RSS

Category Archives: Characteristics of God

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

My God is…Avenging Romans 12:9-21

05 Apr

Romans 12:9-21 – Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in Bloody revengelove. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

For years when my husband and I would fight, our arguments started small, but shortly would be burning out of control. The problem? We would get defensive. We would be hurt by the fact that our spouse wasn’t thrilled with whatever it was that started the “discussion” and we would have to point out one of their flaws as well. Then the other would do the same until our small fight had turned into a huge fight about all sorts of things that weren’t even part of the original argument. We were returning evil for evil. We felt the need to point out all the other person’s wrongs so we could feel better about ourselves. We have grown up a bit, and this doesn’t happen nearly as much as it used to (thanks to reading “Love and Respect“). We could all use a little more Love and Respect couldn’t we. Treating each other with love and respect helps us to stop that crazy cycle we get on.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

The funny thing is, I have found that when I make an actual effort to live at peace with everyone, it usually happens. If I restrain myself from getting angry when someone purposefully says things to get me riled, it quickly diffuses the situation. There isn’t a lot to say on either side when one person isn’t playing that old game. There are certain people who know how to push our buttons. They’re looking for a way to get under our skin. Sometimes it’s even people who are your friends and relatives, but they try to guilt and manipulate you at every turn. So do you have to give in to the guilt and manipulation? No, but you are called to treat that person with love and respect. That’s not always easy when it feels like your values and morals are under attack.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

For me, I find a lot of peace knowing that I don’t have to win battles on my own. I can walk away and know that the Lord is avenging the wrongs that have been done to me. I don’t have to call them names, make them feel bad or complain about them. I can turn it over to God. I can trust Him to sort them out. They’ll get theirs, and I trust that God knows even better than I what would be the best kind of vengeance for those who have done us wrong. Some of you probably have had bigger struggles than I with this issue. Maybe you had a loved one murdered. Or maybe you were paralyzed when you were hit by a drunk driver. These big things are much harder to get over. They’re awful  Like so many other imperatives we’re told in scripture, even though they’re contrary to how the world acts, they’re really meant for our own benefit. So that we might not have troubled hearts, so we can get over the pain and especially so that we can deepen our relationship with our Lord. Still not easy, but trusting God to avenge the wrongs done to you can be a great step in your healing process.

On the contrary: 

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

 if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. 

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

 

If thinking about God as the one who avenges the wrongs done to you isn’t enough, there is another great way to get back at those who wronged you. Treat them with love. Again, this is contrary to what the world teaches. But God knows a better way. One that won’t cause your soul to be damaged while still getting the other guys goat. If someone does something bad to you, kill them with kindness. God tells us in this scripture to feed your enemy if they’re hungry. If they’re thirsty, we should give them something to drink. There is nothing worse than being really ticked off at someone and then they do something nice for you. You want to keep being justifiably angry and maybe a little mean. They deserve it, right? Probably, but God doesn’t want you to be the kind of person that is always living out of anger and meanness. Is that what you want? The more we can respond to those we really truly are mad at with kindness, the more we’re going to be able to let go of the hurt faster while building our relationship of love and trust with the Lord. And there’s a bonus: It will drive them crazy wondering when the other shoe will drop. They’ll wonder what you’ve got up your sleeve and when they can expect you to exact revenge. So you’ll be heaping burning coals on their head, ever more making them think about you and what they’ve done.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 5, 2013 in My God is Avenging

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My God is…hearing 1 John 5:14-15

08 Mar

1 John 5: 14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his earwill, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

 

Are you confident approaching God? 

I know that the word confidence might throw some people off here. I have been told by several people that they are not confident in praying. Not about their confidence in God, but in their ability to pray. I don’t believe that there is any right way or wrong way to pray. Jesus did give us an example of how to pray. in the Lord’s Prayer:

 

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

Another good tool is to use a structure something like this: Praise (Saying who God is), confession (asking God for forgiveness for your sins), Thanksgiving (Thanking Him for all He’s done for you), and Supplication (Any requests you have on behalf of yourself or others).

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Have you ever walked into a room, started talking to someone, then suddenly realize they can’t hear you because they’re wearing ear buds  Maybe you’re like me and when you’re working on your computer or watching TV, you’re so über focused, that you don’t hear your children when they ask you a question. Most humans have a little work to do on their listening skills. Not God. Not only does God listen to you, he hears you. He understands your full meaning. When I’m talking to my friend, we often say, “I hear ya”. We don’t just mean we’re listening (as it might be if my kids are talking loudly to me), we mean, I get it. We understand each other. Why do my friend and I feel like we understand each other? Because we’ve spent time together. We are in relationship with one another. We share our feelings, hopes and dreams with each other. We also talk about our problems and what our plans are. God wants to be in relationship with us as well. He wants us to talk to Him, through prayer about all of those things. He wants us to ask Him about anything and for anything. He understands us. God hears us. You can be confident that when you’re speaking to God, it’s not a futile task. There are no busy lines (most kids don’t even know what that is, do they?) or voice mail  You’ve got a direct line through prayer to the One who can handle all of your problems.

And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

What an amazing promise this is! I must confess, I find it hard to wrap my head around sometimes. Because of this promise, we can be confident in our prayers, assured that He’s listening, hearing and acting on what we pray. God is fully engaged in His relationship with you. He is ready to listen at the drop of a hat. He’s waiting for you to talk with Him, to turn to Him, to trust Him, to believe Him.

Are you confident approaching God?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 8, 2013 in 1 John, My God is Hearing

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My God is…My Bridegroom Isaiah 62:5

06 Mar

Isaiah 62:5 – As a young man marries a young womanWedding Groom Waits
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride

Like most women, I love a good wedding. Yes, I love the beautiful dresses, the make up, the rings, the flowers, and the reception. I love it all. It’s a blessed thing to be able to join a couple at their wedding and rejoice with them in their future together. But, one of my all time favorite parts of a wedding is watching the groom. I love to see him as he squirms around trying to catch the first glimpse of his bride. He shifts his weight. Leaning right, then leaning left, he waits to see her enter the doorway. But the most glorious moment? When he sees her for the first time on the day they’re becoming husband and wife. His face beams. Those watching him can feel the love he has for his bride beaming off of him like hot sun rays in summer. My heart warms, my eyes water. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a truly amazing thing when you’re the bride.

So will your God rejoice over you

Our God rejoices over us just like the bridegroom waiting for his bride. Imagine, there He stands. Waiting for a glimpse of the one He loves so much. He sees all that you’ve gone through. There is no one who knows you better. He’s your soul mate. He’s waiting for you. He’s leaning left and right just to catch sight of your face. He sees you and His face lights up. He’s beaming. Everyone around can tell that you love Him, and He loves you. He’s going to be with you forever. Never leaving you. Never forsaking you. He delights in you and rejoices over you. Everything else is inconsequential when you have His love. His love sees you through, set you free to be you and allows you to have eternal life with Him in Heaven.

I understand that if you’re a man reading this, it might be harder for you to put yourself in the place of the bride, but I think you can understand the feeling of seeing the one you love, and that person lighting up your life and being the only one who can bring you true happiness, joy and peace. God rejoices in you. He sees you and He gets who you are and what you want to become. He delights in you.

Who Rejoices over you?

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 6, 2013 in Isaiah, My God is my bridegroom, Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

My God is…feeding Luke 12:23-25

04 Mar

Luke 12:23-25 – For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not girl-hand-on-stomachsow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

I don’t know about you, but I like my food and my clothes. I am not happy when I don’t have the right food or the right clothes. How many of us are working to put food on the table and clothes on our children’s backs. We feel it is our responsibility as parents and spouses to provide and contribute to our households. And it is, but sometimes that desire to provide moves our focus onto money, things and food and off of the most important thing in our lives…Jesus Christ.

We worry.

The devil not only wants us to put our trust in money, position and food, but he will be satisfied to make us worry about them. To try to get us not to trust God for all our needs. The devil wants us to doubt that the Lord will actually provide actual money when we need it. He wants us to think that we can’t trust the Lord with our bills, bodies or our clothing.

Provided for

Many times throughout my life, my parents, who are very faithful followers of the Lord have found themselves in situations where we didn’t know how we were going to pay for things. The Lord gave my mother amazing shopping skills, a keen perception for finding ways to make money stretch, but even those gifts were not always enough. Sometimes there just wasn’t any money for what we needed. But then there would be. The one time I remember most clearly (though I’m quite sure I have vague memories of more) was when we were feeling particularly in a bind, because of this bill or that and in the mail we received a check from a company my mom had worked for a year or more before. She had no idea that there was any money out there, but the Lord provided it the moment we needed it.

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.

This part of the verse is very interesting to me. And truth be told this may get some of your backs up. I think we often do too much. Maybe this is wishful thinking from a slightly lazy woman. I think sometimes the Lord would prefer that we spent our days focused on Him and less focused on work, cleaning our cars or our house, or even paying the bills. I know those things in themselves are not bad things, but I believe that the Lord can provide for us even when we aren’t doing “enough” to get by in life. I know that this year my husband and I have reduced our income by over $10,000. But by the grace of God, we have barely noticed (at least beyond the first few months). We have been blessed by support of our family and friends, not always monetarily (though my parent’s are very generous with their help), but with their time and talents as well. God may not always provide in the way we want or the way we expect, but we have what we need if we allow the Lord to reveal it to us.

Are you content with what the Lord provides? 

Sometimes it is more about being content with what He provides than whether or not He provided. When we lived in St. Louis, I thought to myself, maybe I should join a gym, then I’m sure I would be motivated to work out. We didn’t have the money for a gym membership (especially when my enthusiasm waxes and wains so). I began to think about how the Lord provides for my every need. I thought to myself, what am I missing. God wants me to be fit, I believe. So how has he provided what I need. At the time we lived on the back of a large park with wonderful walking trails. In our apartment complex there was a small gym (yep – already had one at my disposal). In my own home there were two flights of stairs, numerous workout tapes and plenty of opportunity to work out. I didn’t like those options as much as going to a shiny gym with lots of classes, but truth was, I had everything I needed within walking distance of my couch (which is where I had spent most of my time).

How much more valuable you are than birds!

You are the Lord’s greatest possession. He loves you so much. 1 Peter 2:8-10 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” He loved us so much He sent His son to die for us that we might live eternally with Him in Heaven. If He has such amazing plans for you in Heaven, why would he want you to be unprovided for here on earth? He doesn’t.

He has provided all you need. 

Outside of our physical needs, God has provided all we need for eternity. He has provided a way for us to spend eternity with Him. He has given His life so we may be forgiven. Our past is forgotten, and only our future with the Lord is in effect. We have hope, peace and a future. When we believe that Jesus, Son of God, died and rose again to save us from our sins, we have all we need. Our future is secure.

Do you have what you need?

 
2 Comments

Posted by on March 4, 2013 in God is My Portion, God is my Provider, Luke, My God is feeding

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

My God is…a fortified tower Proverbs 18:10

27 Feb

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; strong-tower
the righteous run to it and are safe.

Where do you go to feel safe? 

I remember when I was little, my grandma would come to visit. She was from California. She hated thunderstorms and was very scared there would be a tornado. She didn’t have a lot of experience with either of them, and they frankly scared her beyond reason. I always thought it was kind of fun when there would be a thunderstorm when my grandma was around. She would make us all go to the basement, we would take the little portable black and white television, set it on the washing machine and keep an eye on the news so we could see the ensuing storm. My sister and I would sit on the floor playing Barbies, and not even flinching a bit. We had seen lots of storms, but grandma hadn’t,so we all did what it took to make her feel protected. The basement, having her family around her made her feel like she was safer. The thick walls of the basement gave her security.

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower

I wonder how my life would change if I took this verse from scripture to heart. If, like my grandma would take off for the basement, when life got stormy I went running to my strong tower, the name of the Lord. Calling on the name of the Lord. This morning, I was a mess. I was having problems with my computer yesterday, so I had my husband take it to the store and ask to get it repaired. He did. This morning, I totally freaked out. I was concerned about my files, passwords and identity theft. I couldn’t contain myself. I looked to my husband to fix it. He had no good answers. I started to blame him, cry and basically go a bit crazy. It was embarrassing.

I had just finished a Bible study the night before where we talked about the power of the Lord’s name, and how we have to call on Him when we’re in trouble. I felt pumped. I told myself things were going to be different now. I was always going to trust God and let Him handle the stresses of my life. That lasted about 8 hours. I was so busy throwing a fit that I never calmed down enough to pray about it and turn it over to the Lord.

The righteous run to it and are safe

God promises when we come to Him believing that He will take care of us, we will be safe. I didn’t trust that this morning, and for that I am ashamed. I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to live in the freedom of Christ in me and letting Him handle things for me. I don’t have to fix everything.

Putting our trust anywhere else is futile

Isaiah 50:9-11 says,”Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.”

 

In these verses, we can see that we can trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God. The Lord God helps me. I spoke to a friend about my embarrassing behavior this morning, and she encouraged me that at least I was now recognizing my lack of faith. I can now start to practice having faith more often, even in the face of trials. Each moment is an opportunity to react differently than the world. To not freak out, trust in the Name of the Lord and give God the glory by our unusual reaction to trials, tantrums and torment.

Have you ever thrown a tantrum?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 27, 2013 in My God is a fortified tower, Proverbs

 

Tags: , , , ,

My God is…disciplining Hebrews 12:4-13

25 Feb

Hebrews 12:4-13

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you disciplining-daughtercompletely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Who likes to be disciplined?

I know, you do, don’t you! I’m sure when you were a child and your parents disciplined you, you said, “Thank you mom and dad for not letting me go to my friends party. I really needed to learn a lesson about respecting you more.” RIGHT! I don’t think any of us respond that way in the moment, but it is true that sometimes we can see the wisdom in our parent’s discipline.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Truth be told,only parents who don’t care about their children ignore their responsibility to discipline. God loves us so much that He is willing to discipline us. God wants us to grow in our relationship with Him, and sometimes we need redirection at least and full on discipline at the most. When we struggle with a sin, we can find ourselves replacing God as the most important thing in our lives. Problem is, when that happens we can get off track and end up someplace neither of us wanted it to end up.

God’s discipline is perfect
Our parents did their best. Sometimes they got that discipline thing just right. Other times, they over punished, or maybe let us get away with something that later became harmful. Our Earthly parents sometimes discipline out of frustration and anger instead of out of loving care. God always gets it right. He knows how much, when, and how it is best delivered. God’s discipline is always in our best interest. He never has his own agenda, except to have a closer, stronger relationship with you minus our distractions.

Now do you like discipline?

 
2 Comments

Posted by on February 25, 2013 in Hebrews, My God is disciplining

 

Tags: , ,

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.

 
Leave a comment

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

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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?

 
Leave a comment

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

 

Tags: , , , , ,

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?

 
Leave a comment

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

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

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?

 
2 Comments

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

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →