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Category Archives: Characteristics of God

Jill Richard’s Musings on the Characteristics of God based on verses in the Bible

My God is … My Shepherd Psalm 23

06 Oct

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
he leads me beside quiet waters, 
 3 he refreshes my soul. 
He guides me along the right paths 
   for his name’s sake. 
4 Even though I walk 
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, 
   for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff, 
   they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me 
   in the presence of my enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil; 
   my cup overflows. 
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me 
   all the days of my life, 
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD 
   forever. Psalm 23

Do I believe Psalm 23?

Even if I believe it, do I live like I believe it? Let’s look a little closer at this very familiar Psalm.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. 

It’s true. Never in my life have I lacked what was really needed, hope. God gives me hope. No matter how bad things are getting in my personal life, My Lord has a greater promise for me. Eventually I will end up with Him in Heaven, and these temporary troubles will be remembered no more.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 

This verse is especially meaningful to me. I’m currently going through quite a transformation. God is changing me. Sometimes it seems fast, sometimes it feels slow. Since my move to Oregon, I feel like the Lord is calling me to take off some old hurts, some insecurities and to move on to truly living in His Grace. I’ve opened myself up to change, asked for forgiveness from those I haven’t always treated so well (yes, that’s you mom) and have started to give Him control over something I thought was out of everyone’s reach… my eating.He is refreshing my soul. Scary what’s next, because I have a feeling with this blessed transformation comes responsibility. We’ll see where I end up with that! Should be an interesting ride.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

To be honest, this is an area I still need to work on. Overcoming fear. Living Boldly because He is with me . Have I not commanded you? “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 God is commanding us to be strong and courageous. I need to step out of my box a bit more. How about you?

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not that excited to have a table next to my enemies. But in reality, I think this is more about the Lord taking us under His protection, keeping us from our enemies evil plans. I pray I don’t have enemies like that, but I’ve not always been bright, so I may not be aware of all the wrongs I’ve committed. Lord forgive me for those. The Lord has blessed me beyond all measure. I have a mug with my name on it, and the Christian meaning of my name. It’s a mug that is generally smaller than the other mugs in our home. When my husband brought me a cup of tea in it, it was right to the rim. He handed it to me and said your cup overfloweth! My cup – my name on it. It is truly overflowing. Not just with tea, but with blessings. I have too many to write them all here. I’m guessing if you started listing them you’d have a lot too.

In a book called Pivot, by Dr. Zimmerman, he tells us how one small change in attitude can lead to success. I love this book. I really think it’s worth reading. One of the first things he has you do is list your blessings. That exercise took a lot longer than I expected, each blessing I listed made me think of two or three more. If i remember correctly, I stopped out of exhaustion, not material.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

It is an amazing blessing to hear this promise. To know God’s love will follow me all the days of my life, and even into the afterlife. I’m truly blessed.

What are some of your blessings? Is your cup running over?

 
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Posted by on October 6, 2011 in God is my Shepherd, Psalm

 

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My God is … A Healer Psalm 103:1-4

04 Oct

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion Psalm 103:1-4

I’ve been healed!

I have Multiple Sclerosis. I’ve had it for since 2001. I have almost no signs or symptoms that others can see. But this isn’t what was healed, but it was the catalyst.

At least you’ve got your health

I don’t. People always say things like “At least I’ve got my health” when bad things happen, but truthfully my state of healthiness is always a moving target. It can be fine one day and hard the next. For years I had a friend who was frustrated by the fact that I didn’t really want to pray for healing of my MS. I wasn’t really motivated to pray that it be removed from my body. This was a foreign concept for her. She had known people who had miraculous healings, and wanted that for me too.

A thorn in my flesh

I have always been sure of my salvation, but having a personal relationship, where I turned to Him for strength, mercy and guidance really became a reality for me because of my MS. St. Paul’s mystery affliction reminds me of how I feel about my MS.

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Cor. 12:17

I am boastful

I know that all of my weaknesses turn me directly to my Lord in all things. It is only through Him that I’m able to have a strong marriage to a wonderful Christian man, have wonderful Christ centered children, and be able to call on my God whenever I need to. I will boast in Christ. The things He has done for me when I knew I couldn’t are miraculous and wonderful. I’m grateful to have a weakness that shows me my Lord every day.

Do you have a thorn in your flesh? Is your weakness drawing you closer to God?

 
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Posted by on October 4, 2011 in God is My Healer, Psalm

 

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My God is … the Alpha and Omega Rev 1:8

27 Sep

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Few things in life are consistent

Who can you count on? Friends? Family? I rely on my husband and my parents a lot. I trust them and look to them for guidance when I’m questioning what to do. But guess what, sometimes when I need to talk to them, they’re not available. They could be in meetings, on the phone (my parents don’t have call waiting!), or they could be out doing something wonderful for the community. But I need them. I wanted them to be there for me.

I’ve been there

One of the reasons I go to my parents and my husband with my problems is because they’ve been there. They’ve experienced some of what I’m going through. However, sometimes I don’t feel like they get me, like they truly understand what’s going on in my head.

God has seen it all

No matter what I’m going through, God understands. He has seen it all. When He came to earth in Jesus Christ, He experienced the pain and suffering I think is so unique to me. He’s dealt with people who didn’t see His potential. People who only saw what he was on the outside. He get’s it. He gets me. He understands losing someone close to you, watching someone he loves being in pain, he understands being frustrated at the injustices of the world.

When nobodies home, God will still answer

I’m working hard to keep my focus on the one, the only one who can truly understand me fully. The one who created me and loves me no matter what. And even if no one else is home to call when things are going badly, Jesus is always there for me to call on, today, yesterday and tomorrow.

Who do you call when trouble hits?

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2011 in God is There

 

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God is … The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6

22 Sep

And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

What is peace?

Is it simply not having wars? That may be what the Jews at the time of Jesus thought. They wanted a Prince of Peace to come and free them from the Roman Empire. And God can do that no doubt. But they were looking for a political figure, a warrior or a rebel that would come up from God and lead them to victory as a nation.

For me when I read about God being the Prince of Peace, I think more of another part of the definition of peace – cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension. You know, the Peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I’m kind of a mess mentally

That’s not very fun to write, but it’s even worse to live. I let the worries of this world get in my way. I let them stop me from enjoying the moment, from letting my boys grow comfortably without a helicopter mom, and my husband from having me second guess him. I live in worry.

I strive to know Him more

The peace of the Lord is one of the things that I long for most. I have glimpses of it, and it’s glorious. To be able to fully rely on God. Trusting that no matter what everything I do is in His hands and will work for His glory. Amazing.

So what does it take to have this Peace that surpasses all understanding? 

Ok – truthfully this is coming from a girl that doesn’t always get it, but not because I couldn’t. God’s promises are always true. I could have that peace right now. It’s available to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. I trust the Lord. I love Him, but then… then I take things back. I think I should be able to handle them. That God doesn’t want to be bothered. I lie to myself and say but this isn’t important enough for Him to focus on (disregarding the fact that He can do infinitely more than I can, all at the same time). His peace is available for us if we let go of the worries.

Do we stop working or striving to get better?

Whenever I’ve had a conversation like this before (usually with women who are pretty in control of their lives), the next question is – how do I do that and keep working and raising my family. How do I get rid of the worry and stress. Anyone who knows me will know that I’m not perfect at this – especially if you ask my boys. But I think the key is to keep our eyes on the prize. Keep our eyes on Christ and that all things on this earth are temporary. We’re going to heaven one day, and all of this will be in the past.

So put off your old ways – work hard, but leave the results up to God. Spend time with him, pray, read the Bible and soak in the peace. Stop and Breathe. Allow the Lord to work his peace that surpasses all understanding in your life today and heaven tomorrow (ok, not literally tomorrow – I don’t want you to die tomorrow).

How would having peace that surpasses all understanding change your life? 

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2011 in God is the Prince of Peace, Isaiah

 

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My God is…There Deuteronomy 31:6

20 Sep

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

My God is there for me! Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is there

This name “Jehovah Shammah” embodies the verse from Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” He is with me. He comforts me and supports me. He is part of my community. When I am with other Christians, He is not just a thought. He promises to be there. In our midst.

My God goes with me

In Deuteronomy 31:6 we are promised that God will not fail or forsake us. We can be strong and courageous. Imagine yourself little again. Walking with your mom or dad. You get distracted, and you suddenly find your self lost. You’re looking everywhere. Suddenly from out of nowhere you feel a hand take yours. Your parent is right there by your side making sure you are safe and secure. God too is with us, and He is even more reliable than our parents. He will never fail or forsake us. He doesn’t get distracted. Even when we are, He is right there with his hand out waiting for us to cling to Him.

Are you taking God’s hand? Are you going to walk with Him?

 
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Posted by on September 20, 2011 in God is There

 

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God is … Good Psalm 25:8

16 Sep

Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. Psalm 25:8

God is Good

I know I’ve already written about why God is good, but the complexity of His goodness warrants more than one look at each part of His character. Besides, I have more to learn about each part of His character – so thanks for learning with me (or at least putting up with me).

God instructs

God instructs, but am I a good pupil? Do I always gladly do the practice or homework He’s given me? Am I grateful for the lessons, or am I bitter.

Yesterday my son was frustrated because he had some homework to do, but he didn’t have the words he needed to define, because he was in the bathroom during the time she had them on the board. He missed the instruction. She was instructing, but he left the room. He missed the opportunity to learn from that teacher. Now there was seemingly no way for him to do that work. He’s in a new school and doesn’t have the phone numbers of any kids in his class, and his email for school wasn’t working. Finally he decided to call his teacher. She gave him the words and he gladly got his homework done in time for school.

Am I a good pupil?

How often do I “leave the room” while the Lord is instructing me. I don’t leave because I have to go to the bathroom, but I may leave because I don’t want to learn what He’s teaching me. I don’t want to learn that I need to take better care of my body. That I need to get help for my addiction to food. That I may need some counseling to help me control my temper when helping my boys with their homework. I don’t want to hear that I need improvement. I don’t like to be wrong.

I seek out other people who will tell me what I want to hear – “You look fine”, or “Oh, don’t worry, I get mad at my kids sometimes too”. Or those who will let me get away with “I’m going to start thinking about my weight tomorrow”. Those people have good intentions, but they are not Good like my God is Good. He is Good and upright. Those are His credentials. He is who I should take instruction from and whom I should follow.

What if I am a bad pupil?

I’m not always going to get it right. I’m not going to be perfect. Fortunately this verse promises to instruct us in the way. Jesus says “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” in John 14:6. The Lord instructs me about Jesus. About the one who takes all my short-comings and makes me measure up. He saves me from failing. He takes me to the top of the class so I may one day be with Him in paradise. That’s a lesson I always want to remember!

Are you a good pupil? 

 
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Posted by on September 16, 2011 in God is Good, Psalm

 

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God is…My Strength Isaiah 40:28-31

09 Sep

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Do you get tired or weary?

I have a condition (ok it’s a disease) called Multiple Sclerosis. I have been very fortunate that I have not had many long-term effects. At least not visibly. My MS can cause me to be fatigued. This is its own kind of fatigued. It was worst before I began taking medication, but on hot days or sometimes for no reason, my mind and my body are both fatigued. It can be hard for me to get work done. To be productive and contribute to my family.

My strength is renewed

In MS (at least relapsing remitting MS), your symptoms can subside for a while. They can go away with little or no trace. I have gone ten years without a major relapse. Even with my fatigue, my strength can often be renewed by a nap.

I am spiritually renewed by God. God sees my weaknesses. Sees my mental and spiritual fatigue, and he gives me renewal. He allows me to refocus my attention on Him. Much like the nap helps me feel refreshed and able to go on another day, His word and sacraments keep me renewed in my faith. He knows the renewal that awaits us by being closer to Him. The refreshing of the Spirit that comes only from the Lord. It is our hope in the Lord, our trust that His promises are true that help us to continue on even when hard things happen to us.

Dancing with God

Shortly after I was diagnosed with MS, my husband was out-of-town at a training school for the Air Force. I was fatigued. My brain wasn’t working the way it should. I was putting away the food from the lunch I had made my boys, but something was wrong. Putting away the food was harder than it should be. I had to think about what I was doing. I went to put the lid on the milk bottle. It wasn’t working. After what seemed like an eternity, I figured out what was wrong. I was trying to put the peanut butter lid on my milk bottle.

I couldn’t believe that this kind of mental struggle was what my future held. I was so upset. I began crying and praying out loud to God. Perhaps even swearing during my prayer. I was exasperated. I was at the lowest point I think I’ve ever been. But then it was as if the Lord took my chin and lifted it up. Putting my focus back on Him and his hope for me. I looked up and felt God telling me (I didn’t hear Him – I felt Him say it), “This body is only temporary. You’ll have a good body here in heaven, this won’t be forever.” My spirit was renewed. I had hope. The next thing I remember was that I felt I was dancing with God in my Kitchen. Joyously singing “I’m going to heaven, I’m going to heaven, I’m going to heaven.” He is my strength when I am weak.

How has the Lord renewed your strength? Do you have hope in His promises?

 
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Posted by on September 9, 2011 in God is My Strength, Isaiah

 

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My God is Righteousness 1 John 2:1-2

06 Sep

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

Jesus is My Righteousness

I screw up. Quite regularly in fact. I don’t always use kind words when talking to the ones I love (Sorry Don). I have done a lot of things in my life I wish I couldn’t remember. But alas I can. But God doesn’t remember them. He casts my sins as far as the east is from the west.

Living in Guilt

One of my biggest sins is living in guilt. I beat myself up for sins from my past that no one but me remembers. I often remind myself what a loser I am for all of the things I’ve done. This is not the Lord’s way. He doesn’t want me to live in guilt, but to live for Him. Live freed from my sins that my actions might be a blessing to those around me.

Living in Grace

Fortunately for me, the devil doesn’t win this one. Though I spend some time in self loathing, I am reminded by the Holy Spirit, my husband and especially by scriptures like the one from 1 John that my sins have been atoned for by Jesus Christ. I no longer have to live like a slave to sin, but as one freed to live the life Christ has called me to lead.

Unforgivable Sins

Perhaps you feel like you have an unforgivable sin. It’s not true. The Bible tells us he came to redeem everyone. Call on Him for forgiveness and start living the life He wants for you.

It is finished. Your sins and mine (yep all of them) have been washed away. How great is our God!

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2011 in 1 John, God is my Righteousness

 

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God is … My Savior Psalm 68:19-20

02 Sep

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Psalm 68:19-20

My God Saves

Funny how I have to be reminded of that so often. I wallow. I wallow in guilt and self loathing. That may be a surprise to some of my friends, while others will have seen me do it way too often. I’m not someone who lives with cheap Grace. The kind of person who says, “It doesn’t matter if I do it, the Lord will forgive me”. I don’t say that because I think I’m better than those people. I’m sinning in a different way. I deny the salvation Jesus secured for me on the cross. I don’t know which is worse, but I do know I’m not proud that I do this.

Satan knows how to get to me

Satan likes to remind me daily of the stupid things I’ve done in my past. I let him dredge them up and show them to me like they happened yesterday. These are not sins I have ignored or not acknowledged. These are sins I have confessed and that have been forgiven. I wallow. I hang out in those sins, starting negative self talk that the devil rejoices over. I think and act as if those sins are still with me. Not shedding them and releasing myself from them, but beating myself up as if the work Jesus did was not enough.

Forgiveness is for everyone else

It’s bizarre really. I believe that the Lord forgives all who believe that He died and rose for them. That we are washed clean and are no longer considered sinful after we have confessed and do not continue in that sin. Unless of course you’re mean me. I somehow linger outside of the forgiveness. Obviously I know that’s not true, but that’s the game the Devil tries to play with me. He shows me my sin, not to make me turn from it (as other Christians and the Holy Spirit might), but to make me wallow. To get my focus off the Lord and what He has done for me. He doesn’t want me to have the joy, security and blessing that comes from being a forgiven follower of Jesus – My savior. The one who died and rose again that I might have a place in heaven with Him when I die.

Thank God for other Christians

One of the biggest blessings the Lord has given me is a husband who trusts in the Lord. As I was struggling last night with all sorts of demons, my husband reminded me that Jesus is the answer. To keep my focus on the one who forgives. The one who gives me strength and cares about me more than anyone else. Without the support of other Christians, I would wallow a lot longer. I’m grateful for all the blessings my Lord has given me, and that I have Christians around me who are there to remind me that I am forgiven.

Do you Wallow? Do you know you’re forgiven? 

 

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2011 in God is a Savior, Psalm

 

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God is … My Provider Psalm 111:5

31 Aug

He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. Psalm 111:5

The Lord is my provider

Throughout my life I have had so much evidence to support this verse. My family has never had much money, but we’ve always had what we need, and more. The Lord has miraculously provided for our family when we didn’t know how you will get the food, money or clothes would come from.

While my husband was in school, there was a resell it shop that sold clothes at such a low price it made Goodwill look expensive. They also had a food bank to help us with the cost of groceries. Throughout my life my parents have made it possible for me and my children to attend Christian schools. Even paying for school (which we’re not done with) came in ways we didn’t expect. Support from our congregations (past and present), contributions from strangers, and having items we could sell that brought exactly the amount we needed for the next payment. Over and over again the Lord has proved that He can handle all that we cannot.

Why don’t I trust the Lord?

Even with all this evidence, I am constantly trying to take control of the situation. Instead of trusting him with the outcome of the situation, I worry and fret over what is the best thing to do, how the money, clothes or item will appear.

He Promises to Provide for us

In Psalm 111, God’s provision for us is well documented. The way He has always been faithful in providing for His people (past, present and future) is clear. So how do I turn myself over to trusting Him more? Last Night at Bible Study, we were discussing this issue as we looked at simplifying our lives (the Bible Study is called “The Beauty of a Simple Life”). One of the things that stuck with me the most is being present in the moment.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

How often do you live in the moment? I know for me I’m often stuck in the past or worrying about how not to ruin my future. I am not often in the moment. I move quickly through the present, not enjoying the good things nor really experiencing the pain. I panic and stress over what is to come, though when it is actually here it is never as bad as I imagined. No problem though, I’m no longer thinking about that situation when it’s happening, because I’m to busy worrying about the next thing on the horizon.

What does it mean to be in the moment?

I think it means to breathe. I have been working on my speaking skills, and one of the most common constructive criticisms for me is that I need to breathe. What I need to do is take a breath and enjoy the moment. Not rushing through it, but fully experiencing the emotions (good and bad) of the moment. This seems like it would be a miraculous thing if I could do it! I found it interesting that the concept of being in the moment (or increasing flow) was mentioned in an article of 12 things happy people do differently. I’m going to give it a try. I’m going to try to be in the moment, focus on the Lord in that moment. Perhaps my happiness and trust in the Lord will increase, while my worry for things out of my control will decrease.

Do you live in the past? Do you worry about your future? What does God want for you?

 
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Posted by on August 31, 2011 in God is my Provider, Psalm

 

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