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My God is…Kind Jeremiah 9:23-24

20 Mar

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – counting-fortune

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

But let the one who boasts boast about this

I don’t know about you, but I was taught not to boast. Not that I did a lot that was worth boasting about. I never worked that hard really. I was a decent student, but I wasn’t super motivated. I can’t say that I’ve achieved a lot by the world’s standards even now. I have reduced my working hours so that I can remain at peace and have more patience with my teenage boys. It’s worked, and it’s a huge blessing, but as the world sees it, all I really did was reduce the amount of money that was coming in the door. My boys struggle with knowing that as well. Every now and then they ask if I could go back to work so we could have more money, but then I ask, “Do you want “mean mommy” back?” They quickly say no. They like it that I’m calmer now when they come home. I work from home, and often wanted them to be quiet when they came home so I could quickly finish working. So I would snap and be grumpy. Never mind they were coming into their home, not an office (as far as they were concerned).

I can boast:

Being home without a super large workload has allowed me more time for Bible study, devotions, writing my blog and spending time with people in prayer. I’m no saint. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still working on a lot of things, but having time to worship God on a daily basis has allowed me to get to know my Lord more.

But let the one who boasts boast about this: That they have the understanding to know me

One thing that is so amazing is how the Lord reveals Himself in scripture and through prayer. Spending even 5 minutes a day reading His word can make a difference in my outlook for the whole day. I’m excited about my faith, and the faith of others. I enjoy discovering God’s truths (sometimes for the first time, sometimes being reminded of old discoveries) with my sisters in Christ. Mostly I enjoy sharing the joy they have when they see the difference knowing the Lord is having on their reactions to unkindness, injustice and stress. As we journey with Christ through the scriptures, we’re led to know Him more and that changes a person. Knowing your creator and savior is powerful.

But let the one who boasts boast about this: that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth

So now I will boast. I boast in my Lord who loves me and who loves you. He shows us kindness through His grace, mercy and patience as we are being set free from the bondage of hate, addiction and abuse. He is patient, so that we might not be lost, but that instead we might know Him. That we would know that he is the one who exercises kindness. He’s the Lord, and He exercises justice – you can trust Him to handle the vengeance you want to take out on those who’ve hurt you. He is righteous, and is exercising righteousness through His Son Jesus Christ who gave us righteousness by dying on the cross so that we would not be left to our own failing attempts at righteousness. Instead we are free to strive for righteousness because He has already washed us clean from all our sin and failures.

Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches

All of these things are good, but we need to recognize the source of them. We can’t boast in our wisdom, because any wisdom we have is from the Lord. We can not boast in our strength, but we can boast in the Lord giving us strength. We can not boast in our riches, because they are a gift from God. These things are all temporary and do not amount to anything without faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus. With Him, these things can have purpose, meaning and value. But only in Christ to they have any value at all. Only if they point back to Him.

We can boast: in Christ.

 

 
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Posted by on March 20, 2013 in My God is Kind

 

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My God is…patient 2 Peter 3:8-9

18 Mar

2 Peter 3:8-9 – But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and Salvationa thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness

Clearly the Lord and I do not understand time in the same way. This verse even says so. It says, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” This concept is so big for my mind to even fathom. What I do know, is that my Lord doesn’t always do things on my time. I can sometimes find that frustrating. I may want a burden of mine (or a loved one) lifted, but I want it to happen now. It hardly ever happens right when I ask for it. Sometimes it happens quickly other times it’s hard for me to even recognize the answer to my prayers, no matter when they’re answered.

God isn’t being slow, as you and I think of slowness. 

God isn’t dragging His heals, He’s waiting for perfect timing. Timing that has our best interest at heart. His timing may not be what we think is perfect timing, but He has the perspective of actually understanding eternity. For Him, it’s all about Eternity. If waiting helps you or someone else come to faith, deepen their faith or acknowledge the Lord, than God will likely wait. He is patient, waiting for the perfect moment that will help draw us closer to Him.

Definition of PATIENT

1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3: not hasty or impetuous
4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5a : able or willing to bear —used with of
 b : susceptible, admitting <patient of one interpretation>
Manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
Forbearance: a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due. I had to look that up three times for it to stick in my memory. God is all about forbearance, isn’t He. Everything He has done was to help us escape the punishment we deserved. My mom seemed to understand that about our God. When my sister and I were in college, and my mom was sure we were making some stupid decisions, she would pray that we would not have the full consequences of our sins. She was asking the Lord for patience, forbearance and grace. That is what Jesus on the cross is all about, as well. Jesus died on the cross so we could benefit from God’s forbearance for us. He took on the enforcement of our punishment.
Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
With this definition of patience, I feel like Jesus could be the synonym for patience. Our Lord Jesus took on our sins, took the full punishment, even unto death. He went through so many pains and trials, and didn’t complain, but calmly took it upon Himself so you and I might be freed from our sins.
Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Everything God does is with the intent of drawing us closer to Him. He wants everyone to come to repentance and to have faith in Him so that they will not perish but have eternal life that only comes through Jesus Christ. He is patient with you. As you learn and grow in Him, He knows you’re going to stumble and fall, but He stays by your side so that when you reach out, He’s right there to catch you. Oh how it pains Him when we ignore Him, or deny Him or sin against Him, but He is patient with us as we grow through His Holy Spirit and learn to cling to Him each day.
He wants a relationship with you
Sin stands between us and the Lord. It makes us want to deny Him, pull away from Him and ignore Him all together. But God, who loves you and I more than we can ever imagine, doesn’t want that for us. He wants us to live eternally with Him, and that’s why, even though we fail over and over again, He is patient. He loves you too much not to be.
 
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Posted by on March 18, 2013 in 2 Peter, My God is Patient

 

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My God is…seeing Genesis 16:13

11 Mar

Genesis 16:13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, eye“I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Do you ever feel invisible? 

Do you ever feel like you’re not important to the people in your life? Maybe they’re not as attentive as you hoped. Maybe you wish they’d pay a little less attention to you. Or maybe you’re abused, beaten, cursed at or neglected. The verse above mentions a woman giving a name to the Lord. Hagar was the name of the woman. She was Sarai’s maidservant. Now Sarai and Abram had been hoping for a child for a long time, but they hadn’t been able to have one. Sarai, taking things into her own hands decided that Hagar should sleep with Abram and give him the son she couldn’t. Did anyone ask Hagar?

Being chosen isn’t always good

Hagar was chosen by Sarai to sleep with her husband. She conceived, and then she didn’t like Sarai much anymore. I don’t know if it was jealousy that Sarai was beloved by Abram (the father of Hagar’s soon to be baby) or what, but she hated Sarai. So much so that it was obvious to Sarai. Sarai didn’t like Hagar either, and Sarai asked Abram to punish Hagar for her hatred. Abram said Sarai could do with her what she wanted. Sarai was so mean in her treatment of Hagar, that Hagar left. She had been chosen to carry Abram’s baby by Sarai, but she still didn’t hold much value. Beaten and mistreated, Hagar fled from them.

“You are the God who sees me”

There Hagar sits in the wilderness, pregnant and alone. She has to feel pretty worthless at this point. Her baby daddy didn’t stick up for her and his wife was intolerable. Now that she was gone, it was clear to her that no one cared. But there was someone…God. Separated from the life she once knew, she sat near a spring in the desert. The Angel of the Lord spoke to her, and asked her what she was doing there. She said she was running away. The Angel of the Lord told her to go back and have Abram’s baby. Hagar was astonished. She couldn’t believe that the Angel of the Lord had spoken to her, and that God was aware of her plight and cared about it. God promised to increase her descendants.

“You are the God who sees me”

Like Hagar in the wilderness, I think it’s often in the wilderness, when we are feeling most alone that we find God. He was there the whole time, but when we know we have no more control over our lives, then we are more open to the Lord and His path. When we’re going through those struggles, it’s easy to wonder where God is, but like Hagar, who had every right to be depressed about her situation, God sees us. He knows the path that is best for us. He knows our desires, hopes and dreams. He also knows the plans He has for us, and wants us to achieve. I have quite a few friends who are going through times in the wilderness. They’re struggling. They feel abandoned, hurt and confused. I pray they know like Hagar that they have a God who sees them. He sees and is ready to take action on your behalf.

Do you still feel invisible?

 

 
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Posted by on March 11, 2013 in My God is Seeing

 

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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?

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

 

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My God is…opposing the proud 1 Peter 5:4-6

22 Feb

1 Peter 5:4-6 – 

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.thumbs-up-fonz

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

 

Humble yourselves

Are you humble? Can anyone answer yes to that question without instantly making it untrue? I think of my Grandma who was probably the smartest person I’ve ever known. She was humble. I imagine her answer to that question might be some wonderful quip that would surely show her as humble without actually saying it. What exactly does it mean to be humble?

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>
3a : ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : insignificant,unpretentious
b: not costly or luxurious <a humble contraption>
Humble does not mean self-deprecating
Even though one might be humble, that doesn’t mean they are honest about the achievements in their lives. The problem comes when you say you’re better than someone or take credit for something you didn’t actually do. For those of us who are Christians this comes down to giving God the Glory for the things that happen in our lives. It reminds me of the study of David were doing with my women’s group. David didn’t have much to do with being picked to be the King of Israel. He was out minding the sheep when the Lord selected him and had him anointed. Even after he was anointed, he didn’t become king right away. He first did an “internship” as a musician in the King’s Palace.
God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble
God knows that He is the source of all the good that comes in my life, but too often I try to take all the credit for myself. But all good things come from God. James 1:17 reads, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” So anything that is going well in my life, all the blessings I have are from the Lord. He is the creator of my blessings. When I try to take the credit for the things in my life, I’m missing the opportunity to glorify God. To point to Him as the source of my blessings. I try to pretend that I am more than I am. Could I have done any of the things I have done without the brain He gave me? Could I be a blessing to others without the soul He created for me? No. I don’t have much to do with the successes of my life. God is the source of all of it.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
So if we are to be lifted up to a high position in the society, education or career, it will be by the grace of God. He will be the one lifting you and I up with His mighty hand. We must give Him the glory, allowing Him to be revealed in all we do.
So I’ll ask again, are you humble?
 
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Posted by on February 22, 2013 in 1 Peter, My God is opposing the proud

 

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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?

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

 

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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?

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

 

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My God is…a Lamp 2 Samuel 22:28-30

04 Feb

2 Samuel 22: 28-30 leaaping-over-wall

You save a humble people,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

You save a humble people

I am called to be a humble person; To put God at the top of my list. Nothing else should be more important to me than the Lord. Unfortunately, all too often, I find myself trying to do things my own way, veering away from the Lord. I like to think that I have had great ideas, or that somehow I was responsible for the good things that happen in my life (the bad things, I’m often willing to say were God’s doing).

But your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down

Immediately upon reading this part of our verse for today, I am reminded of Psalm 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” I find that pretty much everything that has caused me grief is some how related to my pride. I think of myself instead of others or the Lord. I may even think myself better than others (and dare I say the Lord). Sure I can have those french fries, I’m worth it. Says who? It’s alright if I park in the reserved space, I’m only going to be a couple of minutes. I don’t have time to make the meal for that family. I have to get ready for a party. Whatever it is (and there are so many more examples), they all relate back to pride, or putting myself and my own needs above the needs of others.

For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness.

But I am not left in my pit of prideful despair. The Lord is working on me, He is showing me my faults and like pealing away at an onion, each layer reveals something new I need to work on. Does God do this because I am such a disappointment to Him? No He does it because I am such a disappointment to myself. He points out (sometimes gently, sometimes blatantly) the things I need to work on, because it is in my best interest. He loves me and wants me to live free from all of my pride filled pains. He is a lamp showing my sin so that I don’t have to live with them anymore. Revealing the sickness so that I might be healed. It’s like going to the Dr and finding out you have a cracked rib. You knew you had a lot of pain in your ribs, but you didn’t know what was the source. Dr. God (sorry for the silliness) takes an x-ray of your chest and shows you that you’re indeed broken. Without God showing you your brokenness, you wouldn’t know what to do differently to allow you to heal.

We live in a sinful, painful world. I would venture to say that there isn’t one person out there who is reading this that hasn’t known some pain that has lingered on for years. But God can heal you of that pain. He is a lamp that will lighten your darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Forgiveness is the stuff of freedom. Once we have been healed of our sins and are living with our Lord as the center of our lives we can find the confidence and freedom the end of this verse so displays. We can take on the world, and all its future hurts. We can leap tall buildings in a single bound! OK  we can leap over our problems and no longer be in pain because of them. He wants us to be freed from our sins, but often our pride, in the form of self loathing or self boasting get in the way of us seeing the hurt and dealing with it. I don’t know about you, but I want to have the Lord shine His light in my life, that I might have the confidence in this verse. That with the Lord all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Can you leap over a wall?

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2013 in My God is a Lamp

 

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My God is…with us Psalm 46:10-11

30 Jan

Psalm 46:10-11 – Be still, and know that I am God.Listen
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Being alone can be scary

As a kid did you ever have that moment when you realized you were the last one to be picked up after a game or at school. Did your parents forget? Did they not care? You look around only to see the teacher who was relegated to stay until you were picked up looking at their watch for the 1000th time. When would they show up? Where are they? What was more important than picking me up? Maybe you even got a little panicked. Maybe you worried they wouldn’t show up. (I was good at creating worst case scenarios in my mind – so I’m sure I thought they were in an accident and would never make it back).

Usually my sister or my parents were around, but during my teenage years, there were times when I was the only one in the house. I could really freak myself out. I would sometimes call my grandpa just to feel like someone knew where I was and could talk me down from my fears. (Do I sound neurotic?).

We’re not alone

The truth is, we’re not alone. Never. God is with us. That means no matter where we go, we can reach out for comfort and encouragement. Even when we as adults find ourselves feeling very alone with many people around us. The amount of people in our vicinity doesn’t have much to do with our feeling alone or not. The beauty of God being with us is that He actually has the power to change things. He can make our situation different. He can do it immediately if He wants too, or it might take a little while (probably while I learn patience or endurance or trusting in Him). But He is always there, and always hears our prayers.

Still feel alone

Some of you are probably thinking to yourselves, “Sure, that sounds great, but how do I feel God with me?” That comes in the beginning of our scripture for today. “Be still and know that I am God.” In America, we’re not accustomed to being still. In fact it takes practice, and can feel really uncomfortable at first. But God says in this verse that if we are still we will know He is God. In addition reading scriptures, calling out to Him in your times of need (like I would call my grandpa), or listening to Christian music can all help to remind us of our ever-present God.

Do you know how to be still?

 
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Posted by on January 30, 2013 in My God is With Us, My God is with You, Psalm

 

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My God is…Anointed Acts 10:37-38

09 Jan

Acts 10: 37-38 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the The Lord's Love is Lavished on usbaptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power

Have you ever been anointed with oil? Our church does anointing with oil (a small cross on the forehead). Here is what they say about the anointing with oil.

“Anointing is not a sacrament like the Lord’s supper, but a physical sign accompanying prayer, much like incense used in the worship of the Israelites. In the ancient world, oil was used for medicinal purposes and for spiritual healing. The practice is described in James 5:14 (Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.), and Mark 6:13 (They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.). It marked a person as one set apart for God’s care.

The anointing of oil in Exodus 30:22-31 ( Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.) had a similar function, marking certain items as holy, dedicated to God, indicating that it is the Lord who heals, according to His will.

Definition of ANOINT

1: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2a : to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration
 b : to choose by or as if by divine election; also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment <critics anointed the author as the bright new talent>
You know how I love definitions, so I wanted to look this word “anoint” up and see what kind of depth we could find to the meaning. I did not expect to see the word smear. Weird word smear. Right up there with moist, not my favorite words. When I read this definition, I was instantly reminded of the baptism scene in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. There isn’t anything said about the anointing of oil in the scene, but I think the concept of smearing on of oil is forever smeared in my brain.

http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/DV3Eg969ePHe63/the-baptism

to choose by or as if by divine election

So with the definitions above, it is probably the final definition that fits most with Jesus being anointed by God. I like the richness of having all of the definitions though, because the idea that Jesus got the Holy Spirit smeared on Him, makes me think that He had the power of the Holy Spirit lavished on Him. Not just a little, but a lot, all He needed.

We too are anointed

As believers, we have been lavished by God. Anointed in a sense. It reminds me of 1 John 3;1-3, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

We are set apart to do good works in Him, to purify ourselves, but mostly to live focused on Him. Putting God at the center of all we do. I love the word lavished, it’s decadent really. It’s not just giving a little, it’s putting on more than is necessary. Have you ever put on lotion and tried to rub it in only to realize you have too much. You hope to find someone else to smear some on. That’s how God’s love (and anointing is). We get so much love and setting apart from God, that we want to spread it and share it with those around us. We’ve got too much love from the Lord not to share it. Smear someone with God’s love. (Still a weird word)

Have you smeared someone today?

 

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2013 in My God is Anointed

 

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