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Author Archives: Jill Richard

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About Jill Richard

My name is Jill Richard. I'm a life long Christian. Trying to live my life for my Lord everyday. I've been working in internet marketing since 2003. I want people to look at me and think - What an amazing God she believes in! I want all of my actions to point back to my Lord. They don't always, and for that I am grateful for the Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ.

My God is…from the ancient days Isaiah 43:12-14

20 Feb

Isaiah 43:12-14 – I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and god-crossproclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?

I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

I, even I – I looked this up in some commentaries, because I was confused why it said it this way. As you probably guessed, it is like saying “I, yes I”, and is used to make the point more emphatically. Because I have a sort of sarcastic, off-beat mind, I sort of hear it being said with a New York accent – “Yeah, I’m God, that’s me.” In this passage God is trying to make something really clear to us. Apart from Him there is no savior. Why, oh why do I keep trusting in other things over the one with true power? Why do I trust my money to get me out of problems, or friends to pave the way for good things to happen? God, only God can provide all I need.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you.

Hello, McFly!!! Sometimes I feel like God is knocking on my head saying, “Come on, how many times have I told you. I am the one who has revealed your need for a Savior. I provided the saving grace you need. I have told you the truth. All those other distractions have nothing to offer. All of those other things you’re wasting your time on are pointless without me. Take me with you on your journey. Lean on me, trust me. I am reliable. Your money, friends and family may come and go. But I am always here for you.” How many times, in how many ways has the Lord told me I can only find true salvation and grace through Him. Everything else is futile.

You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. 

There are so many things the Lord has done in my life, and so many He’s done in your life as well. Those things that He has helped us through, along with scripture and the Holy Spirit bear witness to Him in our lives. It is always good to turn to these things when we’re filled with doubt. Remembering the times you could clearly see His hand in your life. If you’ve never seen His work in your life, don’t despair, you can still find the evidence you need in Scripture, and you can pray to have it revealed to you through the Holy Spirit. We are witnesses. Keep your eyes open so you don’t miss the action!

Yes, and from ancient days I am he.

Why does it matter that He has been around forever? Because we know that those who have gone before us, in our families, in scripture and in our churches are also bearing witness to who He is. From days of old He has been the same as He is now. We can see His work in many of our families throughout the years, in some we can see His absence, and that is all the more evidence as to why we need Him in our lives. We see patterns in our families that repeat themselves, and our Father in heaven sees them, but He is the only one we can lean on to help us to change the destructive patterns that appear in almost every family. He has seen the pain, and He offers the solution. He has also seen the blessings, and He knows your family and your struggles from the very beginning. There is no one who knows you better, deeper, stronger than the Lord, and He delights in you. Yes Jill, even you.

When I act, who can reverse it? 

God can fix things completely. Because He knows me better than I know myself, I can trust Him to help make the changes in my life that will allow me to glorify Him more fully. I know that there have been times when I have fought Him on the changes. I pray now that I am able to let Him mold me more fully. I want to be a blessing to those around me, and a reflection of Him to those I know and meet. When God acts, who can reverse it – no one.

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2013 in Isaiah, My God is ever-present, My God is from the ancient days

 

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My God is interceding Romans 8:33-34

18 Feb

Romans 8:33-34 – Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. sad-prisoner-nooseWho then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

in·ter·cede [in-ter-seed]

verb (used without object), in·ter·ced·ed, in·ter·ced·ing.

1. to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition: to intercede with the governor for a condemned man.
2. to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate.
3. Roman History . (of a tribune or other magistrate) to interpose a veto.
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know
So many of my friends are looking for work. Some have been looking for work for a long time, even though they’re extremely qualified. One of those friends has been blessed with a job opportunity to work in the industry he most recently worked. How did he know about the job? Because of his friend. The opportunity was available to him because of who he knew. It pays to have those kind of connections. The same is true for us in our spiritual lives.
Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 
What an awesome thought. It is not by anything we know or do, but by who we know and believe in that we are saved. We are blessed to know that Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Yes we’ve made mistakes. Yes, we’ve sinned and fallen short, but our friend, Jesus is willing to put his neck on the line for us with His Father. He’s putting in a good word, mending the fences and pleading for grace on our behalf.
What is Jesus saying? 
Well, I don’t really know, but I’m guessing it may be something like this. Yes Father, Jill does keep looking at herself in the mirror. Yes she can be a bit vain. But Lord she does have a heart that wants to seek you. (Then He uses the trump card). Remember, I died for her.
Enough said. God loves me, and He loves His son even more. When Jesus says, “I died for her”, there is no more discussion needed. The payment has been made, and God sees me as the grafted-in adopted daughter He loves.  

These verses follow directly after our reading for today. Romans 8:35-39.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing shall separate us from the Love of God through Christ Jesus. So our Friend whom we love, Jesus, will never be separated from us. We can always trust that He is interceding on our behalf. And because of His love, we are assured that we will remain in Him through hardship, persecution, famine or nakedness or sword. We are more than conquerors. Praise God for His love, understanding and provision.

If it’s not what you know, but who you know, do you know Jesus?

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2013 in God is my Intercessor, My God is interceding

 

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My God is…equipping 2 Timothy 3:16-17

15 Feb

2 Timothy 3: 16-17 –  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training

Do you need more training?

Do you need more training?

in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

All Scripture is God-breathed

Straight from the horse’s mouth. We get our scripture from the highest authority. It is not the words of mere men, but is God breathed. That’s a big deal. When the phrase straight from the horse’s mouth is used, it was originally used to say that you got a good tip on a horse. The people who inevitably knew the most about the horses were the trainers, and if your horse won the race, it was those in the winners circle…the inner circle. But who could know more about that horse than the inner circle? Only the horse. That’s why a tip straight from the horse’s mouth would be the best tip. In the same way, scripture is our inside scoop. It’s the information the world doesn’t know about. We’re not getting our information from just anywhere, not even from people close to the action, but straight from the most reliable source. This is good news for you and I, because it means that we can stand strong on the precepts that we read and learn from scripture. It is like a love letter from God.

Useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

The scriptures are like our handbook for life. It is God’s textbook for us to know what is right and wrong, how to be saved, how to treat others, and how to give Him the glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Everything we need to know is wrapped up in this one book. It’s not a very long book considering all the information it holds. I have often wondered at different times throughout my life, “What is God’s plan for me?”. Scripture is the only way to find that out. He created us for His glory, and scripture gives us example so how to and not to give Him glory. We don’t always love to be taught, rebuked, corrected or trained, but we need it. It is essential to our well-being, and I don’t know about you, but I need to relearn things all the time. I learn them, practice them, ignore them and then fail, wondering where I went wrong. As I look to scripture, God’s word, I am reminded of my mistakes and encouraged towards change that will bring God glory.

So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work

When we get training, education or correcting, there is always a goal in mind (or there should be). Reading scripture, and using it for training, teaching and correcting allows me to be more thoroughly equipped for every good work. I don’t know if you have ever had a job where you didn’t feel like you were being trained properly. Maybe your trainer stunk, or you just weren’t getting it, but either way, it didn’t make the work very enjoyable, productive or useful. God want’s our work to be useful, productive and enjoyable. He has provided us with the information we need to be properly trained. I don’t know about you, but I think there are probably a few things I need a remedial course on. I think as our lives change and we grow, the Lord reveals exactly what we need to find in scripture. But it doesn’t pop out of the book when you just leave it on the shelf, so I find myself with a need to create a discipline of reading His word. I do it by doing Bible studies. I find that’s a great way for me to dig deeper, but I think also just taking time to read His word without a goal in mind is useful. I have been long considering a Bible that leads you through reading the entire scripture, and I think that I may need to invest in one soon. I want to develop more fully and find true success in the Lord.

Do you need more training?

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2013 in 2 Timothy, My God is Equipping

 

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My God is…Living Matthew 16:16

13 Feb

Matthew 16:16 – Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Cardiogram of love - vector illustration

Always a witness

I have been convicted by the phrase, “always a witness” a lot lately. I have thought about what my actions say about who I am. If people know I am a Christian, what am I saying about my God? If they don’t know, why not? In Matthew 16:16, Simon Peter gives an amazingly succinct answer to the question from Jesus: “Who do you say I am?”

You are the Messiah

Calling Jesus the Messiah was like drawing a line in the sand. He was saying that Jesus was the fulfillment of all of the prophecies they had learned about all their lives. He was also saying that Jesus is God, divine in

nature, because you cannot be the Messiah and not be God.

The Son of the living God

So why call Jesus the son of the living God? Well, because God is the God of life, He is eternal, Still active and still present in our lives today. But I think it also sets God apart from the idols, both of this world and era and of the time these words were spoken. He is not just a block of wood. He is not a rabbit’s foot. He is the living God.

God living in you

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.

Always a witness. If I have the Spirit of the Living God inside of me, shouldn’t my actions and word
What’s alive in you? s match what I believe and confess? Oh Lord help me with the words of my mouth. This is such a place of struggle for me. I do not use good words. I fail so often to be God pleasing with my mouth and my actions. I want to remove everything from my vocabulary that can turn people off from the Lord. I don’t want to waste an opportunity to be a witness by swearing or using the Lord’s name in vain. I am convicted that each moment is an opportunity to be a witness, and I want to start living more in tune with the Living God inside of me. Lord grant this to me, please.

What’s alive in you?

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2013 in Matthew, My God is Living

 

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My God is…Great Psalm 96:3-5

11 Feb

Psalm 96:3-5 Declare his glory among the nations,young-people-clapping
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.

Declare his glory among the nations

The other day during my Bible study (I think I mentioned it in another blog post), I learned more about God’s glory. Glory is God being revealed. That is why Jesus is the fullness of God’s glory while at the same time, I can reflect God’s glory. I can, through my actions, help people to know God more fully. This was a revelation to me. Previously I had thought that giving God glory was the same as praising Him. Saying God is good, or thanking Him for what He has done, and while it does include those things, it includes them as a way to show and reveal more of God. Every song with glory in it now has a deeper, fuller meaning for me. I want to declare His glory among all the nations.

His marvelous works among all the peoples

I remember a few years back when I was reading the book Pivot, by Dr. Alan Zimmerman, there was an exercise at the end of one of the chapters that had you write down all the blessings you could think of in your life. I, who can be a relatively negative person (my husband doesn’t call me the cheerful pessimist for nothing), found too many to fill a page. It was astonishing to me all the things I had begun to take for granted. All of the things the Lord had provided me with, blessed me with and the things for which I was now responsible were written on the page. No, that’s probably not true. I probably forgot some. There were more than what I had written down. The good things the Lord had provided me with were too many for me to recount. If you have never done an exercise like this, I suggest you do. Do it now. I won’t be offended if you stop reading here. I think it’s too important to recognize all we’ve been given.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods

great  /grāt/

Adjective – Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average.

Noun – A great or distinguished person.

Adverb –  Excellently; very well.

Considerably above the normal or average

Our God isn’t some made up God. He is Great. He is above all gods. By the definition of great, God is considerably above the normal or average. He’s not just a little bit above, considerably above. God is God. He is great, and He deserves our praise.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.

Sadly we often choose to make things other than God great. We make people, relationships, addictions, greed and so much more increasingly important until they actually replace God at the top of our list. Today in my Bible Study I read in Isaiah how God felt about the false gods, and how crazy it made those that worshiped them seem. Bear with me as I share with you these verses, Isaiah 44: 6-23. Especially take not of verses 9 and 19. Those are the verses that really stuck out to me.

The Lord, Not Idols

6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

9 All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
11 People who do that will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.

12 The blacksmith takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”

23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.

What’s so great?

 
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Posted by on February 11, 2013 in My God is Great, Psalm

 

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My God is…Lord Psalm 16:2

08 Feb

Psalm 16:2 – I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

I have no good apart from you.”

Let’s take a look at the word Lord:

1lord  noun \ˈlȯrd\ definition of LORD

1: one having power and authority over others:

a: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due

b: one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure

c: an owner of land or other real property

d obsolete: the male head of a household

e:husband

f: one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area <a drug lord

2 capitalized: god
b: jesus

3: a man of rank or high position: as

a: a feudal tenant whose right or title comes directly from the king

b: a British nobleman: as
(1): baron 2a
(2): a hereditary peer of the rank of marquess, earl, or viscount
(3): the son of a duke or a marquess or the eldest son of an earl
(4): a bishop of the Church of England

c plural capitalized: house of lords

4—used as a British title: as

a —used as part of an official title <Lord Advocate> <LordMayor>

b —used informally in place of the full title for a marquess, earl, or viscount

c —used for a baron

d —used by courtesy before the name and surname of a younger son of a duke or a marquess

5: a person chosen to preside over a festival

One having power and authority over others

My God is Lord, and He has authority over me. He is the great authority. When you think about someone being the authority on a topic, it’s someone who has worked with something a long time or is the creator or that item. God is the authority on you. He created you, He knows you better than you know yourself. But I don’t think that’s the kind of thing it’s talking about here. God has the power and authority to make things happen. He can change things, if it’s His will. He can make things happen. Nothing can become greater than it’s creator, and so it is with God. He created us and is bigger, smarter and more than we’ll ever be. He is outside of all measurement.

A man of rank or high position
God by way of being God is in the ultimate high position. There is none that outrank Him. But sometimes in our lives, we don’t act like He is Lord. That He is the one with authority in our lives or even that we treat Him with honor. We are called to give God glory in all we do, but sometimes our selfish interests get in the way. Maybe we ignore the nudge from God to get up on a Sunday morning and attend worship. Maybe we don’t give the money back when we’re given too much in change. Maybe we focus more on pleasing our spouses or significant others instead of showing God that He is truly in the highest position in our heart. To put this idea in context, I’ve heard people say, “How would you prepare for a visit from the President of the United States?” Even if you don’t like the president in power, most likely you would still show him the respect the position holds, and maybe even be proud he came to see you. Now how do you prepare your heart and home for the One of Highest Position? What efforts do you make in your relationship with the Most Important? I don’t know about you, but it makes me think about some of my choices each day. If I could actually see God as residing in my heart and my home, physically, would I be doing anything differently? I’m guessing I would. Would you?

My Lord, My Master, My Father
How blessed are we that the one who is all-powerful, of the highest rank and position and holds all authority is also the one who adopted me into His family, so that I might benefit from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I am not a slave, but a child of God, serving not out of duty, but out of love. May we be blessed with continuing faith in the God who is Lord of all.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

The second half of this verse says it all really. My value, my purpose and my spirit are nothing without the Lord. I am God’s child, and when left to my own devices, I am hopeless. I fail, I’m mean, I sin. With the Lord I am saved, purposeful, blessed, encouraging. When my focus isn’t on God, you can tell. It shows in my actions. I want my God to show. I want God to get the glory in my life. I want it to be obvious that there is something different in my life that gives my life meaning. Maybe next time I see someone doing good, I’ll say, “Your God is showing.”

Is your God showing?
 
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Posted by on February 8, 2013 in My God is Lord, Psalm

 

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My God is…The Sword of my triumph Deuteronomy 33:26-29

06 Feb

Deuteronomy 33:26-29

Sword of My Triumph

Sword of My Triumph

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, ‘Destroy.’
So Israel lived in safety,
Jacob lived alone,
in a land of grain and wine,
whose heavens drop down dew.
Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs.”

There is none like God, who rides through the heavens to your help

I started with one verse for today, then read more of the chapter and couldn’t leave out other parts. I felt this first line of our reading was so encouraging. We have a God who rides through the heavens to your help. He is concerned with what we’re going through, and He is taking an active role. He isn’t just watching us like a television show, He’s participating. He’s riding on a white horse to fight for us (Rev. 19:11). We are blessed to have a God who intercedes for us with God and defends and protects us in our life here on earth as well.

The shield of your help

God is the shield of our help. I don’t know about you, but that brings me comfort. I see it sort of like a force field we can’t see, but we’re assured is there. He’s got our back and we can rest in his protection. That he will keep things away from us that are meant to damage our souls.

The sword of your triumph

You’ve seen it in those movies where large numbers are going into battles, swords drawn and shields up. They’re fighting to the death, and God did just that. He fought to the death for you, so that you could spend eternity with Him in heaven. And though He died, He was also the winner, as he conquered the devil and allowed us to have salvation. Now because He fought to the death, we can hold our sword high in triumph. We are no longer in chains to the evil one, we are set free to serve God and others. We are triumphant.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:15

Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can walk triumphant through this life, and our lives can bring Glory to the Lord, revealing to those around us who God is and showing Him to them as their loving savior as well.

Are you triumphant?

 
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Posted by on February 6, 2013 in My God is the Sword of my triumph

 

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My God is…a Lamp 2 Samuel 22:28-30

04 Feb

2 Samuel 22: 28-30 leaaping-over-wall

You save a humble people,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

You save a humble people

I am called to be a humble person; To put God at the top of my list. Nothing else should be more important to me than the Lord. Unfortunately, all too often, I find myself trying to do things my own way, veering away from the Lord. I like to think that I have had great ideas, or that somehow I was responsible for the good things that happen in my life (the bad things, I’m often willing to say were God’s doing).

But your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down

Immediately upon reading this part of our verse for today, I am reminded of Psalm 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” I find that pretty much everything that has caused me grief is some how related to my pride. I think of myself instead of others or the Lord. I may even think myself better than others (and dare I say the Lord). Sure I can have those french fries, I’m worth it. Says who? It’s alright if I park in the reserved space, I’m only going to be a couple of minutes. I don’t have time to make the meal for that family. I have to get ready for a party. Whatever it is (and there are so many more examples), they all relate back to pride, or putting myself and my own needs above the needs of others.

For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness.

But I am not left in my pit of prideful despair. The Lord is working on me, He is showing me my faults and like pealing away at an onion, each layer reveals something new I need to work on. Does God do this because I am such a disappointment to Him? No He does it because I am such a disappointment to myself. He points out (sometimes gently, sometimes blatantly) the things I need to work on, because it is in my best interest. He loves me and wants me to live free from all of my pride filled pains. He is a lamp showing my sin so that I don’t have to live with them anymore. Revealing the sickness so that I might be healed. It’s like going to the Dr and finding out you have a cracked rib. You knew you had a lot of pain in your ribs, but you didn’t know what was the source. Dr. God (sorry for the silliness) takes an x-ray of your chest and shows you that you’re indeed broken. Without God showing you your brokenness, you wouldn’t know what to do differently to allow you to heal.

We live in a sinful, painful world. I would venture to say that there isn’t one person out there who is reading this that hasn’t known some pain that has lingered on for years. But God can heal you of that pain. He is a lamp that will lighten your darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Forgiveness is the stuff of freedom. Once we have been healed of our sins and are living with our Lord as the center of our lives we can find the confidence and freedom the end of this verse so displays. We can take on the world, and all its future hurts. We can leap tall buildings in a single bound! OK  we can leap over our problems and no longer be in pain because of them. He wants us to be freed from our sins, but often our pride, in the form of self loathing or self boasting get in the way of us seeing the hurt and dealing with it. I don’t know about you, but I want to have the Lord shine His light in my life, that I might have the confidence in this verse. That with the Lord all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Can you leap over a wall?

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2013 in My God is a Lamp

 

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My God is…Jealous Exodus 20:4-6

01 Feb

Exodus 20:4-6 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven golden-calfabove, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image…You shall not bow down to them or serve them

I’m guessing that if you’re anything like me you haven’t done much carving since the soap carving you did in 2nd grade. So maybe you feel like this verse is old-fashioned or irrelevant. But the truth is though we don’t carve our idols, but we do put other things ahead of God. Maybe it’s a person or a car that your obsessed with and think about more than God.

For I the Lord your God am a jealous God

We are called to keep our focus on God. He is the one who has created us, provided for us and delights in us. He wants the glory in our lives. So many things can keep us off track. I’ve been doing Weight Watchers, and I’m very focused, but I know in the past I have kind of gotten obsessed when I’m dieting. I’m trying not to make this about that, but to keep God at the center of all that I’m doing.

Isn’t Jealousy Wrong? 
1 a : intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness

   b : disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness
2: hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage
3: vigilant in guarding a possession <new colonies were jealous of their new independence — Scott Buchanan>
Intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness
When you look at the definitions of Jealous, it helps us to understand how our perfect and Holy God could be something that we usually think is bad. But not tolerating unfaithfulness is something every husband, wife or friend can understand. If your best friend you’ve had for 20 years sleeps with your husband, you might find yourself intolerant of the unfaithfulness, and no one would think you were wrong for feeling that way. It is understandable, pure and holy to have that emotion of jealousy. I think the second part of the first definition doesn’t apply to God, because He doesn’t have to suspect someone – He knows if you have been unfaithful. As our God, He is in the most intimate relationship with us. He knows everything about us and wants to keep us close to Him, not because He wants to keep us away from others, but because He loves us.
Hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage
Yes God can be hostile toward a rival. God doesn’t like the devil. The devil is constantly looking for a way to get our attention off of our one true love, God. He is jealous too, but not out of piety or care for his relationship with us. His motives are purely evil. He wants nothing less than to pull us into sin, distraction and dismay. God doesn’t stand for that kind of behavior from the devil. He is hostile toward Him, and wants the devil to have no power over the Lord’s beloved, you.
Vigilant in guarding a possession
We belong to the Lord, and the Lord is vigilant in protecting us. We are His people, and He is our God. Isn’t the guarding protection of the Lord something we want? Jealousy like this would be welcomed by me.
Are you jealous? 
What difference in your life would it make if you acted towards the Lord the way He acted toward you. Are you as protective of your relationship with Him as He? Do you protect His name? Do you keep His word close to your heart? Do you think of Him first?
Showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments
He loves us, He really loves us. He knows that this side of heaven we’re not going to keep His commandments perfectly (that’s why He sent Jesus to save us). But He loves that we want to keep them, that we want to keep Him at the center of our lives. As we practice keeping our eyes fixed on Him, we’ll find it easier and quicker to come back and remain even more steadfast. It’s a discipline. A discipline of jealousy.
Are you jealous?
 
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Posted by on February 1, 2013 in My God is Jealous

 

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My God is…with us Psalm 46:10-11

30 Jan

Psalm 46:10-11 – Be still, and know that I am God.Listen
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Being alone can be scary

As a kid did you ever have that moment when you realized you were the last one to be picked up after a game or at school. Did your parents forget? Did they not care? You look around only to see the teacher who was relegated to stay until you were picked up looking at their watch for the 1000th time. When would they show up? Where are they? What was more important than picking me up? Maybe you even got a little panicked. Maybe you worried they wouldn’t show up. (I was good at creating worst case scenarios in my mind – so I’m sure I thought they were in an accident and would never make it back).

Usually my sister or my parents were around, but during my teenage years, there were times when I was the only one in the house. I could really freak myself out. I would sometimes call my grandpa just to feel like someone knew where I was and could talk me down from my fears. (Do I sound neurotic?).

We’re not alone

The truth is, we’re not alone. Never. God is with us. That means no matter where we go, we can reach out for comfort and encouragement. Even when we as adults find ourselves feeling very alone with many people around us. The amount of people in our vicinity doesn’t have much to do with our feeling alone or not. The beauty of God being with us is that He actually has the power to change things. He can make our situation different. He can do it immediately if He wants too, or it might take a little while (probably while I learn patience or endurance or trusting in Him). But He is always there, and always hears our prayers.

Still feel alone

Some of you are probably thinking to yourselves, “Sure, that sounds great, but how do I feel God with me?” That comes in the beginning of our scripture for today. “Be still and know that I am God.” In America, we’re not accustomed to being still. In fact it takes practice, and can feel really uncomfortable at first. But God says in this verse that if we are still we will know He is God. In addition reading scriptures, calling out to Him in your times of need (like I would call my grandpa), or listening to Christian music can all help to remind us of our ever-present God.

Do you know how to be still?

 
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Posted by on January 30, 2013 in My God is With Us, My God is with You, Psalm

 

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