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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…a God who knows 1 Samuel 2:3

04 Dec

 I Samuel 2:3 – “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God praying who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”

Hannah’s Prayer – This verse is a segment of Hannah’s prayer. In 1 Samuel chapter 2, Hannah’s prayer gives us a glimpse into her heart. She is praying a prayer of thanks to the Lord for giving her Samuel. I find Hannah amazing. She prays and prays to the Lord for a Son, begging him, putting conditions on the request. Not conditions for God, but for her. If God gave her a son, she was going to give that son right back to God.

Promises to the Lord – How many of us when we’re desperate make promises to the Lord? We try to bargain with Him, but when we get what we want, it’s as if we’ve forgotten what we promised. We might say, “Lord, if I get that raise, I’ll give more to the church.” But when we get that raise, we go out and buy a boat instead of giving more to the Lord. Is it wrong to buy a boat, no, but when you’ve promised that money to the Lord, then it’s wrong. Hannah didn’t do that. She longed for a son, she wept for a son, and nothing. She prayed for a son, and when the Lord gave her that son, she kept her promise and gave him back to God for His service all of her son’s life. That couldn’t have been easy.

Don’t be boastful or arrogant – Hannah had been tormented by her rivals about the fact that she couldn’t have a child for her husband. She was angry, and they told her it would never happen. Her husband supported and encouraged her, but in this prayer, we see how she felt about what these ladies had been saying. She warned them that they shouldn’t be boastful or arrogant, because the Lord knows all. He knows the hearts of man and who is putting God first. These ladies were concerned about their own status, not on serving the Lord, and Hannah knew she was putting the Lord first. She trusted Him to do what is right. In the verses following our reading Hannah points out how God can turn things around. He can make the poor rich, and the rich poor. The Lord searches the heart and knows what is true.

Fix your eyes on Jesus – Keep your eyes focused on Christ. Turn from your past hurts, sins and pains and turn towards Christ, trusting that He knows your heart, your mind and your needs. Trust Him to take care of you like He took care of Hannah. He can turn things around.

Are things turning around?

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

“The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;
those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

 
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Posted by on December 4, 2012 in 1 Samuel, My God is a God who Knows

 

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My God is…Able Ephesians 3:20-21

28 Nov

Ephesians 3:20-21 – 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Definition of ABLE

1a : having sufficient power, skill, or resources to accomplish an object
  b : susceptible to action or treatment
2: marked by intelligence, knowledge, skill, or competence

My God is Able
Do you ever feel like you’re not able? You’re not able to take one more minute of your babies crying, one more minute of your husband’s complaining, one more minute of being unappreciated? We often feel unable. We might feel unable to cope, unable to forgive, unable to ask for help, or unable to figure out what to do next. As humans, we do have our limitations, but often it is just our fear that stops us from moving forward. We’re afraid of the unknown. We’re afraid of failing. We’re afraid of looking stupid. Our pride gets in our way of asking for help, even from God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine
God is able. I love this verse. He’s able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine? I think I’m pretty creative, so I can come up with a lot of ideas, but He can do more than I imagine, and not just a little bit more, but a ton more, immeasurably more. In the verses before our reading it says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Combined with knowing that God is able, we know that he has give us His power through His Holy Spirit. We are given the power to know how deep and wide and long and high Christ’s love is for us.

To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations
Again, it’s true that we have limitations. We’re not able to do everything on our own. We need God’s help, and he promises to be there. Since we are nothing without our Lord, all of the glory that comes to us in this life should be pointed to God.

Sometimes we miss that point though, don’t we? I remember a story about a man who was praying really hard that things would improve at his work. He was having trouble making his quotas, getting along with co workers and his boss. He prayed and prayed. After a while he realized things had truly improved. He was back on track in sales, his boss was respecting him and his work, and his co workers seemed to find him a bit more charming lately. The man immediately went back to the Lord in prayer saying, “Lord, I prayed to you about work. I just wanted to let you know not to worry about it, I fixed it.”
We don’t always want to give God the glory when things go well. We don’t want to think that we didn’t have a little something to do with it. We want to think it couldn’t have really happened without us. But that’s not true. God is the one who is the source of all good things, and He deserves all the glory. He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine.

Are you able?
 
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Posted by on November 28, 2012 in My God is Able

 

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My God is…delighting in me Zephaniah 3:17

27 Nov

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you,

He delights in you

the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.

Definition of DELIGHT

1: a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction
2: something that gives great pleasure <her performance was a delight>
3: archaic : the power of affording pleasure
When was the last time you were delighted? 
I think the last time I was delighted was a few days ago when I asked my boys (currently 13) where they thought they might like to go to college, they both responded with the names of Christian colleges. I was delighted. I had a high degree of gratification that they wanted to go to school where they felt they would be taught more about God and be accepted with their belief system.
He will take great delight in you
God delights in you. I’m guessing for some of you this is not news. You know that the Lord loves you and wants what’s best for you. There are others who may like me not always find it easy to think about the Lord delighting in us. I have a tendency towards self loathing. I’m a sort of perfectionist. Anything short of perfect can be a true disappointment. I have often not tried very hard at things, because I was afraid of just doing alright. But doing alright is fine if you weren’t really trying. So with all of my self loathing and self disappointment, it is hard for me to think about God being able to delight in me. He’s the only other person who can see into my heart and know for sure what a louse I am. But God doesn’t linger on the bad stuff I’ve done.
In His love He will no longer rebuke you
Before Jesus, we were held up to a pretty high standard. We were to try to keep the commandments and keep them perfectly. While we’re still called to keep them, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, it is no longer how we get into heaven. We are no longer rebuked. We are no longer loathed for our imperfections. Instead, in God’s love, He delights in us.
He will rejoice over you with singing
Do you ever get so happy your words come out in song? OK  maybe that’s just me, but sometimes I get excited and I my words come out to a tune. That’s what I think of when I read this part of the verse. I can hear God saying, “Go Jill, I adore you” to the sound of “Go Jill, It’s your birthday”. He delights in me so much that he rejoices over me with singing. I know I don’t deserve it, but what an amazing thing. That He would not only know me, but rejoice over me with singing. For me I guess I can only compare it to my love for my boys, and how I rejoice over them. Do I always love what they do? No. I can assure you I don’t, but I still delight over them on a regular basis. Praise God we’re so blessed to have a Lord and Savior who delights over us.
Are you delighted?
 
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Posted by on November 27, 2012 in My God is delightful, My God is delighting in me

 

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My God is…My Banner Exodus 17:15

01 Nov

 Exodus 17:15 – Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Jehovah Nissi 

That’s what Moses named the altar he built to celebrate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim. There are a few translations of this term and some believe it means exultation, lifted up or banner. In the NIV version of the Bible, it is stated as the Lord is my banner. Some also believe it can be translated “ensign” or “standard”, and represents His cause and His victory.

Forever let us hold our banner high high high

Ok, yes, that is from the theme song for the Mickey Mouse Club, but it can apply to our Christian lives as well. What is the point of holding our banner high? It’s so others can see what we believe. It shows what is of importance to us. You see banners being waved at concerts, ball games and even political rallies. We put what we believe on our shirts, bumpers and sometimes even our face.

Indiana man paid $15,000 for Romney’s campaign logo tattoo on face

We’re willing to put what we “love” or really really like on almost anything we own. We like brand names, endorsements to feel like we fit in with others. What kinds of messages can people get about you from your car, your clothes, your house, your job?

For me, I’m not sure I’m making that much of a statement, but if I look at those things in my life, people will see that I don’t put money above all else, or I wouldn’t have the crappy old cars I do. They can also see from the back window of one of my cars that I support the MS Society. On previous cars, I have had a fish symbol, and then people would know the terrible driver in front of them was praying for everyone’s safety too. On one of our cars you’ll see the remnants of a sticker in the back window of my hubby’s Alma Mater.

What are you telling the world?

The things we do, say and buy can all influence the way people think about us. If God is our banner, does he show up in what we purchase? In how we act? In how we treat others?

Pledge allegiance

In the old days when people used to say the pledge of allegiance in school, you would see children stand and tell what they believed in. In my Christian school we did the same for the Christian flag, stating our faith was in God. We held our banner high. If you’ve ever been in scouting, you know that there are certain ways you are to respect the “standard”, the banner, the flag. And God too gives us a list of how to respect Him.

You shall have no other gods before me – Raise your banner high – make God the most important thing in your life, above all others, above all money, fame, fortune, food, and all else that distracts us from the Lord. Or as it’s put in Luther’s Small Catechism – We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Ok, let’s be honest here. This is one commandment most of us have broken. We aren’t supposed to be using the Lord’s name unless we’re talking about Him or to Him. Luther puts it this way, “We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.”

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. We’re not supposed to hate going to church or taking time away from our work life. We are supposed to set aside time for rest and worship each week. As Luther puts it in his small catechism, “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.”

By doing these things we lift high the banner of God, keeping God in the proper place of honor and attention. I know I don’t always do that right, but I want all I do to bring glory to God. Only through God’s help will that be possible.

What do you hold high?

 
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Posted by on November 1, 2012 in My God is my Banner

 

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My God is…Humble Philippians 2:5-8

30 Oct

Philippians 2:5-8 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Definition of HUMBLE

1: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive
2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission <a humble apology>
3 a : ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : insignificant,unpretentious
   b : not costly or luxurious

Do you know people who are humble?
My Grandma Abresch was humble. She was one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. She used to choose a book from each section of the library (including health and automotive) and read them so that she would be able to have a conversation with anyone she met. She wasn’t an expert on every topic, but she could ask questions that would get the mechanic, nurse, teacher or mother talking. She didn’t ever act like she was smarter than anyone, but she was amazingly smart. She read these books, not so she could be smarter than anyone, but so she would be able to form relationships with them.

Being humble doesn’t mean you’re not important
My grandma was smart, but she was humble. Jesus was God, but He humbled Himself and became a servant. Jesus was not haughty or proud. No where do we hear Him saying, “Don’t you know who I am, why don’t you bow down and worship me?” He did not demand our worship, but instead became a servant, washing His disciples feet, healing others and ultimately volunteering His life so that we can live with Him in heaven.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage
Jesus had every right to demand submission from those around Him. If He wanted to, He could have made really bad things happen to those who were fighting against His ministry. He had the control of the whole world at His finger tips, but He didn’t consider using being God to His own advantage. How many people do you know who have power choose not to use it to their own advantage. I don’t know too many. There are some, thank God. Each of us have our own sphere of influence, where we can learn to be humble and not push our weight around.

Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Ok, I don’t know about you, but this verse is a bit humbling for me. It tells us that Jesus made Himself nothing – human. Humans were the most humbling thing He could become, nothing. He put himself at the bottom of the totem pole. We are at the bottom of the totem pole – we’re human. We need to remember we’re no better than anyone else, and not think that others are there to serve us, but that we are to be like Jesus, humble, helping others.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

But even more humbling was that Jesus, in the appearance of a man became obedient to death, and not just any death, but a death that was reserved for the worst of the worst of society. Jesus who deserved our praise and adoration was treated like the lowest of the lowest of the low. He was beaten, stricken and tortured, just so he would tell them what they wanted to hear.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

We are called to be humble like Christ Jesus. What would that look like in our lives? Let’s look at the definition above to get an idea.
not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive – This is almost the opposite of what those who want to encourage you to become all you could be would say. They would tell you it’s important to be proud of yourself, and to be assertive, but the best leaders I’ve ever seen didn’t need to lean on their own pride, or be overly assertive. Being humble and putting others needs first is a truer reflection of Christ in our lives.
reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission– In our lives today, or at least in my own life, I can often find myself fighting for fairness. Wanting it to be fair (at least if it seems unfair in my direction – I’m less worried if it’s unfair in someone else’s life), I fight hard to make sure I get what I “deserve”. Instead of fighting, I need to reflect Jesus’ spirit of submission thinking first of others well-being.

Thinking of ways we can put others needs ahead of our own, my thoughts go out to those on the east coast. If you would like to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy – here is a link to the Red Cross:
 
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Posted by on October 30, 2012 in My God is Humble

 

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My God is…Commanding John 15:12

16 Oct

John 15:12 – This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Love one another as I have loved you

Love one another as I have loved you

This is my commandment

In John 15:12, Jesus is talking with His followers, trying to give them the low-down just before He is going to go to the cross. They don’t know what’s coming, but He does. To be commanding means to draw attention or priority. Here Jesus is trying to put His ministry in a nutshell, His elevator pitch of sorts. This is what I want you to do. This is what I want your priority to be. This is what I want you to give your attention to doing. Jesus said, of all of the things He could have commanded, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Love one another

Easier said than done, right. We all have known our share of unlovable people, haven’t we? I remember way back when I was teaching (for a whole year and a half), there was a little boy named Howard. Howard was super smart. You couldn’t get anything past Howard. He didn’t do his homework much, but he probably already knew everything I was teaching at the time anyway. Needless to say a bored, creative, young man was bound to push the boundaries a little. I remember one day he had been less than nice to a younger student who was annoying him. He said to me, “You can’t make me like him.” I said I didn’t care if he liked him. I told him the Bible didn’t say we had to like people, it said we have to love them. That means treating them kindly and not threatening to beat them up. He, in his wisdom, thought that made a lot of sense. He was thrilled, “So I don’t have to like him? ” he asked. “Nope, but you do have to love him.” I said. “I can do that.” He said and ran outside to play.

Love vs. Like

Are we always likable? No, I don’t think we are, but Jesus loved us anyway. He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us, so we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. So how do we love the unlovable. Sometimes, for me, it seems like loving the unlovable is best done by doing the opposite of what I want to do. I see someone I don’t particularly care for, or am uncomfortable around and my tendency would be to look the other way or walk away. God would call us to reach out to that person with care and concern. How about the person who has stabbed you in the back. It may be a bit much to think you’re going to go out of your way to find ways to love them, but perhaps even just forgiving them and being cordial in their presence. Not easy, but it is what we’re called to do. We don’t have to like them, but we’re called to love them. How about at church? Are there people who get under your skin? Maybe they said something that was off-color or unkind, and you don’t want anything to do with them. Even if you can’t bring yourself to go up to them, you might add them to your prayer list, and maybe even pray that one day you would be able to show them love.

WARNING – if you pray something like that, you’ll probably be given an opportunity to see if you can love them. EEEK!

That you love one another as I have loved you

Jesus calls us to love one another as he has loved us, unconditionally. He doesn’t love us more when we’re good and less when we’re bad. He just loves us. And he loves us so much He died for us. The verse that follows the verse above says how we are to love one another.  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” We have to put others needs ahead of our own, like Jesus put our needs above His own desires. This is His command for us. This is what He wants us to pay attention to in our lives. This is what we need to make a priority in our lives. Love one another.

 
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Posted by on October 16, 2012 in John, My God is Commanding

 

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My God is…Nearby Jeremiah 23:23

09 Oct

Jeremiah 23:23-24 – “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

Feeling alone

Have you ever felt alone? If you’ve ever gone to middle school, the answer is probably yes. It doesn’t really matter if we have people around us or not, we can still feel alone. We can walk into a room full of people we know and still feel lonely.

Definition of ALONE

1: separated from others : isolated

2: exclusive of anyone or anything else : only <she alone knows why>
3a : considered without reference to any other <the children alone would eat that much>
b : incomparable, unique <alone among their contemporaries in this respect>
When we are alone, we feel separated from others. We feel excluded. We feel like we don’t belong. In the verse above (the ESV says at hand, the NIV says nearby), we see the term at hand. We read that the Lord is at hand or nearby.

Definition of at hand
1: near in time or place : within reach <use whatever ingredients are at hand>
2: currently receiving or deserving attention <the business at hand>

God is within reach
The definition of being “at hand” is being within reach. People often ask where was God when this or that happened. From this scripture, we see that he is within reach. I like to picture God walking beside me, always there for me. Sometimes He picks me up and carries me, other times He allows me to reach out for him. The second part of the definition of “at hand” is “currently receiving or deserving attention”. God is there, are we giving Him the attention He deserves.
What do you keep at hand? 
What do you keep closest to you? What do you like to have around you? Is it your home? Your family? Money? Your car? What won’t you leave behind in your home. Do you go back for your phone if you forget it? What must you have at hand? All of these things can be good, but God is “at hand” – deserving your attention. For me it’s important when my day starts to get stressed and I don’t think I’m going to get everything done, to remember to refocus my attention on God. He deserves my attention, and when I get bogged down with everything else, I can lose my direction and my reason for doing things if I’m not careful.
What’s getting your attention?
 
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Posted by on October 9, 2012 in My God is at hand, My God is ever-present, My God is nearby

 

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My God is…Ever-Present Psalm 46:1-6

02 Oct

Psalm 46:1-6 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. “Selah” There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her,she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.

Sometimes we get busy. Sometimes we get bored. Sometimes we’re pissed off. Then something amazing happens, maybe a call from a long-lost friend or someone repays an old debt. Maybe it’s just that you hit all the lights green, but that something amazing can reawaken you. Get you revived and looking for the good things in life. In Genesis 28 Jacob was sleeping when he was given a message from God that reawakened him. After he awoke he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

I didn’t know it.

How often could we say that about our own lives? The Lord was here and I didn’t know it. We forget. We get busy and distracted by the life we’re leading. We get overwhelmed by work, family and play. We let our eyes slip from what’s really important. But He is not distracted. So often we only look to God when we need something. There’s a reason for that, He’s reliable.

An ever-present help in trouble.

Our verse from Psalm 46, above, reminds us that our God is an ever-present help in trouble. No matter what kind of trouble. Many people are concerned about the politics of our nation. What does the verse say about that? “Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” He can take care of it. He could melt the world with His voice if He wanted to, surely we can trust Him to handle our politics. We can trust Him with anything.

Therefore we will not fear

I am frozen by fear. Ok, not frozen really, just extremely slow-moving. Snails move at a faster pace. I don’t like to take risks. Not even calculated ones. In fact, I can create fear where there shouldn’t be any. In school, I never tried to get A’s, because I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t get them. I am afraid when I enter a room. I’m not just afraid in a room of strangers, but even people I know. I’m afraid I won’t know what to say or worse, I’ll say something stupid. I have great ideas, but I don’t follow through, because I’m afraid they won’t work. I’m afraid to watch my kids play on the playground, afraid they might hurt themselves. Obviously I face many of these fears, and for me they’re not debilitating, but I wonder what my life would look like if I had no fear. What if I trusted the Lord. I don’t mean being stupid, but not living in unrealistic fear. Would I start a business? Write a book? Go on a speaking tour? Make a new friend? Spread the Gospel?

Living boldly for Christ

I want to start living boldly for Christ. I want to be brave and trust that the Lord has got my back. I’m scared to say it, but I want to face challenges head on. I want to be able to wake up and say, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

How are you living boldly?

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2012 in My God is ever-present, My God is my Refuge, Psalm

 

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My God is…Hated John 15:18-27

20 Sep

John 15:18-27 – 

 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Have you ever felt hated? I would guess that most of us have at one point or another felt hated. Most of us have had someone treat us so badly that we cried. They may have even beaten us, swore at us and ruined our self-esteem. Have you ever been hated for your faith? Have you ever had anyone dislike you because of your beliefs. To be honest, I haven’t felt that much. I have mostly surrounded myself with other Christians, not even necessarily by choice, but because of circumstances, my free time has mostly been used up at the church. My family is made up mostly of believers, or at least they’re closely related to believers, so they seem to have a higher tolerance then the rest of the world.

Is this supposed to be comforting?

I have spent most of my life trying to get people to like me. I try to get along with pretty much everyone I meet, and I would even go so far as to say I’m quite tolerant. I don’t want people to hate me. I want people to like me. Jesus saying, “know that it has hated me before it hated you.” doesn’t bring me that much comfort. To be honest, it would be a lot easier for me if people liked Him more too. I don’t want to have debates with people about their faith. I want to be able to enjoy who they are as a person. I want to have them be able to not be offended by my God so we can all “get along”. I wish my beliefs were not offensive, but they are offensive.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own

So here’s my dilemma – I want to be liked, but if I’m being liked by everyone, does that mean I haven’t been stating my faith clearly enough? Do I have to be confrontational to be clearly Christian? Do I have to make people uncomfortable? I don’t want to. I want to get a long with everyone. I want to be diplomatic and non controversial. I want people to like me. It is more important to me to be true to my Lord. I want to be able to be bold for my faith. I know that’s not going to make some people happy, but I do want to be able to stand up for what I believe.

But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you

That’s it then, I’m hated. The world hates me. They can’t tolerate my beliefs. They can’t tolerate that I want to serve a Lord who doesn’t let those who don’t believe in Him into heaven. People want to say that God excludes people, but He doesn’t He loves each of us the same. No matter what our background, sin of choice or eye color, Jesus loves them. He laid down His life for everyone. Christianity is actually the most inclusive faith around. Jesus says if you believe in Him you will be saved. That’s it. He sends His Holy Spirit to work faith in our hearts, and if we don’t turn away from Him, denouncing Him, but instead believe what He says is true, you will have eternal life. The world still doesn’t want to hear that God is tolerant. They don’t want to change how they’re living, and when you start to believe in the Lord, He changes your heart. Not always in drastic ways, but change is usually uncomfortable. People don’t like it. They want to continue on the way they have always been with their focus on their own wants, not on what God wants for them. So instead of giving into the change and having the Lord work in their hearts, they reject Him and tell lies about Him.

But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

So as Christians we’re bound to have haters, or at least those who, like me avoid the subject. Sometimes it will be your extended family who will not be open to the changes that are happening in your life. They may not be able to accept your new-found faith. Your life may now make them uncomfortable as they feel the need to make a stand of disbelief. I think most people avoid talking about their spiritual beliefs, because they don’t want to look silly, because they feel they don’t know how to defend their faith, and because others feel conflicted and defensive when the topic arises. People will argue with you, people will want to change your mind and yes people might hate you, but we Christians are not of this world. Heaven is our home. We need to be able to defend our faith and stand up for what we believe. I don’t like that much. I want life to be easy, and I want everyone to like me. But it is more important to me that I stay true to my Lord than have friends here on earth.

Are you hated?

 

 
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Posted by on September 20, 2012 in John, My God is Hated

 

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My God is…Calming Matthew 8:25-27

18 Sep

Matthew 8:25-27 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”  And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Save us Lord; we are perishing

Everybody dies. It’s a concept most people on this earth agree on. It’s what happens after death that gets people pretty wound up. Of course when the disciples said this, it wasn’t their time to die, and Jesus was with them, but they didn’t have faith that he would take care of it. They were freaking out. Some of us might say “I’m gonna die” or “I thought I was gonna die”, but no matter how you say or think it, most of us at times have had little faith. We’ve relied on ourselves or other people to handle the stuff that seemed out of our control. We freak out. Some of us hold on tighter and try to fix it ourselves without ever asking for help. Others of us don’t trust in the gifts God has given us to handle the situation and abandon ship before there is even really a problem.

Then he rebuked the winds and the sea

Sometimes things do go wrong around us. Things we really have no control over. But we can rest assured that Jesus has got our back and can change things on a dime. He can change things in ways we didn’t even think could happen. Do you see how the disciples react to the way Jesus changed things? They were shocked. They said, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” They just didn’t get it, and they were among the one’s who got it best. So even if we normally have strong faith, sometimes the devil finds just the right thing to push our buttons and make us freak out. He knows just what we’ll be irrational about, which things will make us panic, and he hopes he can make us not trust God. And then he’ll do it again, because the devils not satisfied with us being “of little faith”. The devil wants us to be of no faith. We have to ask the Lord to help us not to give in to the temptation to freak out and not trust in the Lord.

And there was a great calm

It’s as if Jesus woke up and said, “I got this”. He just came up and showed us all who He is and what He has power over. He has power over everything, even nature. I should have remembered all of this last night at three when I was freaking out. Over the past few days, I have gotten strange bug bites. Most of them different from each other, but at 3am, I felt like bugs were crawling up and down my legs (not unusual with MS), but with all of my recent bug bites, it made me freak out. My husband and I just spent a weekend in Idaho for his niece’s wedding (which was amazing), and he’s staying behind to visit for a few more days. In my freak out state, I called my father, convincing him my bites were so dire I needed to go to the Doctor. I sent a text to my husband at what was 5:50 his time, then one at 7 am his time to talk him into my panic. He wasn’t having any of it. He talked me down from the cliff. He said I had some bites from being at the farm where the wedding was held, to calm down and go back to sleep. There was nothing to be worried about.

So I just woke up from a two-hour nap of blissful sleep after a complete freak out. And there was nothing actually wrong. This is a small version, some of us have even bigger freak outs about real problems (not imagined like mine). But in each freak out we need to look at reality and who is really in control. Is God telling you “I got this” while you continue to freak out running around the boat trying to wake someone up to help you?

Are you freaking out?

 
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Posted by on September 18, 2012 in Matthew, My God is Calming

 

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