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Category Archives: Books of the Bible

Find Characteristics of God in your favorite chapter in the Bible

My God is…Holy 1 Peter 1:15-16

08 Feb

 1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know I’m a fan of the dictionary. I like to look words up. Today let’s take a look at the word Holy.

Definition of HOLY

1: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness
2: divine <for the Lord our God is holy — Psalms 99:9(Authorized Version)>
3: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity <aholy temple> <holy prophets>
4a : having a divine quality <holy love>
 b : venerated as or as if sacred <holy scripture> <a holyrelic>
5—used as an intensive <this is a holy mess> <he was a holyterror when he drank — Thomas Wolfe> ; often used in combination as a mild oath <holy smoke>
God is Holy
God is Holy. He is Holy with a capital “H”. That means that He is the completion of Holiness. It doesn’t get more Holy than God. He is perfect and without blemish. He is perfect in goodness and righteousness.
How are we supposed to be holy?
I don’t know about you, but this verse seems a bit daunting to me. I read it and think, “Um, Impossible”. But we know that all things are possible with God. I decided I needed to look at this verse more closely in its context.
Be Holy 1 Peter 1:13-23

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

We are called to be holy

We are called to be holy, not as a way to get to heaven, but as a part of our sanctification. Moving closer to being like our Lord. I won’t get it right this side of heaven, but because of the grace given to me by my Lord Jesus Christ, I am freed to try. I am freed to be sober-minded putting my hope in the grace I will receive at the second coming of Christ. When he comes again I will be assured of my place in heaven, because as it says in the reading above, I have been redeemed.

Through him you believe in God
Because God sent his son Jesus, and God rose Jesus from the dead, I can now believe that I too will be raised from the dead to spend eternal life with him and my fellow believers in Heaven. My faith and my hope are in God.
Freedom is…freeing
Because I am no longer damned because of my sins (falling short or not measuring up), I am free to try to measure up. I’m free to know that even though I will never measure up on this side of heaven, I can work towards sanctification (being made holy). I can keep putting my hope and faith in God. I can be sober-minded, and not get distracted by my addictions, vices and bad habits. I can keep my focus on God more, reaping the benefits of having a relationship with a God who is all-powerful. God is in my corner, and that makes me able to be confident in all things. Knowing my God is with me and I am with Him.
Who’s in your corner?
 
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Posted by on February 8, 2012 in 1 Peter, My God is Holy

 

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My God is…my deliverer Psalm 140:6-8

03 Feb

Psalm 140:6-8 I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy. Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD; do not let their plans succeed.

You are my God, Have mercy on me

Definition of MERCY

1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment <begged for mercy>
b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
b : a fortunate circumstance <it was a mercy they found her before she froze>
3: compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy among the poor>
At the beginning of this week, my husband and I had the pleasure of going to a Prayer and Renewal Retreat. My husband had attended before, so he was in a different phase, but in Phase one, I was taught about two types of praying I hadn’t experience before: Lectio Divina and the “Jesus Prayer“. In the Jesus prayer, a phrase similar to the one in our text is used: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
We all need mercy
Because of sin, I need of mercy. The Psalmist wants God to be a deliverer. This is no call for a UPS man. This is a call for someone to help you escape the inevitable. Think about when people ask for mercy. Picture it. I’m picturing the six-fingered man from the “Princess Bride” about to get killed by Inigo Montoya.
When I’m in a pinch, I’m always a bit more willing to make amends. I might say things like, “Lord, get me out of this and I’ll never do it again.” I want to bargain with God. I want him to deliver me from the pain I’m afraid is coming our way. I often forget to acknowledge the way He has already had mercy on me.
My God is my Deliverer
On the cross, Jesus took away all of my sins. Paid for all of my short comings, failings and mistakes. He did it because He loves me. He had mercy on me. I was in a pinch. I couldn’t have survived without Him, but because of His mercy, I’m not getting what I deserve, Hell. I’m getting the best of the best, a life with the one who loves me more than anyone else does. My Lord Jesus Christ.
What deliverer do you count on?
 
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Posted by on February 3, 2012 in My God is My Deliverer, Psalm

 

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My God is a Miracle Worker – John 21:25

25 Jan

John 21:25 – Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Isn’t that the truth. I think about my own life and the amazing things the Lord has done for me, and I’m pretty sure my book of God’s Miracles would be pretty long too – even if all I did was list them. Sometimes when I’m going through something I feel like the Lord isn’t there, and it becomes hard for me to believe that Jesus would perform a miracle for little old me. Sometimes I’m too busy controlling the situation to hand it over to God and let His will be done. But when I have, amazing things have happened.

My son was born with Tetralogy of Fallot

When my son was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, we had never heard of it. The Doctor explained to us that our newborn would have to have open heart bi-pass surgery within the first year of his life. We were shocked. In the office we took the news calmly, but when we got home I broke down. I was really freaking out. Around 9 months old he had the surgery. The thing I remember most is handing him over to the surgical team. They stood there with a mask to administer something to put him to sleep. Five of them looking at me, one with his arms outstretched to take my baby from me. They were going to cut his heart open. I had been calm the whole day leading up to the surgery, but in that moment, I new I had to surrender his care to the doctors and to God, because I truly couldn’t fix this problem for him.

Years later, during a choir rehearsal at church, a man stood up to give a devotion. He began telling the story of how his son had Tetralogy of Fallot. But his story was different. His son had to have multiple surgeries. He was twelve at the time and had over 5 surgeries already. I started to cry. I was overwhelmed knowing how the Lord had given our son a full recovery. The doctors had said he would never have to have heart surgery for Tetralogy again. That was when I knew the fullness of the miracle that had occurred. My son was healthy and amazed all the heart doctors he has seen since.

God has healed my heart

Another miraculous event in my life has happened more recently. I have an amazing husband. He has always been kind and considerate, but sometimes I still felt I wanted more love from him. I felt needy, and I could tell he felt I was needy too. We didn’t fight often, but when we did – watch out! I felt like he thought, I told you I love you, and that’s the truth until further notice, and that he didn’t really need to tell me again, unless something changed. Well, I’m a girl, and this was hard for me. I didn’t know how to make it better. There really wasn’t much to complain about, and when I did, I couldn’t put my finger on the real problem.

I had heard about a book called, “Love and Respect” on the radio. It talked about how women need love and men need respect. It was surprising to me, and I was pretty sure wrong. I thought, my husband needs love more than respect. I decided to find out. When my husband came downstairs, I asked him which was more important to him, love or respect, and without another breath he said, “Respect!”. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. I could see I hadn’t been approaching him with that in mind, and I ordered the book (actually I accidentally ordered the second one, but that works too). I read through about half of it and got distracted. Then a few months ago, my counselor recommended it to me. I said I had already read most of it.

When I got home, I talked to my husband and he agreed to read it with me. This is when the miracle happened. By reading Ephesians 5:33 : “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” and the book, he realized that God made me to need love. It’s not that I’m needy because of some personal deficiency, but that God intended it that way. He got it.

How has life changed because of this miracle?

We’re not finished reading the book, but already things are so much better. Remember, I said I had a good marriage before, but this is truly wonderful. Now my husband, of his own doing is showing me love in all the ways I had hoped he would. When we’re at a function, he crosses the room to talk to me. He’ll compliment me in front of others. He tells me its a joy to see my smile. These things are not that different from what he did before, but it’s also the attitude behind it. He assumes I want to bless him with respect, and I assume the things that used to annoy me are not things he’s doing to irritate me. We have more patience with each other, and are really enjoying a new lease on life. My counselor said she thought it was a very powerful book, and I have to agree. It get’s its power by being focused on the truths in God’s word.

Do you need love, or respect?

 
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Posted by on January 25, 2012 in God is a Miracle Worker, John

 

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My God is …the God of Power and Might II Chronicles 20:6

19 Jan

2 Chronicles 20:6

LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

The God of our ancestors

This is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. The blessing of having ancestors who have gone before me in this Christian walk. My Grandparents, on both sides, were strong Christian people. They raised my parents keeping Christ at the center of all they did. My parents raised us similarly, and I pray that my children, future grandchildren and great-grandchildren will also follow Christ.

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

So this verse is sort of plucked out of a chapter that is about the fight between Jehoshaphat and the Moabites and the Ammonites. In this verse they’re crying out to God for his power and might, hoping that God will help them to defeat these nations. Later in the chapter, God tells them not to worry it’s His battle not theirs. Then he goes on to tell them how he’s going to help them defeat these people.

Flattery, wishful thinking or the truth

When my boys are talking to me and asking me for something, sometimes they butter me up. Saying things like I love the way you cook or you’re the best mom ever. Some of the things that they’re saying in this verse sound almost like they’re trying to butter God up. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking, maybe they’re desperate and calling out not sure if God will answer. Hoping, with a bit of doubt. But I think it’s more that they knew, had heard and seen the power and might of God before, so they knew the truth. They knew He was the God of Power and Might, and that there wasn’t anything He couldn’t do.

Do you trust the God of Power and Might?

The entire town came to the temple to call out to God. They all came together asking for help from the Lord. Their prayer was clearly answered when their enemies were defeated. If God can defeat armies, doesn’t it make sense then that his Power and Might would be enough to help you conqueror the much smaller battles we face each day. Sometimes I act like being married, raising kids and getting along with others is such a hard thing to do that I’m not sure God could help me do it. I’m pretty sure it’s easier than beating an army. But it doesn’t matter easy or hard. God can do all things. He can be our strength, power and might.

Are you mighty powerful?

 
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Posted by on January 19, 2012 in 2 Corinthians, God is my Mighty Rock, God is My Strength

 

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My God is … Love 1 John 3:1

10 Jan

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us. 

Love is mentioned a lot in the Bible. We’re told we’re to love one another (almost 20 times). Husbands are told to love their wives. But one of the best ways (in my humble opinion) the word love is used is to describe the wonderful and unconditional love the “Father has lavished on us”

Because God first loved us we’re able to show love to others. Even if they don’t deserve it. That can be really hard, but it can also be really rewarding. People are changed by love. Imagine the young student who has never felt very smart in school is shown some loving patience and encouragement from a teacher. That can be very inspiring to the student.

Have you ever been shown love when you didn’t deserve it. Besides from God. Has anyone ever been nice to you even though you were being a jerk? What would happen if you get upset in a grocery store? You lose it and start getting a bit loud with the person checking you out. The manager comes over and lovingly finds out what is wrong and helps you solve the problem. Are you still yelling? No. The manager, with an act of love and respect changed your behavior.

Are you spoiled?

When I was a kid (I’m sure it still is said today), people would say, “Don’t give her that – you’re going to spoil that child.” There are people who are spoiled. Who can never get enough or don’t appreciate the gifts they’ve been given. In the verse above, we see that God has lavished love on us. We are children of the King, the Lord of lords. How could we need anything else? But often I find myself complaining about what I do not have.

I always want more. God is lavishing His love on me and I want more. Lavishing isn’t just getting, it’s getting in abundance. More than I need. He’s giving me more love than I need. What joy that should bring to my heart. It does bring joy, but a somber reality that some times I act like a spoiled brat instead of someone who has all the love a person could ever want.

Lavishing love on others

To lavish love on someone who doesn’t deserve it is contrary to what this world is about, but aren’t we as Christians supposed to be different (in a good way). Wouldn’t it stand out if while someone was yelling at you for the way you parked, you waited patiently until they were done yelling to move your car. What if your spouse says something unkind. Can you stand out and lavish love by not retaliating? How about when your child comes in and confesses to putting a big scratch on your car? Can we lavish the love we’ve been given even then. Only with the strength give to us by Christ could we even try.

Because He first loved us we can lavish love on others. I’m going to challenge myself to find ways to lavish love on people. In my family and community. I’m going to pray for opportunities to show people I love them even when they may not deserve it. That’s scary (may mean I’m going to encounter some real winners over the next few days). But I truly want to understand the amazing love that has been lavished on me. I certainly don’t deserve it.

Are you spoiled? Are you Lavishing love on someone?

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2012 in 1 John, God is Love

 

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God is … Author and Perfecter of my faith Hebrews 12:1-2

02 Jan

Hebrews 12: 1-2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Fix our eyes

There is a song I absolutely love by Dave Horn called Fix our Eyes. I think one of the reasons this song is so powerful is its strong use of actual scripture. Nothing touches the heart like the word of the Lord. Dave sets a beautiful verse from Hebrews 12 to music. Dave led our church service this week at our church, and it’s always such a blessing when he and his wife Sabra come to visit. They have such a love for the Lord and an ability with fun and joking to make scripture come alive and connect (at least for me) in a whole new way. Whenever I read the scripture above – especially Hebrews 12:2, I think of Dave’s song. The beauty is, I have that verse memorized now because of his song. I suggest you listen to it, maybe even download it.

I love the idea of fixing our eyes on Jesus. It is only when we get distracted by the world and our own sinful desires that we get ourselves into true trouble. When we start to put our focus on things that are temporary and not eternal, we can lose site of what is important.

Author of my faith

Did God write my faith? That’s not the kind of authorship scripture is talking about here. One of the definitions of Author is “An originator or creator of something, esp. a plan or idea”. He is the one who came up with the idea to give me faith. To allow me to know Him and trust in Him. He had a plan for me – that I would have faith in Him, and come to know Him as my Lord and Savior.

Perfecter of my faith

The word Perfect (the root word of perfecter) is defined in many ways, and many of the definitions listed enlighten what this idea of Jesus being the perfecter of my faith might mean.

per·fect (pûrfkt) adj.

1. Lacking nothing essential to the whole; complete of its nature or kind.
2. Being without defect or blemish: a perfect specimen.
3. Thoroughly skilled or talented in a certain field or area; proficient.
4. Completely suited for a particular purpose or situation: She was the perfect actress for the part.

5.

  • Completely corresponding to a description, standard, or type: a perfect circle; a perfect gentleman.
  • Accurately reproducing an original: a perfect copy of the painting.
6. Complete; thorough; utter: a perfect fool.
7. Pure; undiluted; unmixed: perfect red.
8. Excellent and delightful in all respects: a perfect day.
Lacking nothing essential to the whole; complete of its nature or kind.
When Christ Jesus is the perfecter of my faith, He makes my faith complete, not withholding anything I would need.
Being without defect or blemish: a perfect specimen.
My faith, if it were my own creation would be tainted by my very sinful nature. It would not be trustworthy, but because Jesus is the author of it, it can be a perfect specimen (if I don’t get in the way).
Thoroughly skilled or talented in a certain field or area; proficient.
Jesus skillfully creates our faith, knowing the troubles and tribulations that will face us throughout our lives here on earth, he makes sure our faith is complete.
Completely suited for a particular purpose or situation
Jesus makes our faith perfect for the situations we will face. Whether it is that we don’t get into the college we want or that we have had to grow up with abusive parents or family members. No matter what the situation we find ourselves in, Jesus has provided us with a faith He is responsible for making perfect. He created it, He’ll make it work in our lives, no matter what the situation.
Accurately reproducing an original
As Christ works this perfecting in our faith, we can find ourselves becoming a more true reproduction of the one who created us. We were created in His image, and only through the perfecting of our faith through Jesus Christ do we have the opportunity to find out what that really means. If not fully realized here on earth, then in heaven when we meet Him face to face and our faith reaches its ultimate perfection.
Complete; thorough; utter
Only Jesus can make our faith complete. If we try to be the author of our faith, we’re going to find our faith is short-lived. If we try to will ourselves to believe, it just won’t work. Faith is only made complete, fully realized through Christ Jesus.
Pure; undiluted; unmixed
Our faith, if we created it or tried to make it perfect would be completely clouded by our sin. Everything we would try to make better would be watered down by self-seeking behaviors, selfishness, pride and more. It is only through Christ who is perfect and the perfecter can we have a faith that is pure, not messed up with our sins.
Excellent and delightful in all respects
Have you ever known people who feel like their faith is a burden, keeping them from having fun and enjoying all this world has to offer? Jesus’ promises are not of this world, and they’re eternal. Only Jesus can create faith in us that is excellent and delightful in all respects. He is the one who transforms what feels like restrictions into blessings and challenges into growth.
Come Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
Like a horse with blinders on I want to keep my eyes on Jesus so that I might know Him more fully and not get distracted with all the things of this world the devil tries to use to get me off course. With my eyes fixed on Jesus, I will be able to run with endurance the path Christ has laid out for me.
Who for the joy set before Him
One of the things that I think Dave Horn does so well is opening up scripture so that I see more of what is there. When he performs this song, he makes sure to point out that the “joy” set before Jesus is us – You and me. We are the Joy set before him. The reason He endured the cross despising its shame. You’re the reason He went on the cross. Not to point out your sin, but to save you from your sin that would otherwise block you from the beauty of the Son of God, and the relationship God wants to have with you.
What do you have your eyes fixed on? What are you looking at?

 
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Posted by on January 2, 2012 in God is the Author and Perfecter of My Faith, Hebrews

 

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God is a Miracle Worker Luke 7:20-23

20 Dec

Luke 7:20-23 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

God is a Miracle Worker!

This is good news for me today. As I face many battles ahead, challenges that currently seem insurmountable, I am reminded of all that God can do. He can heal, restore, change and save. These are all the things I need Him to do in my life today.

Living Miracles

Imagine receiving site after being blind from birth. When I first got glasses, I was amazed at the details I could now see. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for one who is cured of blindness. I pray I soon will though. I want to be cured of the blindness of seeing who God sees me to be. He knows that though I am weak and frail, He, who is perfect and strong, can work through me so that others may know Him more fully.

Facing addictions

As I face my addiction to food, I’m coming to realize the true problem with addictions is that they get in the way of upholding the two main commandments God gives to us. To love Him above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I need to get the focus off myself and my wants and needs in the moment, and focus on what the Lord is calling me to do. He wants me to be freed to be used by Him in the lives of others. That I might be blessed by being in service to others. May the Lord help me to think of Him more and me and my food a bit less.

When do we need miracles?

Do those who have their life together need a miracle? I don’t know, but I think it is true that the broken, those in pain, those struggling and weak need a miracle. I need a miracle. So who is blessed most? Those who have their life together but never get to experience a miracle, or those who struggle in this world, but are changed and  healed by the love of God. Those who experience a miracle after going through the worst time of their lives may be the most blessed people of all. How can they walk away unchanged? Can they help but share the love they have experienced in the miracle?

Do you need a miracle? Do you believe they can happen? Have you experienced a miracle?

 
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Posted by on December 20, 2011 in God is a Miracle Worker, Luke

 

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God is My Mighty Rock Psalm 62:6-8

16 Dec

Psalm 62:6-8

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

My God is My Mighty Rock

When someone goes through rough times, you might hear them say something like this, “Carol was my rock during that time.” It is really hard to go through the tough times in life by yourself. It’s almost as hard when the people you think you should be able to count on don’t come through for you.

Mighty means Powerful or Extraordinary

When we say someone is our rock. It means we can count on them. They added stability to an otherwise crazy time. They gave us a foothold, a safety net, a foundation. But people are people. They don’t always know what we need, and even if they do, they can’t always give it to us. But there is one who can.

God isn’t just my rock. He’s my mighty rock.

He is the only thing that’s worth building my life on. My powerful, extraordinary God is solid. I can count on Him in all kinds of trouble. If I build my life on Him, I have built my life on something solid, something secure, something strong. God doesn’t sway in the wind, wash away in a flood or disappear when things get hard. He supports, encourages and sometimes maintains us so that we can survive and learn to know Him more.

Solid, Unmovable, Reliable

What are the things you count on most? What do you trust to always be there? Has anything ever let you down? I’ve told the story about when I found out I had MS. I told about how my husband wasn’t there when I found out because he was away at a school for the Air Force. This led to an amazing moment with the Lord, one I never want to forget and would never trade in. But I wasn’t happy about my husband not being there.

I had put my trust in my husband.

My husband had earned it. He had supported me through some really tough times, he was my rock. He was who I went to when I was feeling insecure. He was who I trusted with my raw emotions. He was the one who could help me keep going when I wanted to give up. But he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there when I needed him the most. My life had changed. I was facing a debilitating disease, and had strange confusing things happening to the way my brain worked. I was worried I couldn’t care for my boys on my own. I felt abandoned. The truth is, no human can be there for you all the time. They can’t be all that you need them to be.

But there is one who is greater than all of the humans in the world.

One who can be there for you when no one else can. My God, the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ who saved me from my sins not only wanted to preserve me from death and an eternity in hell, but also wants to have a relationship with me. He wants me to be drawn closer to Him, that I might know what it feels like to be able to rely on Him, trust Him and be blessed by Him. He is my mighty rock. I trust Him. I trust Him with my life. I trust Him with my death. I trust Him with everything in between.

Who do you count on?

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2011 in God is my Mighty Rock, God is My Strength, Psalm

 

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My God is My Fortress Psalm 91:1-8

29 Nov

Psalm 91:1-8

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

He Himself will deliver you from the hunter’s net, from the destructive plague.

He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day,

the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon.

Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you.

You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.

The Lord is my Fortress

I take comfort in this verse. I am grateful that the Lord is watching out for my family. That I don’t have to fear the terror of night. And I don’t have to fear the arrows that fly by day (figurative or literal). I don’t have to worry about health or evil that comes to my door. I can trust that the Lord is going to take care of it.

We only see it with our eyes!

This is an amazing verse. Here the Lord promises that we won’t get the full effect of pestilence. We will only see it with our eyes. Again I’m no theologian (as I’m sure you’ve gathered if you’ve read any of my other blog posts). But I wonder if this means that while we recognize the evil of the world, and even experience the bad behavior of others, that pestilence will not fully reach us. Perhaps the pain it should inflict will be softened by the promises of eternal life or the knowledge that vengeance is the Lord’s.

My son is being bullied

Today a neighbor came over to tell me that he witnessed another child bullying my son. The neighbor was amazing. He spoke to the boy and then reported it to the school (they were on school property). My son hasn’t come home from school yet, and I’m curious to hear his thoughts on what happened. I think this verse may be part of my discussion. That no matter what other people do to us or say to us, they can’t hurt us in our soul, because the Lord is protecting our souls. While he shouldn’t let someone bully him, he may be able to step back and pray for that child. Praying that his rage toward my son was not the result of someone else’s rage being taken out on him. We’re fortunate. No matter what happens to us here on earth, we have hope. Hope of eternal life in heaven with our Lord. Oh yeah, and the Lord will take care of any revenge that’s due.

Do you fight your own battles? Do you hang out in the fortress?

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2011 in God is My Fortress, Psalm

 

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My God is…The Bread of Life John 6:35

17 Nov

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

Jesus is the Bread of Life!

When I was a preteen, my friend and I were talking in her kitchen. As tweens do, our insecurities about our bodies came up and she said she wanted to have a bigger booty. She had a solution. Eating Bread. She knew what she was talking about. Since I love eating pretty much anything, I was game. So we began eating bread. I don’t know how long we kept that goal up, but I’ve succeeded in getting that bigger booty. Not sure if she has!

We had a need we tried to fill with bread

We wanted to look better. We wanted to get boys to notice us. We had a need. We tried to fill it with bread, but   even though we got what we “wanted” (a bigger booty), we didn’t really feed the true need of a better self-esteem.

What is your bread?

For some of us we’re still stuffing ourselves with bread. Maybe that bread isn’t really bread, but gambling, sex, drugs or alcohol. Maybe it’s less obvious and shows itself as control or manipulation of others. We keep using these things to make us feel better, change our lives or numb us to the realities of this cruel world.

You Never have to go hungry

Jesus is the bread of life. He is the only thing that satisfies me for any length of time. The devil wants me to try to stuff myself with other distractions so I’ll take my focus off of God. But in John 6:35, Jesus promises that when I feed myself with His truths, I won’t be hungry anymore. When I believe Him, I won’t be thirsty anymore. I won’t ache with hunger pains for something more.

You have to eat!

Physically I have to eat to sustain my life, and it’s no different spiritually. If I want to sustain my relationship with the Lord and be healthy in mind, body and soul, I need to eat of the bread of life. I need to come to his table through His word (the Bible) and sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper). Letting His word fill me up inside so I can release some of the other things I stuff in trying to stop the hunger pains.

What are you stuffing yourself with? Are you hungry later?

 
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Posted by on November 17, 2011 in God is The Bread of Life, John

 

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