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.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. II Chronicles 32: 7-8
What does Omnipotent mean? According to dictionary.com it’s a word that can be used as an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it means almighty or infinite in power, as God or having very great or unlimited authority or power. As a noun, it means an omnipotent being or the Omnipotent – God.
Being Omnipotent separates the God from the men
Omnipotent isn’t a word often used with men (or women), because it just isn’t truthful to use with humans. I think you might use it to say a boss thinks they’re omnipotent, but you would know there is no way they truly possess the omnipotence we’re talking about here. God does. He is omnipotent. He has all the power and authority in the whole universe, not just here.
Be Strong and Courageous
This morning, a friend of mine posted on Facebook about not living in fear, because God is with us. That we can be bold because He is on our side. A lot of times we find our self living in fear because we are scared we won’t measure up or be successful. That was the fear facing the people in the verses mentioned from II Chronicles 32. They were afraid that the bigger, meaner army that backed the king of Assyria were going to kick their butts. King Hezekiah was putting his faith in the Lord who is Omnipotent. He knew with God all things are possible.
Fighting a Big Battle
Fortunately most of my fears do not involve getting killed by a bigger, meaner army. But if that’s true, why do I so often let the lies of the devil get the better of me. “Don’t start a blog, no one will read it.” “Don’t join praise team, they’ll sound awful if you do.” “Don’t lead a Bible study, you have nothing to contribute.” These are some of (a very small selection) of the lies the devil has tried to work on me. Most of the time, I would have to say he does it successfully, but because of the other Christians I have around me, being bold is becoming easier. Their encouragement to be bold is like nourishment from God. The post from my friend, the women at Bible study, they’re reminders from my Lord, Like the words of King Hezekiah to the people of Judah. God is omnipotent.
What would you do?
What would you do if fear wasn’t an issue? What’s stopping you really?
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8.
I love the praise and worship song that refers to this verse.
All sin and fall sort of the Glory of God – When I was choosing a YouTube video for this song, I noticed that people were compassionately trying to answer the questions that arise from a verse like this. If the Lord is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, why do “good” people and children die or are killed in natural disasters.
This world is sinful. Many people will not agree with me that we are all born sinners, because this earth was tainted when Eve and Adam first sinned. But you need to know that is where I start my position for my beliefs. That we are all sinful and fall short of the Glory of God. (Gen 8:21; Romans 3:23; Ecc 7:20; Romans 3:9)
I don’t deserve compassion – I deserve death
In the Bible we are told that the wages of sin are death.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
I am sinful from birth because my mother and father are sinful. It’s like a hereditary disease that started with Adam and Eve. I am always going to fall short without the power of Christ’s sacrifice to pay for my sins. But because of that promise, I know that the Lord wants one thing for me ultimately – to end up with Him in heaven.
So why do bad things happen to good people?
I believe it is because everything on this earth is tainted by sin. That all this entire earth deserves is death and destruction. It is by the grace and mercy (being slow to anger) from God that we live with as much certainty and stability as we do.
So what about the little babies that die?
This is a good question, and one that is not clearly answered in the Bible (it doesn’t say “The babies who die in abortion, miscarriage or before the age of ten will be spared). Yet I trust in the concept that my God is slow to anger and rich in love. Therefore I believe that He will do what is right, and I believe he is going to linger in grace and mercy for those children. I don’t know that this is Biblical, but it is what I believe. This is what I cling to for my unborn child that I miscarried.
God wants us with Him in heaven.
As a I believe that I deserve death for being sinful, I also know that I live in grace. I have not gotten the death and destruction I deserve. In the year 2001 (ten years ago already) my husband went to the Middle East with the Air Force. Last time he was there, he was in the Middle East, I thought I had nearly lost him in a bombing orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden. So I wasn’t thrilled that he was returning, but it was his job and his duty.
So there I was with my twin boys who were two years old. Making a go of it. I worked part-time at a school as an aid in the computer lab, and the boys attended day care during that time. It was such a blessing for me, as I didn’t have a lot of time away from them when my husband was gone, and I was getting worn out.
Then September 11th happened
I’m not trying to compare my pain to the pain of those who lost someone on that day. It was awful. But like the many other Americans reliving it by the minute on the television, I became very sad. I was certain that my husband would not be returning from the Middle East any time soon, because they would be starting a war. My boys may have fed off the strange energy in the house and the tone of the television broadcasts I was watching, but they no longer wanted to sleep. They wouldn’t go to bed before 10 and I wanted to go to sleep at 8 or 9. I was emotionally and physically exhausted.
The Spa can fix anything
During this time, there was a Friday night when I was watching television. I had the sudden thought that I needed to call an ambulance, but I didn’t. I started to assess myself and this urge. I had numbness and tingling down my entire left side. Then I realized I didn’t know what a toilet was called. I knew what you did there, but the word toilet was completely erased from my mind. So what to do? I decided to write an email for work. Yep that’s right – your brain isn’t working – perfect time to write a work email. My friend Kara received that email and mentioned to me that it seemed a bit strange. I had used homophones for many of the words. This was all very concerning. So the next morning I did what any girl would do; I went to the Spa. I had a full spa day planned (as a retreat from the stresses of raising twin 2 year olds on your own – any excuse is viable), and I was sure whatever was going on, a spa day couldn’t hurt.
Turns out it was more serious
After my spa day, my friend Kara and I had plans to go out. We did, but after we did, I called her again and we decided I needed to go to the ER and get checked out. They called the neurologist on call. Within a few months I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I had a hard time for a while, and one day while making lunch for my boys, I got confused between the milk lid and the peanut butter lid. I didn’t know which one went on which container. I was freaking out. I started to sob. I yelled out to God – “What the hell? What am I supposed to do now?” I didn’t get an audible response, but I did suddenly feel reminded that this body is only temporary. I felt as if He reminded me that my eternal body in heaven would not be plagued with this disease. This sinful body is only temporary – my blessings would be in heaven. Then we danced. God and I danced in my kitchen, as I was assured of His everlasting love. He’s the best dancer ever!
Proverbs 3:19-20 – By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
My God is Wise!
Why is it important that my God is Wise? It’s important, becasue if my Lord wasn’t wise, I wouldn’t be able to trust Him. But I can. In this verse from Proverbs, I’m assured of his wisdom in design on the earth, but throughout the Bible, we also see that people are given Wisdom from the Lord. To me that means He has an over abundance of wisdom, and has always been a valid source for gaining more wisdom.
Proverbs 19:21 (NKJV) There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel; that will stand.
The beauty of the Lord’s wisdom is that we are able to get a glimpse of it through everything in the Bible. I’ve often had the discussion with people about how to know what the right option is in any given situation. What should I do? I don’t claim to know the answer to all problems of the world, but because my Lord is wise, I don’t have to worry. This verse in proverbs says that the Lord’s counsel will stand. So I search the scripture, trust God and go forward full force, leaning on the promise that all things work for the good of those that love Him (Romans 8:28).
How have you seen God’s Wisdom displayed in your life?
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NIV)
God is Love.
That seems like such a simple statement, but it’s not really. Not to me. Loving someone isn’t easy. It takes work. I’m not sure we can fully understand the love our Lord has for us. I feel like it’s something more complex than the philos (brotherly love) I might be referring to when I say “I love you, man”. God’s love is more intimate than the eros (erotic) love I have for my husband. And while I suppose the Agape love (unconditional love) we have for our children may be the closest definition of God’s love, I’m guessing it falls short of all that His love provides.
Unconditional Love
Unconditional love is an amazing thing all on its own. To love someone, no matter what. Even if they fail you by lying or cheating. Your children lie to you (or at least mine lie to me). I believe it’s a condition of their sinful souls. I don’t love them any less because they lie, but I don’t love the lies. I think that’s how God feels about us as well. He loves us despite the sins we commit every day. I set out each day thinking I’m going to get it right. Throughout the day I make mistakes. Not all of them are probably sins, but most probably qualify. I may snap at my boys, a driver in front of me, or get impatient with the store clerk who is taking way too long and keeping me from my quiet time at home with the Lord. (That’s right – I can sin and think about the Lord at the same time – I’m crazy like that). But through it all he knows me, forgives me and delights in me. He is Love.
Being in Love with the Lord
I was the first woman my husband said, “I love you” to (or at least that’s what he told me – don’t correct me if I’m wrong, I prefer to live in my la-la-land). My husband and I work at our relationship everyday, and some days it’s a lot more work than other days. To be in a true relationship, you’re thinking about the other person, communicating with them, and enjoying their quirks and their sense of humor. Over the past few years, I have fallen in love with the Lord. I have had some great conversations with Him. Some of those conversations were painful, frustrating and down right sad. I’m not always happy with my Lord. Sometimes he pushes me out of my comfort zone so far that I get angry. I don’t like being stretched or frustrated by my constant failures as I learn something new. But there are other times…
My God has a sense of humor
Are you laughing at me or with me Lord? As I work at my relationship with the Lord through prayer, Bible study and relationships with the wonderful people I encounter, I see evidence of my God’s sense of humor all around me. Perhaps it’s that he is nudging me to work on my faith and I hear a song that touches exactly the right nerve to motivate me, and then follows that up with a friend who calls and reinforces the idea. The more I time I spend with God in prayer and Bible study, the more I see Him communicating in my everyday life. I don’t want to sound like some sort of goody two shoes who spends all her time reading the Bible and going to Bible study. I love those things, but trust me, the amount of commitment I’m making is so small in comparison to what I could be doing, and yet as I grow closer to Him (by spending more time with Him), the more I laugh at how He shows himself in my life.
Do you think the Lord has a sense of humor? If so – tell me about a time you two shared a laugh. If not – tell me why you don’t think the Lord has a sense of humor.
Psalm 145: 9 – The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.
“God is Good. All the Time. All the Time, God is Good”
Have you ever heard that? I believe it. As I start this journey to learn more about God by looking at his attributes as described in the Bible, I decided to start here, because this is the attribute I lean on most. I need compassion from my Good God.
I’m not held accountable for my sin.
God displays His compassion and goodness in so many ways in my life, but the one that is most important is that I’m not held completely accountable for my sin. Sure there are earthly consequences for my action, but if I were to be held accountable for being the sinner that I am I would be going to hell when I die. I’m not. Not because of anything I did. Not because I’m a good person (thank goodness – because most days someone I know would probably think I’m not), but because he shows me compassion through His Son Jesus Christ my Savior. Because of His Sacrifice on the cross, I get to go to heaven when I die, and that’s an exciting thing to me.
Placed in a Christian Family
But I find that He is compassionate for me in many other ways. Probably one that’s toward the top of my list is that I come from a Christian family. A family who has spent their whole lives in service to the Lord. Both as church workers and just those who care for others, my family has always had their focus on the Lord. That’s a huge blessing. My core family now, my husband, boys and I are all Christians as well. And perhaps this is where the Lord had a lot of compassion for me.
Given a Christian Husband
When I met my husband, I was a teacher in my church’s school. He wasn’t a Christian, and he wasn’t really going out of his way to learn about God. Because of my extensive knowledge of the kind of men I didn’t want to be with, I spotted the right one right away. I could tell he was different. But he wasn’t a Christian. I had been raised to look for a spouse who shared my beliefs. A man who would want to grow in our relationship together and with the Lord. Don’t let this fool you. This girl wasn’t that bright. I wasn’t going to let this wonderful man out of my sight. Christian or not, I was going to take the plunge.
We started dating, but I was very clear, come Sunday morning, you’ll know where to find me. I’ll be at church. He didn’t want to raise any red flags in my mind, so he said he’d like to join me. Then about two weeks after we started dating my pastor asked Don (my husband) if he would like to take an informational class about what we believe and maybe get baptized at the end of it. I thought, “Here we go, watch this guy run. Doesn’t my pastor know I’ve only been dating him for two weeks?” to my amazement, Don said he would like to go, and did get baptized. The Lord was compassionate and gave me the Christian husband I had desired in my heart even though I didn’t choose a man who started that way.
There are so many ways that God shows His goodness and compassion in my life. What are some of the ways He’s showing them to you?
God is... 