! Yeah, it was crazy, but Scott’s purpose and  his knowledge and his learning carried over to everyone else.  Tony Stark dove into time travel, even though he told Scott  it was ludicrous. Isn’t that like God! Sometimes our gifts and  our learning and our purpose can help someone else! 

All that Scott had learned and discovered; it was used to  help the Avengers reverse what the enemy had accomplished!  There’s a word picture for you! Your gift, your anointing, and  you walking in the purpose that God has called you to, can  help reverse the enemy’s hold on someone’s life because of what  is inside of you! (GOD’S POWER!) How awesome is that?! 

So, all that Scott Lang went through was for a purpose.  Was it hard at times...yes. Did Scott question himself or why  he was going through all of that...I’m sure of it! Do we feel  like that sometimes? That’s a BIG YEP!  

But the Bible does say, in: 1 Peter 4:12-13 (MSG) says,  “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the con clusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are  in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual  refining process, with glory just around the corner.” 

Scott could have said, “Okay, that’s enough. I’m done  with all of this.” Then he went into the Quantum Realm and  when he was released, he could have said, “I am so over all of  this.” But he didn’t. He knew he had a job to do and a job to  finish. What’s even more amazing, he didn’t even know about  Thanos until Cap told him. He wasn’t even aware of what the  enemy was doing or had done, but yet he still told Cap about  his experience and his Quantum Realm trip.  

Because of what he had experienced and learned; he  helped the Avengers plan to reverse the “SNAP!” Always  remember and keep this in mind. GOD KNOWS WHAT  HE IS DOING!  

Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) says, “I know what I’m doing. I have  it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you,  plans to give you the future you hope for.” That word Hope  means a positive imagination about what the word of God  says about you!

Captain Marvel is definitely a story about identity. It’s a  story about finding out who you really are, letting go of the  past and moving forward. “Higher, Further, Faster...”  

As with any hero, as we’ve seen over the past years in the  Marvel Cinematic Universe, they have all had to overcome  some kind of adversity to get to who they have become today.  Some having to go through some pretty rough things on  their journey. But in the end, coming to a final destination  that they truly believe is their reason for being, their reason  for living and their reason for who they are. Wouldn’t it be  simpler to just go from one point to another without the  in-between stuff...sure! But, as we all know the in-between  stuff makes us stronger, helps us learn and helps us when we  reach that final destination of who we are to be. 

In the 1960’s, in the comics, Carol Danvers made her  comic book debut as a beautiful and highly capable young  woman who had managed to overcome gender-typing and  excel in challenging military occupations normally dominated by men. She was already an ace fighter pilot, a former officer  in the U.S. Air Force, and a former CIA agent when she was  hired as the head of security of NASA headquarters at Cape  Canaveral. One of Carol’s co-workers at NASA was a Dr.  Phillip Lawson, who was secretly the alien Kree super-agent  named Mar-Vell. 

As we have come to find out, with the creative liberties of  the MCU to transition from the pages of the comics to the  big screen, Marvel once again has done an excellent job of  taking this character, Captain Marvel, and turning her into  someone that by the end of the movie we cared about, wanted  to see more, and cheered her on as she finally came to terms  with who she really was. The movie begins with Carol, or Vers  as we first know her as, having a dream of some kind. She  then wakes up and just ponders her thoughts for a moment  before getting up to go pay a visit to her friend, Yon-Rogg.  They do a little bit of fighting, then she makes a bad move  that sends her to the Supreme Intelligence. The Supreme  Intelligence is “supposed” to be in the form of the person  you most admire. But this persona that Carol sees each time,  she says she does not remember or know who she is. As the  Supreme Intelligence walks to her, she says something that  caught my attention.  

She says, “You struggle with your emotions, and with your  past that fuels them.”20 Our past can be an ocean of weight,  hurt, and emotions that fuel our daily emotions. Dwelling on  them, still stirring them up, and not letting them go can keep  us from becoming who we really are. As the movie moves on,  we see Carol do that very thing. 

When Carol is captured by the Skrulls, Talos hooks her up  to a mind reader and it’s there we see some of her past and the things she claims she doesn’t know anything about. It’s also  there we see the being that she sees every time she goes to the  Supreme Intelligence, that Carol says she doesn’t remember or  know who she is. But later finds out she piloted a plane with  her. She escapes the Skrulls and finds her way to Earth or as  they know it, Planet C-53. It’s there, she meets Agent Nick  Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. and she begins her journey to discover  who she really is. She and Fury (as he likes to be called) find  their way into P.E.G.A.S.U.S., a secret Government military  program. It’s there, Carol discovers a hidden secret, and the  beginning of her quest to find out who she is. She sets out  to seek and find answers, all the while still doubting who she  is and doubts all of the evidence and the flashes of memory  in her head. 

 Even when she finds her old friend Maria Rambeau, she  is still in doubt, until she hears an audio recording. It’s at that  moment it all comes back to her...she finally realizes where  she came from and who she is.  

Isn’t it funny? Sometimes it takes a bit of prodding and  pursuing and pushing for us to finally realize who we are after  we’ve been through a rough time. 

Once she finally discovers who she is and what her REAL  identity is, you can see her attitude change, her countenance  change and her whole demeanor change. Once you know who  you are, there is something about that. It gives you strength,  it gives you courage, and wisdom.  

Jeremiah 1:5 (AMP) says, “Before I formed you in the womb,  I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And  before you were born, I consecrated you [to Myself as My own];  I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 

Carol came into herself, she finally realized who she was. She let the past go, even though her past was a lie, from being  taken from her home planet. She was made to think she was  somebody else. She is now who she is meant to be.  

There were women in the Bible that had similar issues  like Carol Danvers. They had to stand up, and fight adversi ty and come to a point to find out who they were and what  their purpose really was. Esther is an inspiring story about a  remarkable woman who was willing to risk her life to save her  people. She was a woman of principle who was willing to put  the lives of others ahead of even her own life.  

She was an outstanding example of serving others even  under the most stressful circumstances.  

Jesus Christ said in John 15:13 (TPT) “For the greatest love of  all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated  when a person sacrifices his life for his friends.” 

Most of the time our lives may be pretty routine, but all of  us have a few defining moments when we may be called on to  put godly principle above personal benefit. Esther modeled  bravery and courage when she risked her life to save the lives  of her people. She teaches us that we must break intimidation  and use our influence to bring glory to God. We all know the  story. Anyone who went before the king unannounced would  be put to death. Esther went boldly and bravely and did what  she knew she had to do. Despite how she felt. When she was  chosen as queen, she did not feel worthy or even want to be  there, but she knew what she had to do. She saved her family,  and her people even though she could have been killed by  taking that risk. Because she knew who she was, and she knew  God was on her side, she could not fail. 

Ruth’s story captivates and significantly challenges many.  She’s a widow from an enemy nation with no prospects. 

Yet, God moves so mightily in her story and uses it to  encourage millions.  

At the beginning of the book, Ruth is living in her home  in Moab; a place and people that the Israelites frowned upon.  On top of that, she had lost her husband and was living with  her widowed mother-in-law. She also lost her husband without  a child, some believing she may have been barren. The pain  Ruth must have been in was immense but she didn’t allow  her past to hold her back. Ruth showed remarkable faith for  such a young believer. She had the faith to believe that God  was who He said He was and faith to believe that God would  provide for her and Naomi. Her bravery, faith and obedience  can encourage us to be better followers of Christ.  

Ruth was able to overcome her past by giving her life over  to the living God. By turning from her idolatrous way of  life she was able to be used mightily of the Lord as the great  grandmother of King David. By definition, a fearless woman  is strong when it comes to facing hard situations. They are  confident in who they are and what they believe, and in their  example of fearlessness, they encourage others to be coura geous and make a difference. While many think of men when  it comes to strong figures, there are also many important  women in the Bible who inspire us, not only because of how  they lived but because of their rock-solid faith. We can learn  a great deal from their stories. 

Carol may have gone through turmoil in her head, and  dealt with fear, anger, hate, uncertainty, and even struggled  with her identity.  

The whole time when she was basically kept in captivity  after being taken from her home, they lied to her, told her  she was something that she wasn’t, and that’s what the enemy will do. He’ll get you away from what you really are, and tell  you lies to go a different direction. You’ll try and try, and try  but it will just get you nowhere.  

When it came time to move and to step out of where she  was at...it was then, that everything opened up to her. She  remembered; she finally saw who she was. Remember when  the Supreme Intelligence kept calling her Vers? She stood  up to her and said, “MY NAME IS CAROL!”21 When you  discover who you are, there is NO ONE who is going to tell  you different. When you let go of everything that is behind  you, it frees you! She fell many times as a child and growing up, and tried to be somebody. But what happened?  

She got back up EVERY time. I love the scene where she  says, “I’ve been fighting with one hand behind my back. What  happens when I’m finally set free?”22 When you are FREE, you  are unstoppable, unshakeable, and immovable. NOTHING  can stand in your way.  

Philippians 3:13 (TPT) says, “I don’t depend on my own  strength to accomplish this; however, I do have one compelling  focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future  instead.” Carol let go, forgot the past, found out who she is... 

and now is set on the path for her destiny.

When you think about Thor, you of course think of a big,  strong, muscly type being with long blonde hair that holds  a magical hammer and calls down lightning from the sky.  Right? Well for the most part you would be correct. However,  we know that from the events of Thor: Ragnarök, he loses his  long blonde hair, his hammer and his home and everything  pretty much goes south at the end of the movie including the  post credits scene. But, before we go any further, let’s go back  to the beginning when we first met Thor. 

We first met Thor in the MCU, when he was about to  be crowned King of Asgard. Then wouldn’t you know it, the  Frost Giants interrupted that ceremony. So, Thor takes his  band of warriors to Jotunheim along with Loki.  

Angry at Thor, Odin casts out Thor to Midgard or Earth  where he loses his power, he loses respect from his father and  is told he is UNWORTHY.  

The whole movie tells the story of how Thor just wants  to win back the honor of being worthy to once again wield his hammer, Mjölnir. And take his rightful place as King of  Asgard.  

It’s interesting that along our path of doing what we know  to be right and trying to be called worthy, even though we  are, we STILL try to do things in our own strength and we  just want to be somebody. So, we know at the end of the  movie, Thor gets his hammer back, gets his power back and  is “worthy” to wield Mjölnir once again. 

We all deal with life struggles. We all deal with things that  get us off focus and get us off course and we steer to the left  or to the right. But never once do we become unworthy of  God’s love, His protection, or His power in our lives. 

Ephesians 2:10 (Mirror Bible) says, “We are engineered by His  design; He molded and manufactured us in Christ. We are His  workmanship, His poetry. We are fully fit to do good, equipped to  give attractive evidence of His likeness in us in everything we do.” 

If we mess up, God does not say, “Okay that’s it. Not  worthy.” No. He doesn’t do that. His completed work at the  cross made us worthy. It made us blameless! Yes, we mess up!  Yes, we blow it royally sometimes, but in our mess, in our  mistakes, in our lowest point, God picks us up, He rescues us,  because He loves us and sets us on course once again. 

We are our own worst critic, and our own worst enemy. I  know I am! We will condemn ourselves faster than anybody  will. Yes, people may condemn us, and then we believe it.  But thankfully Romans 8:1 (Mirror Bible) says, “Now the decisive  conclusion is this: in Christ, every bit of condemning evidence against  us is canceled.” 

Amen to that! 

So, at the beginning of Thor: Ragnarök we see Thor captured  and in a cage. He gets free to get back to Asgard. He then discovers the truth about Loki and his father, and then learns  he has a sister. He loses his father, he loses his hammer, his  hair, then he spends the next part of the movie being captured  again! At this point Thor is pretty depressed and if anybody  needs a hug it’s him. But our hero is tenacious and stubborn  and he presses on to find a way out and get back to Asgard.  Thankfully he has an “old friend” that he stumbles on, and  finds his way back to Asgard to let destiny happen.  

And you know the rest. Asgard is destroyed and he is left  as King after all. Until...and that is where we pick up next  with the events of Avengers: Infinity War.  

Every MCU movie, it has been leading to this. Where we  face the great and mighty Thanos. At the beginning of Aveng ers: Infinity War we see the ship where Thor and Loki were  at the end of Thor: Ragnarök. To make a long story short, it  has been destroyed and Thanos and his minions have killed  hundreds and taken over. Thor is bound up, Loki is killed  and Thanos goes through his time portal, leaving Thor and  everyone on board to die. Poor Thor! He’s been through a  lot in the last couple of movies. He’s not the same Thor we  remember from that first film. Thor is different. He’s changed.  He’s grown up. It’s interesting how circumstances and situations and “life-issues” will make us grow up and change the  way we live. 

Through most of Avengers: Infinity War, we don’t see that  much of Thor, because he is doing everything he can to get his  new weapon, and go find Thanos. Plus, if you will remember  when Thanos killed Heimdall, Thor said, “You’re going to die  for that!”27 So, Thor creates his new weapon, “Storm Breaker,”  finally meets up with his fellow Avengers, fights a few weird  looking creatures, runs into Thanos, and just when Thor thought he had him on the ropes, Thanos says as he snaps his  fingers, “You should have gone for the head!” In a lot of ways, I believe Thor felt responsible for what  happened. He was down on himself. If you will remember at  the beginning of Avengers: Endgame. He felt like he had failed.  All of his strength and his power and he couldn’t stop Thanos  from what he did. So off they go to hunt for Thanos. They  find him, and try to right the wrong and they find out that  the Infinity Stones have been destroyed. In anger and without  haste, Thor “goes for the head” and walks off in defeat. We  have all had those moments in our life, where no matter how  hard we try, or no matter how much power or strength we  put forth, it just doesn’t seem to be enough. We run out of  steam so to speak and then what do we do? We do just what  Thor did. We go into hiding and into our own little self-pity  party and our own little funk. Yep. We’ve all done it. I know  I have. We think all is lost and nothing will ever get better.  But fear not! There is hope! 

1 Peter 4:12-13 (MSG) says, “Friends, when life gets really  difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.  Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ  experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just  around the corner.” 

You’ve heard the phrase, “there is light at the end of the  tunnel.” Thor is on the brink of experiencing that light at the  end of the tunnel. He feels as though he has failed miserably.  He failed his friends, failed his people, he is feeling unworthy  and un-needed. Sound familiar? 

Let’s jump ahead to the travel through time. He is already  a mess, and is not sure if he can do it. But in the time travel  part of Avengers: Endgame, he runs into his mother. Oh, those good ol’ talks with mom. She gives him a good pep talk, but  before it’s time to leave, he stretches out his hand for Mjölnir,  and BAM! It comes to him. He happily says, “I AM STILL  WORTHY!”

Even though he went through all of what he did, he felt  like he failed, messed up, was just bound to wallow in his  self-pity forever, it took the encouragement of his friends, his  mom to “snap” him out of it! That is why it’s good to have  friends and fellow believers in your corner. We need each  other! Thor got his confidence back, when he knew he was  still worthy! You never have to lose your confidence, because  Jesus has made you worthy! Never feel like you don’t matter.  We may go through hell and high water sometimes in our  lives. We may feel just like Thor did, and go into hiding and  into a self-pity funk, but you don’t have to. There are people  who love you and want the best for you! You are worthy! You  may not wield a hammer or a particular weapon that can  produce lightning or call down thunder, but what you have  on the inside of you is much more powerful.  

Colossians 1:22 (TPT) says, “He released His supernatural  peace to you through the sacrifice of His own body as the sin-pay ment on your behalf so that you would dwell in His presence.  And now there is nothing between you and Father God, for He  sees you as holy, flawless, and restored...” 

You possess that power BECAUSE you are worthy. You  may feel cast out and hurt and feel like you have to crawl your  way back in to gain back the power and the position you once  had. But you DON’T HAVE to strive for it! You’re worthy,  because Christ is worthy. You’ve been made righteous and you  are royalty. A son, a daughter of the MOST HIGH KING. 

I love in Thor: Ragnarök when he is fighting against Hella,  he has a flash back or a revelation. He tells Odin, “I don’t  have my hammer.” Odin replies, “Are you Thor, the god of  hammers?” The power and the ability is inside. Always was  and always will be. Don’t rely on physical things to be your  “power” or be your “source” …your source and power is the  Holy Spirit inside of you. What does it say in Acts 1:8 (AMP),  “But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when  the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” 

ABILITY, EFFICIENCY and MIGHT! That is what the  Holy Spirit inside of you gives you! I guess if we had a “ham mer” or a spiritual tool, which we do, the Word, but if we  had an actual hammer like Thor, the inscription could read  something like this: “Whosoever has the Holy Spirit, they are  worthy, and they shall possess the power of God!” 

We have the power inside of us. And we can do the things  that Jesus did and greater…whether it be fighting off the  enemy, or healing the sick.  

John 14:12 (Mirror Bible) says, “I want you to be fully con vinced about this, anyone whose belief concludes in Who I Am,  will also do the works that I do. And because of My relocation  to continue to be face to face with My father, the works that  the believer will do, will be of greater proportion and of global  influence; the Father is as present in you as He is in Me.” 

YOU ARE WORTHY!!

In this chapter we are diving into the complicated and  mischievous life of one of Marvel’s most loved (and hated at  the same time) villains, Loki. The Loki that most of us know is  the Prince of Asgard, Odinson, rightful heir of Jotunheim, and  God of Mischief. He is, as he states in the Avengers “burdened  with glorious purpose.”31 We will briefly discuss Loki’s comic  history, to give you a comparison from the comics to the big  screen. All in all, you will see that Loki is just an all-around  mis-fit and someone who just wants attention and fame. 

Loki was born to the Frost Giant, King Laufey of Jotun heim. He was abandoned due to his size as a baby. After slay ing Laufey, Odin, ruler of Asgard, found Loki and took him  and raised him as his own son along with Thor. Constantly  witnessing the loving relationship between Odin and Thor,  this sparked jealousy and rebellion from Loki.  

Motivated by envy, Loki channeled his pain into pulling  pranks on his brother and plotting a way to become ruler  of Asgard. In his early years, Loki suffered from feelings of isolation and unequal treatment from his father. His misery  and jealousy heightened when Odin granted Thor the mystic  hammer, Mjölnir. Loki was constantly overshadowed by Thor  and his possession of Mjölnir.  

Now let’s take a look at the MCU Loki we all know and  love...or do we? 

Loki was raised as the son of King Odin and Queen Frigga  of Asgard. He studied magical arts earning the title, “The God  of Mischief.” Loki believed himself to be the rightful King of  Asgard. During Thor’s banishment to the realm Midgard, or  Earth, Odin revealed to Loki his true parentage. Furious that  he had been lied to all his life, Loki set out on several paths  to prove his worth of the throne and superiority over Thor. 

If you have seen any of the Thor movies you know the story  of Loki. He tries to become a king, and ruler over earth, well  that backfires because of the Avengers, and he eventually loses  the battle of New York. Thor takes him to Asgard where Odin  ultimately throws him in prison for his actions and wouldn’t  you know, Thor lets him out to help save Asgard from the  Dark Elves, and Loki supposedly ends up being killed, or so  we thought.  

It turns out Loki fakes his death and we see him again in  Thor: Ragnarök where Loki plays the side of the good guy  with his brother Thor and we all know how that turns out.  The people of Asgard escape Ragnarök and fly out into space  only to be captured by Thanos. Now, let’s stop there and go  back just a bit.  

If you will remember at the end of Thor where Loki fights  Thor and tries to kill him, but does not succeed and ends up  falling into space into the great unknown. Or so we thought.  If you will remember the stinger at the end of Thor, we see 

Dr. Selvig being taken down to a place with Nick Fury to  talk about the Tesseract. It’s there we see Loki reappear and  has interest in the Tesseract by saying, “Well I guess that’s  worth a look.”

The next time we see Loki is in The Avengers, where he has  gone to Thanos, has been given direct instructions to get the  Tesseract for him, because it’s one of the Infinity Stones. He  is given a scepter and off he goes to try to conquer the world. 

Now, let’s get back to being captured by Thanos. Loki of  course dies in Avengers: Infinity War, but due to time travel  in Avengers: Endgame, we see the Loki from 2012 disappear  through a portal with the Tesseract.  

Now, I’m sure you’re probably wondering after all of that,  how do we find any Biblical truths? I thought you would  never ask. You really can’t talk about Loki and not talk about  Thor because they were brothers.  

A similar pair existed in the Bible and their names were  Jacob and Esau! You can read their story in Genesis 25. In comparison, Loki is clearly favored by his mother and  Thor who wields Mjölnir is clearly favored by his father. In  the end with a surprising twist, Loki ends up sitting on the  throne with the rights of the first born, after all.  At the end of Thor: The Dark World, Loki is seen on the  throne but disguised as Odin. The parallel to Rebekah’s use of  disguise and trickery to aid her favored son Jacob to acquire  the birthright of the first born, is un-mistakenly similar.  Bottom line is Thor was chosen to be the rightful king. Loki  was filled with anger, hate, rage, abandonment, and jealousy...which was the big one. Loki’s whole life was filled with  knowing that Thor was going to be the one to take the throne  and he wanted to do everything in his power to make sure that didn’t happen. I think we have all felt like Loki at one  point or another in our life. Maybe with a brother or sister, a  colleague that got the promotion over you or that one friend  that did something that you’ve wanted for years. Jealousy can  be a monster that can get us into all kinds of trouble. It can  lead to hate, bitterness, anger, rage, and just make us really  irritable or no fun to live with.  

Question: What are some Loki times in your life where  there was someone who got something you wanted or got  the better end of the stick? How did you handle it? 

I think another big thing in all of this is acceptance. We all  want to be accepted. We all want a place to fit in. When we  don’t feel like we fit in, we get uncomfortable, jealous, angry,  bitter and it throws us into self-pity and believe it or not it  can affect our physical body if we let it grow deep.  

Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT) says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try  to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than  yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take  an interest in others, too.” 

Jealousy can lead to selfishness as well. Jealousy and looking  out for ONLY yourself is a way to not have that many friends  or people who want to be around you. But look at what drew  him to feel that way his whole life. This all goes back to the  identity thing which is what these short chapters and this  book is all about. Except this one didn’t turn out quite like  the others. Loki ended up not really fulfilling whatever destiny  may have been waiting for him. Because of his rebellion, and  hatred and jealousy he didn’t have a happy ending. Sorry...I  guess the bad guys don’t always get a happy ending. 

So, whatever you feel about Loki don’t let yourself slip into  that kind of thinking and living that everything inside of you  leads you to a not so happy ending. Don’t let jealousy get the  best of you. Be who YOU were meant to be and a fantastic  destiny awaits you! God promises it! 

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (CEV) says, “I will bless you with a future  filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. You will  turn back to Me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers.  You will worship Me with all your heart, and I will be with you.”72

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