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My God is…cleansing me 1 John 1:7-10

07 Jan

1 John 1:7-10 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the

Are you stinky?

Are you Stinky?

blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Why do you take a shower? 

Truth be told, I’m sitting here, having done Zumba Rush on the Xbox (yes, I actually exercised). I haven’t showered after working out, and I’m sure I don’t smell amazing. I would take a shower before I leave the house, but why? Because I’m dirty. I have to get clean. I can’t get clean by myself (unless I want to go all catlike, but I’m not up for that). I need water and soap to get clean (at least water).

Do you stink? 

My boys are typical teenagers, and sometimes they avoid taking showers. I don’t know for sure what the aversion is, except maybe that it takes time away from other things they would rather be doing. When they ask,  “Do I have to take a shower?” the answer is almost always, “Do you stink?”. Now if you know anything about teenage boys, you probably know that they pretty much always stink unless they’ve just come out of the shower. Of course, that doesn’t stop my boys from saying, “No”.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves

Just like my boys trying to deny that they stink, sometimes we want to deny that we are sinful. We don’t like the idea that we don’t measure up. It’s not a pretty picture. But the truth is they stink, and I’m sinful. I do thinks that are unkind, I am selfish, and I put my want and needs above those of my Lord, My family and all people. It’s all about me. The problem is, no matter how much we deny it, God knows the truth. Just like I know my boys need soap and water to get them clean, God knows we need help getting clean. That’s the whole reason He sent Jesus.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Keeping God as our focus allows us to have true fellowship with each other, just like taking a shower makes it easier for us to not turn people away. Because we put our faith in Jesus, we are cleansed from our sins, able to be part of other relationships, and also get clean in the process. I don’t want to stink when I go out to meet a friend, and to be honest, I don’t want my sins to show either. But even if my sins do show, I can be cleansed, and as far as God is concerned, all my sins have been washed away.

Do you stink?

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2013 in 1 John, My God is cleansing me

 

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My God is…empowering 2 Timothy 1:6-7

13 Dec
fear

God did not make us timid

2 Timothy 1:6-7  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

When are you timid? 

Maybe you’re not. I don’t think most people consider me timid, but when I enter a room, I can be quite shy. I’ll be looking around for anyone who makes eye contact that I can comfortably go hang by (sometimes for the rest of the night). I’m not very brave in social situations. Not at all timid once you get to know me, but those first meetings (especially if I can’t remember your name) are hard for me. I’m a bit insecure sometimes.

Why are we sometimes timid? 

I think the reason we’re sometimes timid is because we’re looking for our self-worth in the wrong places. We’re looking at getting our self-worth through other people, our work, our money or position. But in the verse above it seems to be related to the gifts God has given us, and we’re to use those gifts for God’s glory.

Power

What do you think of when you think of power? A super hero? Your boss? Your father? I think in reality power for me is security. Feeling comfortable in my own skin and not being affected (as much) by the negativity around me. The definition of power a few places is to be able to produce an effect. Here it is telling us that by the Holy Spirit we are given the ability to produce an effect. We can be effective for Christ.

Love

I’m sure most of us know that the commandments Jesus talked about were about love: Mark 12: 29-31,  “Jesus answered, “Here is the most important one. Moses said, ‘Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Deuteronomy 6:4,5) And here is the second one. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) There is no commandment more important than these.”” Giving us through the Holy Spirit the ability to love, God is giving us the ability to fulfill His commandments (ok – not perfectly, but without Him, we’re incapable of true love – loving those who don’t deserve it – as Christ loves us).

Self Discipline

Ok – if you’re anything like me being given the gift of self-discipline is like getting socks at Christmas. Useful, but not very exciting. At least it used to be. I’m finding that as I grow up (yes I’m still working at that) I find being self disciplined helps me avoid a lot of self loathing, a lot of over eating, snapping at my family, being selfish (or at least recognizing it) and loads of other sins I would rather not reveal this morning. Being able to have self-discipline also allows me to focus and keep my eyes fixed on the Lord. Still not perfect at it, but learning to daily seek God is a self-discipline.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God

Practice, practice, practice. Everything we want to be truly good at takes practice, or doing something over an over again. Have you ever fanned anything into flames? I truly try to avoid open fires for the most part, so this hasn’t happened to me very often, but I do watch Survivor (don’t hold that against me) and it’s really hard work for them to get a fire going. After they finally get a spark, they have to fan it into flames to get a fire worth using started. Our faith is the same way. If we leave it alone and don’t tend to it, it will diminish, or even peter out. But if we fan it into flames, by reading the word of God and renewing our mind we will be transformed. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

What are you fanning into flames?

 

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2012 in 2 Timothy, My God is empowering

 

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My God is Sufficient 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

11 Dec

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect inJesushuggingcryinggirl weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My grace is sufficient for you

Do you ever feel like all the bad stuff happens to you? Do you feel like everything would be perfect if you could just change that one thing? Paul could relate. He had a very close relationship with God, and had gone through a lot of hardship for the Gospel. These are things Paul felt he could justifiably boast about if he wanted to, but the Lord had also given Paul a thorn in his side. Something that reminded him of his humanity. We’re not sure what that thorn was, some say it was a stammer, others have their own ideas. What we do know is that it kept Paul humble. It kept him looking to God as the source of all goodness, and it was the way he was able to reach most people. It was through his weaknesses that the Lord used him.
For my power is made perfect in weakness
Have you ever noticed that the people you grow closest to are the ones with whom you’ve shared your innermost secrets. Those you have share your intimate, deep thoughts are the one’s with whom you bond the most. In our Bible study on Tuesday nights, you sometimes will have someone share something that you can tell is very painful for them. They share it, not because it was a great experience or that they come out sounding important or great, but because they learned about the Lord through their experience. When these kinds of stories, that show our weaknesses, are shared, others can identify. We have all felt weak, helpless and at the Lord’s mercy. Sharing how the Lord worked through those times binds us together as believers.
Boasting about your weakness
Boasting about your weakness is a very unusual thing in our society. Americans are taught to filter out the bad stuff and only tell the good (most of the time). We don’t like to sound weak, and we don’t like others to judge us, so we avoid telling them about our alcoholism, our struggle with obesity, our pain from the loss of our unborn child, the hurt we feel when being abused by those who are supposed to love us. We don’t like people to know that we don’t have it all together. We often see the mom with three beautifully dressed kids and think we want her life. What we don’t know is all the pain she feels because she is in a loveless marriage or the debt they’re incurring because of her overspending. We don’t know about what’s really going on with others, they’re trying to put their best foot forward, just as we are most of the time.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
How can we delight in these things? When we live our lives to bring God the glory, our weaknesses, the insults, hardships and difficulties are all opportunities for the world to see us respond differently than those who do not believe. We’re able to point our lives back to God, resting on His assurance to us that His grace, given to us by Jesus’ death on the cross, is sufficient for us. We can trust that all things will work for the good of them that love God (Romans 8:28), and that we will one day be with Him in heaven. This is our hope and our future. Spending eternity with our Lord who loves us and uses our weaknesses to draw others to Him and to increase the depths of our relationships with others.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We are strong when we are weak, because when we are weak, we submit ourselves to the Lord’s will. We no longer are looking out for ourselves, but turn our eyes towards the Lord for our salvation in the moment and for eternity. And knowing where you’re going to be for eternity strengthens us and gives us hope. We are encouraged, strengthened and can persevere. We grow closer to others and the Lord through all of these humbling, weak moments.
Are you weak or strong?
 
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Posted by on December 11, 2012 in My God is Sufficient

 

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My God is…Reigning Psalm 146:9-10

23 Oct

Psalm 146:9-10 

The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Politics got you down? 

Election time has got me down. I don’t like politics, and I really hate having political conversations. I guess I’m a cynic (thanks mom). You know how I love words, so I decided to look up and see if I really was a cynic.

cyn·ic [sin-ik]

noun

1. a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.
2. ( initial capital letter ) one of a sect of Greek philosophers,4th century b.c., who advocated the doctrines that virtue is the only good, that the essence of virtue is self-control, and that surrender to any external influence is beneath human dignity.
3. a person who shows or expresses a bitterly or sneeringly cynical  attitude.
Yep, I’m a Cynic
I’m sure it has something to do with the way I was raised, but I truly identify with the first definition of Cynic. I usually believe that people are acting selfishly. It reminds me of that friends episode where Phoebe was trying hard to find a way to do a truly selfless act, I guess I’m a bit like Joey in this episode (scary words). Phoebe couldn’t find a truly selfless act. I my cynicism also starts because I know of my own selfishness. I want good things to happen to me. I don’t mind if they happen to other people too, but I want my life to be good.
Cynical about Politicians, but not God
I think every politician has their own agenda, and even if they do have the people’s best interest at heart, eventually they’re all led astray by their own selfish ambition and personal agendas. They may achieve some good, but it always seems coupled with controversy and unkind words for someone of an opposing view. But God is different. God is Good, and our God reigns. He’s the ultimate authority, above all the politicians and rulers of this world.
How God Reigns
What a wonderful thing it is for us as Christians to know that our God reigns. In the verse above, we see His agenda, “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” The beauty of it being God who reigns is that he actually knows who is truly wicked. He cares for those others don’t care about. He shows compassion on us even though we are inherently selfish and sinful. We don’t have to worry about who will be elected, because our God reigns. If you think the politician you hate is evil, you can rest assured that if he (or she) is, God has the power to frustrate their actions. We can trust in our good and gracious God to have our best interest at heart and allow us to learn and grow in Him no matter who is in power in our country.
 
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Posted by on October 23, 2012 in My God is Reigning, My God is Sovereign, Psalm

 

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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…the Cornerstone Ephesians 2:19-22

06 Sep

Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saintsChrist is the Cornerstone and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The cornerstone determines how the building will be built.

It was the tradition during Bible times, that a cornerstone would be laid when construction began to help give the building stability. The shape and makeup of the cornerstone would determine how the building would turn out. So naturally the builders would try to find a cornerstone that was straight, solid and could take the pressure.

All of the other stones lean on the cornerstone

All of the other stones lean on the main cornerstone as support. If that cornerstone isn’t strong and resistant to the pressure, the building likely won’t stand for long.

Jesus is our cornerstone

Jesus is what we lean on. He is our strength and our foundation. We need to rely on Him for our salvation. We need to lean on Him for our strength. He takes the pressure for us and helps us to build on what the believers before us have built on Him. Our faith is strong only when it relies on the Lord. He is sound. He is unmovable. He is reliable. He is Strong. So when we’re not, we don’t fall apart. He supports us. He holds us up. He strengthens us so we too can take the pressure.

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

As a church, when we lean on the cornerstone, Christ, we grow together in our faith and are continually filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. We must lean on Him, our cornerstone, and encourage those in our church, our families and our workplace to lean on Him too. Sometimes we’re able to do that by letting them lean on us. We know our strength doesn’t come from ourselves. We have a strong cornerstone that keeps us upright and pointed in the right direction, Jesus Christ.

What are you building your life on?

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2012 in Ephesians, My God is The Cornerstone

 

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My God is…Upright Deuteronomy 32:3-4

17 Jul

Deuteronomy 32:3-4

I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.

Upright – Adhering strictly to moral principles; righteous.

Who is the most perfect person you know? 

A few years ago I was in a couples Bible study with some amazing people. They were strong in their faith and a blessing to be around. During one of our Bible studies, the question was asked who is the most perfect person you know? People said things like Mother Teresa, but I’m a cynic. I thought – I don’t know Mother Teresa, how could I possibly say she was close to perfect. I know her actions were amazing, but I didn’t know her heart. I didn’t know what she said when she stubbed her toe or was treated unjustly.

He’s a stand up guy

There was someone I knew who was practically perfect (no not Mary Poppins). My answer was clear – my father. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know my dad doesn’t always do everything perfectly, but I have a hard time thinking there is ever any negative motivation or unkind thoughts. My father is the most perfect person I know. I know his heart, because as his daughter I have seen first hand how he reacts in bad situations.

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.

God is perfect not only in his motivation, but in all His actions. Though my dad may make mistakes and probably doesn’t always think nice things (though you wouldn’t hear them verbalized), God doesn’t make mistakes. All His works are perfect. All His ways are just. Sometimes that’s not easy to take, because for us His decisions don’t always make sense. But Scripture tells us He is the Rock. He never falters, and He is perfect.

A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.

I know that my God is perfect. Much in the same way I know my dad is the most perfect person I know. I know His heart. It is shown to me in scripture, baptism, Holy Communion and our time together. I know how my Lord feels about me. He loves me and wants what is best for me. I know that His ways are good. He does no wrong. He’s the perfect man! He is upright!

Who is the most perfect person you know?

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on July 17, 2012 in My God is Upright

 

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My God is…the God of Power and Might Psalm 89:5-8

04 Jul

Psalm 89:5-8 New International Version (NIV)

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Oooooh! Aaaahhh!

Every Forth of July you can hear around the country the same thing. Children, families and adults alike looking up into the sky and oohing and aahing. Fireworks are amazing things. They’re beautiful, exhilarating, loud, and dangerous. We look up into the sky and see these amazing colors bursting in the air. We’re amazed.

Fireworks are dangerous

To tell you the truth, I’m kind of chicken. I got nervous when my boys would climb the jungle gyms at the park. I couldn’t watch. In my brain the first thing that comes to mind seems to be the danger than could occur. My focus is not on the fun of the moment, but the potential disaster. I’m sort of pessimistic (my husband says I’m the most cheerful pessimist he knows). So with that information, you won’t be too surprised when I tell you fireworks make me nervous. Why? Because they are powerful. Even the small ones (ok maybe not the black worms that you light and they foam out of the small pill the started out as) make me nervous. They bang and pop somewhat unexpectedly. While this seems to bring everyone else great joy, I’m always thinking of the emergency room visits that people will be making that night, and how to avoid one in our family.

Fireworks are beautiful and exciting

Ok, so please don’t email me telling me I need to go back to counseling, but I have to admit that while on the one hand fireworks freak me out, I also enjoy them. I like how beautiful they are and enjoy the brilliance of the unexpected delights I’ll see. You sort of know what you’re going to get when you light your fireworks, but not exactly. Each one is different. The city fireworks are amazing. Laying on your back seeing them burst overhead.

In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared

In our verse above, we hear that God is greatly feared among the holy ones. Not because He’s dangerous, but because He is more awesome than anything else. He is more powerful, more truthful, more consistent, more everything good than anything else in the whole world, universe or beyond.

For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

So while you’re enjoying the fireworks this Fourth of July, looking up to the skies and seeing the bright array of colors and hearing the loud booms, remember our Lord. Our God is more awesome than all of this; more exciting, more powerful and more amazing. He is more amazing and awesome than even the stars in the sky. Nothing can compare with the awesomeness of our God. Maybe even throw some oohs and aahs His way as you are amazed at what those He created have made.

 

 
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Posted by on July 4, 2012 in My God is The God of Power and Might, Psalm

 

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My God is…Sovereign Romans 8:28

02 Jul

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been

called according to his purpose.

Sovereign – adjective

* belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereignty; royal.
* having supreme rank, power, or authority.
* supreme; preeminent; indisputable: a sovereign right.
* greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.
* being above all others in character, importance, excellence,etc.
* efficacious; potent: a sovereign remedy.

What does it mean to be Sovereign? 
To be honest, I don’t know if I could have given you a very good definition of the word sovereign before looking it up on dictionary.com. I looked at the adjective definitions, as we’re using describing words (you can see what great English class information I remember) in relation to our Lord. Once again I’m amazed at how rich a word can be when you look at all its definitions.

Belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereignty; royal.
So what are the characteristics of a Sovereign (a royal person)? I like to watch a lot of English period pieces, and though many of them are not about royals (though quite a few are) they are often about the relationship between the upper-crust of society and the servants. The upper crust people (we’ll say are royals) are compelled to do what is right. There are expectations on them that aren’t on the servants. There is an expectation of perfection. That fits our God. No matter what the circumstance – He is perfect.

Having supreme rank, power, or authority.
This definition of the adjective Sovereign also fits our Lord well. Whether you think of our God at creation, Jesus calming the seas, or the Holy Spirit working faith in our lives, God shows himself as Sovereign throughout the Bible and in our lives.

Supreme; preeminent; indisputable
There is no higher authority than God. Everything in all creation must submit to His authority. He has the final word and His decisions are indisputable.

Greatest in degree; utmost or extreme
When you describe God, he is never sort of this or sort of that. He’s not wishy-washy. He’s all or nothing. He is or He isn’t. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room when describing God. He is the utmost of anything He is or isn’t. He is Powerful, but He isn’t sinful.

Being above all others in character, importance, excellence,etc
This definition of Sovereign really resonates with me when thinking about My God. He is above all others in importance in my life. Some moms might be shocked to know that my boys are not the most important thing to me (I feel like I’m almost breaking a sacred code of motherhood). And while my Husband is the most important thing to me here on earth, he is not the most important thing in my life. God is the most important. I try daily to put His will above my own. I love Him more than anything else in my life. I would be sad without my husband or boys, but I would be hopeless without my God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This verse is made so much more important for me, when I think about it in relationship to God’s Sovereignty. He knows what he’s doing. He is perfect, has the power and authority, and above all others in character. He is in charge, and as we can see from this verse, we should be glad He is. He’s working for the Good of those who love Him. What a comfort! What a hope!

What is most important to you?
 
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Posted by on July 2, 2012 in My God is Sovereign

 

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