I'm back in my Daniel study again after lapsing a bit this last week. It's no excuse, but being sick left me so tired, I chose the easy route and did not engage in active bible study the last few days. Lord, please change this about me so that I might not choose the easy way of this world, but give me a heart that chooses you in every circumstance!
I'm at the point in Daniel where king Belshazzar has been frightened to death by handwriting on the wall. The queen mother comes and tells him about a Jew named Daniel, who "was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems" (Daniel 5:12).
That last phrase, "solve difficult problems," in Aramaic is literally "the loosening of knots," implying that Daniel could loosen "knotty" things or difficulties. The question was then posed: what knots do you wish God would enable you to loosen?
I have to admit, I had no idea when I came across the question. What in my life is "knotty"? I don't know.
But what if I phrase it a different way: what is there in my life that ties me up, or entangles me?
Ah, now, that is easier to answer.
1. My temper - I don't get "angry" so much as frustrated, and I have been frustrated a lot this past year. It does no one any good, and only works to entangle me in sin.
2. My tongue - ain't this the truth for most all of us? How often do our tongues get us in trouble? Cursing. Using the name of the LORD in an unholy way. Gossiping. Speaking less than the truth. Convincing ourselves (or, worse, others) that the lies Satan tells us are the truth.
3. My self-reliance - here I am not talking about physical reliance, but that ridiculous part of my ego that says I can handle things on my own. The part that tries to tell me that I don't really need God's help, I can figure out life, the universe, and everything without Him. The part that makes me worry until I'm sick about things I have no control over because it says I should have control.
There are others as well. Oh, how these have tied me - chained me, really - to sin. They tie me to the worst parts of myself, and work to prevent the glorious mercies of God from transforming me like He desires to do.
But, friends, there is glorious, wonderful news for all of us who tie ourselves up until we are strangling in our sin and pride.
Christ is the great un-tier. Listen to what He proclaims in Isaiah:
For the Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of HIS splendor. ~Isaiah 61:1-3
He is the great releaser, the freer, the one who can take our chains (and our knots) and bring complete freedom. He brings beauty, gladness, and praise to replace our ashes, mourning, and despair.
Paul wrote that "the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who, with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). He brings freedom as He transforms us from our sinful selves into reflections of His glory.
Paul also wrote that "anyone who has died has been freed from sin ... count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:7, 11).
The good news is this, friends: we do not have to spend our lives (or eternity) tied up, chained, constrained, and constricted. We serve the Almighty God, the freer of prisoners, the untier of knots, and the giver of LIFE!
Oh, Lord, untie my knots, release me from my chains, and transform me ever more into your glorious likeness, that I might reflect you and proclaim my freedom in you!
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Eternity is stamped on our hearts
I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ~Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
Do you ever simultaneously want two opposite results? You want two things that you know cannot coexist simultaneously, and can't quite get your mind to choose one.
I've been feeling that way often lately. You see, I look at the world around us and get the sense that we are in the midst of what Christ called the "last days." Christ said that in the last days, many will come in His name, deceiving those who follow them. {Check.} You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. {Check.} Nation will rise against nation. {Check.} There will be famines and earthquakes. {Check.} He said these are the "beginning of birth pains." (See Matthew 24:4-8.)
I've read Daniel. I've read Matthew. I've read Revelation. I know what God has revealed of His ordained plan for the end of the age. And so there is a part of me - the eternal part - that is excited about this. It means that Christ is returning soon! And that, finally, the pain, suffering, and hardships of this life will be erased and replaced with the glorious eternity in God's presence for His children. That is a glorious thing, my friends! Listen to how John described it:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' ~Revelation 21:1-5
Hallelujah! Friends, how can we not leap for joy at these words??!! Glory be to God, who truly makes ALL things new!
I can't wait for that, can you?
And yet...
Here's the other half of my truth. As much as I do earnestly long for Christ's coming, I must confess that part of me hopes it is not too soon.
You see, the non-eternal part of me is looking forward to being a wife come June. It is looking forward to having children with my soon-to-be husband. I want to be a mother, to grow old with my husband. I want to serve God and raise up children to do so as well. I want to run my race. (And I sort of hope that the race won't be cut short before any of those other things happen.)
At first, I felt quite guilty about these feelings. How could I wish that Christ's return be delayed? Do I really want this depraved world longer? Well, no. But I've coming to realize that, when it comes to my faith, both desires are ok. God made me not just eternal - He not only set eternity in my heart - but He also made me temporal. Physical. And He has been shaping my desires for this life as well as my desires for Him.
I think the only thing to do is to expect Him to come, to hope for His coming, but to never forget the race that He has given you to do in the meantime. He knows His plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and He has given each of us a purpose. So I will do what I know He has told me to do - to proclaim His word, to worship Him, to grow in faith, to take care of my family - and let Him worry about whether He'll wait until after I have kids or not. :-) I guess this is one area where trusting the sovereignty of God is quite liberating.
Expect Christ every day. Prepare for Him. Be one of the wise brides, and keep the oil in your lamp. But don't use that as an excuse for neglecting what God has planned for you to do before He returns. And rejoice that, one day, you will enter into the glorious presence of your God and never have to leave again!
Do you ever simultaneously want two opposite results? You want two things that you know cannot coexist simultaneously, and can't quite get your mind to choose one.
I've been feeling that way often lately. You see, I look at the world around us and get the sense that we are in the midst of what Christ called the "last days." Christ said that in the last days, many will come in His name, deceiving those who follow them. {Check.} You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. {Check.} Nation will rise against nation. {Check.} There will be famines and earthquakes. {Check.} He said these are the "beginning of birth pains." (See Matthew 24:4-8.)
I've read Daniel. I've read Matthew. I've read Revelation. I know what God has revealed of His ordained plan for the end of the age. And so there is a part of me - the eternal part - that is excited about this. It means that Christ is returning soon! And that, finally, the pain, suffering, and hardships of this life will be erased and replaced with the glorious eternity in God's presence for His children. That is a glorious thing, my friends! Listen to how John described it:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' ~Revelation 21:1-5
Hallelujah! Friends, how can we not leap for joy at these words??!! Glory be to God, who truly makes ALL things new!
I can't wait for that, can you?
And yet...
Here's the other half of my truth. As much as I do earnestly long for Christ's coming, I must confess that part of me hopes it is not too soon.
You see, the non-eternal part of me is looking forward to being a wife come June. It is looking forward to having children with my soon-to-be husband. I want to be a mother, to grow old with my husband. I want to serve God and raise up children to do so as well. I want to run my race. (And I sort of hope that the race won't be cut short before any of those other things happen.)
At first, I felt quite guilty about these feelings. How could I wish that Christ's return be delayed? Do I really want this depraved world longer? Well, no. But I've coming to realize that, when it comes to my faith, both desires are ok. God made me not just eternal - He not only set eternity in my heart - but He also made me temporal. Physical. And He has been shaping my desires for this life as well as my desires for Him.
I think the only thing to do is to expect Him to come, to hope for His coming, but to never forget the race that He has given you to do in the meantime. He knows His plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and He has given each of us a purpose. So I will do what I know He has told me to do - to proclaim His word, to worship Him, to grow in faith, to take care of my family - and let Him worry about whether He'll wait until after I have kids or not. :-) I guess this is one area where trusting the sovereignty of God is quite liberating.
Expect Christ every day. Prepare for Him. Be one of the wise brides, and keep the oil in your lamp. But don't use that as an excuse for neglecting what God has planned for you to do before He returns. And rejoice that, one day, you will enter into the glorious presence of your God and never have to leave again!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Waiting for that perfect time
I confess: I hate waiting.
When I was younger, and, honestly, even now, when I'm waiting for someone to arrive or to come pick me up, I go crazy if they aren't on time. When I still lived "at home" with my parents, I would usually play piano while waiting. This was not just to pass the time - it was because the piano was in the living room, and I could watch outside for whomever it was I was expecting.
I am in a serious period of waiting, friends. Except this time, it's not just for a ride or for a friend to show up. It's for my wedding. In 3.5 months, I'm marrying the love of my life.
I get so antsy about it! I tell my fiancee all the time: I wish I could just quit my job, we could elope, and start our life together. But, alas, that can't happen. And so I am waiting.
This brings me to two thoughts:
1) God must have something to teach me in the waiting.
2) Why don't I expect Christ's return for His bride with as much excitement as I do my fiancee's "return" for me?
The first idea is partly a way to keep my focus in these last three and a half months. I decided in January that I needed to really let God shape me into the wife He wants me to be. If I am not reshaped by God, I will be one pitiful, selfish, unloving wife! Why would a bride spend great effort in reshaping her body for her groom-to-be and not ask God to reshape her heart?
So I have been praying for the last two months that God would do a mighty work in me, that He would show me areas that I need to let Him prune before they become dangers to our marriage.
The funny thing about asking God to help you find areas that you need His help on is that He will immediately start showing them to you! And so He is.
The second idea comes in large part from Matthew 25:
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
'No,' they replied, 'there might not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Late the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." ~Matthew 25: 1-13
Scripture says that we, the Church, are the bride of Christ. He is coming back for us one day - though He has been "a long time in coming" (for us, at least).
Imagine that. Christ is coming back! And part of His plan is to collect His bride that they might be together forever. I know how much I long to be with my earthly beloved - I tell him every time we talk! I long for it with my whole being. I sometimes even cry when we are apart.
I wonder what it would be like if all of God's children waited with the kind of expectation and anxiety and sheer joy that brides do for their wedding day? I wonder how different we would appear to the rest of the world if we were truly expecting Him, waiting for Him, jumping in place in total excitement and pleasure knowing that He's on His way?
Are you expecting your bridegroom?
When I was younger, and, honestly, even now, when I'm waiting for someone to arrive or to come pick me up, I go crazy if they aren't on time. When I still lived "at home" with my parents, I would usually play piano while waiting. This was not just to pass the time - it was because the piano was in the living room, and I could watch outside for whomever it was I was expecting.
I am in a serious period of waiting, friends. Except this time, it's not just for a ride or for a friend to show up. It's for my wedding. In 3.5 months, I'm marrying the love of my life.
I get so antsy about it! I tell my fiancee all the time: I wish I could just quit my job, we could elope, and start our life together. But, alas, that can't happen. And so I am waiting.
This brings me to two thoughts:
1) God must have something to teach me in the waiting.
2) Why don't I expect Christ's return for His bride with as much excitement as I do my fiancee's "return" for me?
The first idea is partly a way to keep my focus in these last three and a half months. I decided in January that I needed to really let God shape me into the wife He wants me to be. If I am not reshaped by God, I will be one pitiful, selfish, unloving wife! Why would a bride spend great effort in reshaping her body for her groom-to-be and not ask God to reshape her heart?
So I have been praying for the last two months that God would do a mighty work in me, that He would show me areas that I need to let Him prune before they become dangers to our marriage.
The funny thing about asking God to help you find areas that you need His help on is that He will immediately start showing them to you! And so He is.
The second idea comes in large part from Matthew 25:
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
'No,' they replied, 'there might not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Late the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." ~Matthew 25: 1-13
Scripture says that we, the Church, are the bride of Christ. He is coming back for us one day - though He has been "a long time in coming" (for us, at least).
Imagine that. Christ is coming back! And part of His plan is to collect His bride that they might be together forever. I know how much I long to be with my earthly beloved - I tell him every time we talk! I long for it with my whole being. I sometimes even cry when we are apart.
I wonder what it would be like if all of God's children waited with the kind of expectation and anxiety and sheer joy that brides do for their wedding day? I wonder how different we would appear to the rest of the world if we were truly expecting Him, waiting for Him, jumping in place in total excitement and pleasure knowing that He's on His way?
Are you expecting your bridegroom?
Friday, February 25, 2011
Holy
I must confess, I have struggled for years with understanding the concept of holiness. Be holy. Show holiness. You are holy. The Lord is holy. These phrases all sound powerful and wonderful, but I honestly didn't understand what it meant to be holy. Last year, I read the entire Bible, and noticed how often God proclaimed His holiness and demanded holiness from us. Yet it still didn't click. But today, I think something is finally making sense.
I'm currently studying the book of Daniel (using Beth Moore's study as a guide), and today the discussion was all about holiness. It's not just Daniel, though. In my NIV bible, according to the concordance, there are no less than 150 separate occurrences of the word "holy" or "holiness." Obviously, God want us to get the idea of holiness.
The first instance of the idea of holiness comes in Genesis 2, verse 3. The principle of first instance states that the first time something occurs in scripture, there is something important to gleam from it. This verse is:
And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
The Hebrew word is is "qadash," meaning "to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate" (according to the KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon.
In this instance, the idea of holiness, applied to the seventh day, implied a separation apart from the other 6 days. It was to be a day of rest from work, and (later in the OT) a day dedicated to the worship of God Almighty. After this first mention, over 150 times, God proclaims His holiness, demands that we be holy, or consecrates things, days, or feasts as holy to Him. They belong to Him. They are for Him alone.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states that,
"In primitive Semitic usage "holiness" seems to have expressed nothing more than that ceremonial separation of an object from common use which the modern study of savage religions has rendered familiar under the name of taboo (W.R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, Lect iv). But within the Biblical sphere, with which alone we are immediately concerned, holiness attaches itself first of all, not to visible objects, but to the invisible Yahweh, and to places, seasons, things and human beings only in so far as they are associated with Him. And while the idea of ceremonial holiness runs through the Old Testament, the ethical significance which Christianity attributes to the term is never wholly absent, and gradually rises in the course of the revelation into more emphatic prominence."
In Daniel 5, Belshazzar desecrated the holy items taken from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and used them as part of a drunken orgy, toasting his false gods with them. That very night, God broke the great Babylonian Empire. Beth talked about the idea that the enemy wants nothing less than to make holy things unholy.
Followers of Christ are made holy through Christ. God says over and over again that we have been set apart from this world - "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds" (Romans 12:2). We are the vessels that He inhabits on this earth - no longer the temple or the ark, but in us, His children. (See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.")
We are to act in ways that honor Him. We should never be used to honor anything other than God. Selfishness - honoring ourselves - is wrong. Sexual Immorality - honoring pleasure and immediacy - is wrong. Pride - honoring ourselves above all - is wrong. Any time that we act in a way that honors any one or thing other than God, we are acting unholy. We are not acting like those picked up and stamped by the Living God.
Holiness turns out to be in some ways a fairly simple concept. Act, think, speak in such a way that God is honored, and no other. In this, you show yourself to be His, not part of this society or this world, but a citizen of His realm. You are anointed as His when the Spirit lives within you and fills you up with Himself. You are reserved for Him for eternity.
Be holy. Stop acting like a fool of this world. Stop honoring yourself and your desires. Start bowing before your LORD, the God Almighty who never lies, never changes, and demands total righteousness. Start honoring Him with your choices - what you watch, what you read, what you say, where you go.
It's an easy concept, but so hard to do. Lord, help your children to learn how to be holy. Let us honor you in ALL things!
I'm currently studying the book of Daniel (using Beth Moore's study as a guide), and today the discussion was all about holiness. It's not just Daniel, though. In my NIV bible, according to the concordance, there are no less than 150 separate occurrences of the word "holy" or "holiness." Obviously, God want us to get the idea of holiness.
The first instance of the idea of holiness comes in Genesis 2, verse 3. The principle of first instance states that the first time something occurs in scripture, there is something important to gleam from it. This verse is:
And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
The Hebrew word is is "qadash," meaning "to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate" (according to the KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon.
In this instance, the idea of holiness, applied to the seventh day, implied a separation apart from the other 6 days. It was to be a day of rest from work, and (later in the OT) a day dedicated to the worship of God Almighty. After this first mention, over 150 times, God proclaims His holiness, demands that we be holy, or consecrates things, days, or feasts as holy to Him. They belong to Him. They are for Him alone.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states that,
"In primitive Semitic usage "holiness" seems to have expressed nothing more than that ceremonial separation of an object from common use which the modern study of savage religions has rendered familiar under the name of taboo (W.R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, Lect iv). But within the Biblical sphere, with which alone we are immediately concerned, holiness attaches itself first of all, not to visible objects, but to the invisible Yahweh, and to places, seasons, things and human beings only in so far as they are associated with Him. And while the idea of ceremonial holiness runs through the Old Testament, the ethical significance which Christianity attributes to the term is never wholly absent, and gradually rises in the course of the revelation into more emphatic prominence."
In Daniel 5, Belshazzar desecrated the holy items taken from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and used them as part of a drunken orgy, toasting his false gods with them. That very night, God broke the great Babylonian Empire. Beth talked about the idea that the enemy wants nothing less than to make holy things unholy.
Followers of Christ are made holy through Christ. God says over and over again that we have been set apart from this world - "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds" (Romans 12:2). We are the vessels that He inhabits on this earth - no longer the temple or the ark, but in us, His children. (See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.")
We are to act in ways that honor Him. We should never be used to honor anything other than God. Selfishness - honoring ourselves - is wrong. Sexual Immorality - honoring pleasure and immediacy - is wrong. Pride - honoring ourselves above all - is wrong. Any time that we act in a way that honors any one or thing other than God, we are acting unholy. We are not acting like those picked up and stamped by the Living God.
Holiness turns out to be in some ways a fairly simple concept. Act, think, speak in such a way that God is honored, and no other. In this, you show yourself to be His, not part of this society or this world, but a citizen of His realm. You are anointed as His when the Spirit lives within you and fills you up with Himself. You are reserved for Him for eternity.
Be holy. Stop acting like a fool of this world. Stop honoring yourself and your desires. Start bowing before your LORD, the God Almighty who never lies, never changes, and demands total righteousness. Start honoring Him with your choices - what you watch, what you read, what you say, where you go.
It's an easy concept, but so hard to do. Lord, help your children to learn how to be holy. Let us honor you in ALL things!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Unfailing love
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us
He who made the stars in heaven,
Who shaped each flower, gave it scent
Who sets up kings and removes them
The LORD Almighty is His name
His love, an everlasting love
It changes not, no matter what
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us
He’s not a man, that He should lie
Nor son of man, changing His mind
He is the Everlasting God!
He holds us in His mighty hands
His grip secure, never lets go
We cannot be removed from them
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us
We may not feel His hands on us
We may not hear Him whispering
Yet we know: He never leaves us
Neither life nor death can change it
Nothing on earth or in heaven
Can separate us from His love
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us!
{Please do not copy or repost without my permission.}
I wrote this tonight while meditating on God's great love. My bible study tonight ended with Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither life nor death, nor 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."
I have always loved these two verses because if there is one thing I long for, it is security. Human security fails - relationships end, loved ones die, people move on - but God's love is completely, totally unfailing.
The other verses that came to mind while writing this were:
Hebrews 3:18 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Psalm 36:7 - "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
All of Job 38 (God speaks of His creative acts.)
Daniel 2:20-21 - "Praise be to the name of God forever and ever: wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."
Numbers 23:19 - "God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?"
Isaiah 40:28 - "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."
John 10:27-29 - "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."
Deuteronomy 31:6-8 - "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."
Dear friends, remember that God's love is not human love. It is not petty. It is not conditional. It does not depend on you "deserving" it. He does not revoke it when you screw up. His love for you endures through the world's messes, your worst moments, and even utter rejection. Scripture says that God does not want any to perish, but for all to come to salvation. Even if you reject Him, He still loves you. And when life is hard, or even downright unbearable, know that His love can never be taken from you. Nothing in all creation can separate you from His love. All you have to do is receive it!
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us
He who made the stars in heaven,
Who shaped each flower, gave it scent
Who sets up kings and removes them
The LORD Almighty is His name
His love, an everlasting love
It changes not, no matter what
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us
He’s not a man, that He should lie
Nor son of man, changing His mind
He is the Everlasting God!
He holds us in His mighty hands
His grip secure, never lets go
We cannot be removed from them
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us
We may not feel His hands on us
We may not hear Him whispering
Yet we know: He never leaves us
Neither life nor death can change it
Nothing on earth or in heaven
Can separate us from His love
Never failing, never ending
Unmovable, unshakeable
This is the Father’s love for us!
{Please do not copy or repost without my permission.}
I wrote this tonight while meditating on God's great love. My bible study tonight ended with Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither life nor death, nor 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."
I have always loved these two verses because if there is one thing I long for, it is security. Human security fails - relationships end, loved ones die, people move on - but God's love is completely, totally unfailing.
The other verses that came to mind while writing this were:
Hebrews 3:18 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Psalm 36:7 - "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
All of Job 38 (God speaks of His creative acts.)
Daniel 2:20-21 - "Praise be to the name of God forever and ever: wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."
Numbers 23:19 - "God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?"
Isaiah 40:28 - "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."
John 10:27-29 - "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."
Deuteronomy 31:6-8 - "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."
Dear friends, remember that God's love is not human love. It is not petty. It is not conditional. It does not depend on you "deserving" it. He does not revoke it when you screw up. His love for you endures through the world's messes, your worst moments, and even utter rejection. Scripture says that God does not want any to perish, but for all to come to salvation. Even if you reject Him, He still loves you. And when life is hard, or even downright unbearable, know that His love can never be taken from you. Nothing in all creation can separate you from His love. All you have to do is receive it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
SSMT #4
It's the 15th of the month, which means it's the Living Proof Siesta Scripture Memory Team time!
I must confess, I struggled all day with wondering what God would have me commit to memory. This is partly due to the fact that - again, I must confess and repent for - I had not been in scripture much the last few days. I can blame it on feeling poorly or spending time with my fiancee, but the truth is that I was being selfish and was rebelling against God. At least this time I recognized it within 4 days, and not four months!
Anyway, I was really struggling and didn't want to "just pick a verse" to study. I want the 24 verses I commit to memory to have special meaning for me. Numbers 23:19 was a reminder that God can be trusted, absolutely and completely, so everything else I memorize is trustworthy and true. Daniel 3:17-18 was a reminder that I must choose to serve and trust God even if my circumstances change, even if He does not choose to save me from a situation. Isaiah 43:19 was an expression of what God is doing with me this last year and a half - a new thing. We are being transformed into the likeness of Christ if we are growing spiritually. I need to be new! And God is taking me down new paths relationally, professionally, and emotionally.
So I wanted this fourth verse to be meaningful. Then, right around 9 o'clock, as usual, my upstairs neighbors began their nightly routine of pounding, banging, screaming, running, and otherwise shredding my nerves. As I fought the urge (and, at times, lost) to yell at the ceiling in protest, I came across Psalm 4:4.
"In your anger do not sin: when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." ~Psalm 4:4
There you have it. Like a little megaphone in my ear: "Listen up, stupid; the best thing you can do is search your own heart and be silent. Trust me, kiddo, you have plenty to repent of in your own heart and plenty to work on. In your anger and frustration, do not sin."
It's not that feeling frustration or anger is, in itself, a sin. We could have lots of debates about whether God thinks it's right to be upset about things, but I think we'd be going in circles most of the time. The point is, God recognizes that we might get angry. We might get frustrated. After all, he created us with complex emotional responses. He's not shocked that we get upset. But feeling emotion and acting on it are two very different things.
In fact, God has a lot to say about how we should act when we are feeling less than pleased:
Numbers 14:18 - "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion." - God is slow to anger. Believe me, if He were quick, the world would probably not be here!
Psalm 37:8 - "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil." - This is in the context of fretting over evildoers. You should not worry or get angry when you see the unrighteous prospering. God promises to deal with them. You should not give in to anger, for that leads only to evil.
Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle anger turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Kinda speaks for itself, no?
Proverbs 29:11 - "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." - Again, I don't think this means that you will never "feel" angry or upset, but that you should exert self-control in light of those feelings. You can choose not to act on those feelings.
Provers 29:22 - "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man commits many sins."
Ephesians 4:26 - "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." - Holding on to anger - even anger that is directed toward legitimate injustices - can give way to bitterness. To self-pity. To arrogance. To the shifting of your focus from feeling anger to acting on bitterness and wrath. Therefore, we should not hold on to that anger and give the devil a way into our heart. We need to let it go and to forgive.
James 1:19-20 - "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
We all need to be slow to anger, as God is slow to anger. I know that I get frustrated easily, and I struggle in this area. I think, though, that as we continue to practice self-control, forgiveness, and being slow to anger, Christ will transform us. As He transforms us into His likeness, I have the feeling that anger, especially over little things, will be a more rare thing in our lives.
Jesus, help me to be slow to anger like you are. Help me to focus on the areas where I need to repent rather than focus on other people's areas. Help me to exert self-control. And ultimately, help me to remember that you are ultimately in control. You alone will pass judgment, and you alone will punish those who do evil in this world. Transform my mind and my heart. You say that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Overflow my heart with your love, my God, that I might speak love and grace to those around me. Thank you, Jesus!
I must confess, I struggled all day with wondering what God would have me commit to memory. This is partly due to the fact that - again, I must confess and repent for - I had not been in scripture much the last few days. I can blame it on feeling poorly or spending time with my fiancee, but the truth is that I was being selfish and was rebelling against God. At least this time I recognized it within 4 days, and not four months!
Anyway, I was really struggling and didn't want to "just pick a verse" to study. I want the 24 verses I commit to memory to have special meaning for me. Numbers 23:19 was a reminder that God can be trusted, absolutely and completely, so everything else I memorize is trustworthy and true. Daniel 3:17-18 was a reminder that I must choose to serve and trust God even if my circumstances change, even if He does not choose to save me from a situation. Isaiah 43:19 was an expression of what God is doing with me this last year and a half - a new thing. We are being transformed into the likeness of Christ if we are growing spiritually. I need to be new! And God is taking me down new paths relationally, professionally, and emotionally.
So I wanted this fourth verse to be meaningful. Then, right around 9 o'clock, as usual, my upstairs neighbors began their nightly routine of pounding, banging, screaming, running, and otherwise shredding my nerves. As I fought the urge (and, at times, lost) to yell at the ceiling in protest, I came across Psalm 4:4.
"In your anger do not sin: when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." ~Psalm 4:4
There you have it. Like a little megaphone in my ear: "Listen up, stupid; the best thing you can do is search your own heart and be silent. Trust me, kiddo, you have plenty to repent of in your own heart and plenty to work on. In your anger and frustration, do not sin."
It's not that feeling frustration or anger is, in itself, a sin. We could have lots of debates about whether God thinks it's right to be upset about things, but I think we'd be going in circles most of the time. The point is, God recognizes that we might get angry. We might get frustrated. After all, he created us with complex emotional responses. He's not shocked that we get upset. But feeling emotion and acting on it are two very different things.
In fact, God has a lot to say about how we should act when we are feeling less than pleased:
Numbers 14:18 - "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion." - God is slow to anger. Believe me, if He were quick, the world would probably not be here!
Psalm 37:8 - "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil." - This is in the context of fretting over evildoers. You should not worry or get angry when you see the unrighteous prospering. God promises to deal with them. You should not give in to anger, for that leads only to evil.
Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle anger turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Kinda speaks for itself, no?
Proverbs 29:11 - "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." - Again, I don't think this means that you will never "feel" angry or upset, but that you should exert self-control in light of those feelings. You can choose not to act on those feelings.
Provers 29:22 - "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man commits many sins."
Ephesians 4:26 - "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." - Holding on to anger - even anger that is directed toward legitimate injustices - can give way to bitterness. To self-pity. To arrogance. To the shifting of your focus from feeling anger to acting on bitterness and wrath. Therefore, we should not hold on to that anger and give the devil a way into our heart. We need to let it go and to forgive.
James 1:19-20 - "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
We all need to be slow to anger, as God is slow to anger. I know that I get frustrated easily, and I struggle in this area. I think, though, that as we continue to practice self-control, forgiveness, and being slow to anger, Christ will transform us. As He transforms us into His likeness, I have the feeling that anger, especially over little things, will be a more rare thing in our lives.
Jesus, help me to be slow to anger like you are. Help me to focus on the areas where I need to repent rather than focus on other people's areas. Help me to exert self-control. And ultimately, help me to remember that you are ultimately in control. You alone will pass judgment, and you alone will punish those who do evil in this world. Transform my mind and my heart. You say that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Overflow my heart with your love, my God, that I might speak love and grace to those around me. Thank you, Jesus!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song.
This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.
For every sin on Him was laid; here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave HE ROSE AGAIN!
And as He stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me!
For I am HIS and HE is mine; bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me.
From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no schemes of man can ever pluck me from HIS hand.
Til HE returns or calls me home, hear in the power of Christ I stand.
(by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty)
I've been thinking a lot tonight. That's not always a good thing. But tonight it's been about Christ. I was reminded of God's command to boast only of Him while reading, of all things, Daniel 2.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream and commanded the wise men of Babylon to both tell him what was in the dream & interpret it... or be executed. So Daniel and his friends pray all night for revelation from God. When HE gives it, they break out in praise to Him as the revealer of mysteries. Daniel goes to the king, tells him the dream and interprets it. Afterward, Nebuchadnezzar also praises God as the God of gods, Lord of kings.
As I was meditating on the praise of Daniel and ole' Nebu, I remembered two commands about boasting:
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. ~Jeremiah 9:23-24
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." ~1 Corinthians 1:27-31
For a long time, I didn't really understand it. I certainly get the implication that I'm foolish. That, I heartily agree with! But what does it mean to boast of Christ? Why would I do that?
I think I'm beginning to understand. The more I learn about God, about who He is, the more I realize how hopeless I am without Him. Just a few words to describe the God of Heaven:
*holy
*awesome
*all-powerful
*righteous
*just
*merciful
*kind
*love
*judging
*truth
*life
*all-knowing
And what am I? Unholy. Completely weak. Not in any way righteous - even when I do righteous acts, are my motivations righteous? Not on my own. Unjust. Unmerciful. Unkind. Unloving. Judgmental (unfairly so). Confused. Dead. Knowing nothing.
And yet, look at what God has done - for me, of all people:
1. He, who created the entire universe with just the power of HIS word (Genesis 1:1-31, John 1:1-14), gave up the rights of being God and confined himself to the body of a tiny baby growing in a woman's womb (Philippians 2:5-8, Luke 2).
2. He spent thirty-odd years on this earth enduring everything we do (Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 4:1-11), only to be unjustly executed. In that death on that Roman torture device, He had laid on Him every sin of every person who ever will have walked the face of this earth (Romans 5:6-8, John 3:16, Philippians 2). He was cut off from the Father, condemned, abandoned, rejected (Matthew 27:46, 69-75).
3. And then - oh the glory of it! - He conquered death. HE LIVES!! (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:26, 55; Revelation 1:18, Revelation 21:4, John 11:25, Acts 4:33, Romans 1:4, Job 19:25, Luke 24, Matthew 28, etc.)
4. Romans says that through Adam, sin came to all men, but through Christ, life comes to all who receive Him! (Romans 5:12-21) He serves as our intermediary, granting us access to Himself, to the Creator God (Hebrews 7:11-28, Ephesians 3:12).
5. He gives to us (Matthew 7:-12. He answers our prayers (Psalm 102:19-20). He listens. He cries with us.
6. He loves us (John 3:16, and the rest of the Bible!).
7. He saves us (Psalm 18:27, Psalm 91:3, Isaiah 38:20, Ezekiel 34:22, Daniel 3:17, Zephaniah 3:17, Zechariah 8:7, Matthew 1:21, Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 1 Timothy 1:1, John 10:9, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:13, 1 Corinthians 15:2, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:8, Titus 3:5, 2 Peter 3:9).
8. He gives us abundant life (John 10:10).
9. He prepares a home for us. He prepares His kindgom that will never be destroyed. (John 14:1-7, Revelation 21)
10. He has plans for us - plans to prosper and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).
11. He will NEVER let go of those who are His (Romans 8:28-38, John 10:28)
Glorious, wonderful, awesome God!
How can we not but boast of Christ? How can we not be awed by this?
Oh, Lord, help me to never boast save in you. You are the one who gives life. You are the one who gives peace. You are the one who gave me the energy to teach today when my body had none. You alone got me through this day. Let me boast only in you and the salvation of Christ.
For it is truly in CHRIST ALONE that we have hope and are saved. Glory be!
This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.
For every sin on Him was laid; here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave HE ROSE AGAIN!
And as He stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me!
For I am HIS and HE is mine; bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me.
From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no schemes of man can ever pluck me from HIS hand.
Til HE returns or calls me home, hear in the power of Christ I stand.
(by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty)
I've been thinking a lot tonight. That's not always a good thing. But tonight it's been about Christ. I was reminded of God's command to boast only of Him while reading, of all things, Daniel 2.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream and commanded the wise men of Babylon to both tell him what was in the dream & interpret it... or be executed. So Daniel and his friends pray all night for revelation from God. When HE gives it, they break out in praise to Him as the revealer of mysteries. Daniel goes to the king, tells him the dream and interprets it. Afterward, Nebuchadnezzar also praises God as the God of gods, Lord of kings.
As I was meditating on the praise of Daniel and ole' Nebu, I remembered two commands about boasting:
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. ~Jeremiah 9:23-24
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." ~1 Corinthians 1:27-31
For a long time, I didn't really understand it. I certainly get the implication that I'm foolish. That, I heartily agree with! But what does it mean to boast of Christ? Why would I do that?
I think I'm beginning to understand. The more I learn about God, about who He is, the more I realize how hopeless I am without Him. Just a few words to describe the God of Heaven:
*holy
*awesome
*all-powerful
*righteous
*just
*merciful
*kind
*love
*judging
*truth
*life
*all-knowing
And what am I? Unholy. Completely weak. Not in any way righteous - even when I do righteous acts, are my motivations righteous? Not on my own. Unjust. Unmerciful. Unkind. Unloving. Judgmental (unfairly so). Confused. Dead. Knowing nothing.
And yet, look at what God has done - for me, of all people:
1. He, who created the entire universe with just the power of HIS word (Genesis 1:1-31, John 1:1-14), gave up the rights of being God and confined himself to the body of a tiny baby growing in a woman's womb (Philippians 2:5-8, Luke 2).
2. He spent thirty-odd years on this earth enduring everything we do (Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 4:1-11), only to be unjustly executed. In that death on that Roman torture device, He had laid on Him every sin of every person who ever will have walked the face of this earth (Romans 5:6-8, John 3:16, Philippians 2). He was cut off from the Father, condemned, abandoned, rejected (Matthew 27:46, 69-75).
3. And then - oh the glory of it! - He conquered death. HE LIVES!! (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:26, 55; Revelation 1:18, Revelation 21:4, John 11:25, Acts 4:33, Romans 1:4, Job 19:25, Luke 24, Matthew 28, etc.)
4. Romans says that through Adam, sin came to all men, but through Christ, life comes to all who receive Him! (Romans 5:12-21) He serves as our intermediary, granting us access to Himself, to the Creator God (Hebrews 7:11-28, Ephesians 3:12).
5. He gives to us (Matthew 7:-12. He answers our prayers (Psalm 102:19-20). He listens. He cries with us.
6. He loves us (John 3:16, and the rest of the Bible!).
7. He saves us (Psalm 18:27, Psalm 91:3, Isaiah 38:20, Ezekiel 34:22, Daniel 3:17, Zephaniah 3:17, Zechariah 8:7, Matthew 1:21, Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 1 Timothy 1:1, John 10:9, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:13, 1 Corinthians 15:2, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:8, Titus 3:5, 2 Peter 3:9).
8. He gives us abundant life (John 10:10).
9. He prepares a home for us. He prepares His kindgom that will never be destroyed. (John 14:1-7, Revelation 21)
10. He has plans for us - plans to prosper and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).
11. He will NEVER let go of those who are His (Romans 8:28-38, John 10:28)
Glorious, wonderful, awesome God!
How can we not but boast of Christ? How can we not be awed by this?
Oh, Lord, help me to never boast save in you. You are the one who gives life. You are the one who gives peace. You are the one who gave me the energy to teach today when my body had none. You alone got me through this day. Let me boast only in you and the salvation of Christ.
For it is truly in CHRIST ALONE that we have hope and are saved. Glory be!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
SSMT #3
I thought I'd share my third verse to memorize this year on the Living Proof Ministries Blog. My first two were these.
God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? ~Numbers 23:19
Even if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us and will deliver us from your hand, o king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, o king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ~Daniel 3:17-18
The first was a reminder to me that God is not a man. He won't deceive me, let me down, lie to me, or do any other despicable human trait. He is faithful, so His word is, too. The second was a reminder that God is able to save us from trouble, but I need to be willing to serve Him alone even if He does not save me. Many put it this way: sometimes God walks you through the fire rather than pull you out of it altogether.
This next verse also is special to me, because I think it sums up my entire life the last few years, and what's to come.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:19
So many new things God has been doing in my life and my heart:
1. Showed me so much about Himself through my read through the entire Bible.
2. Has sparked a real hunger for Him that I've never known before
3. Brought me to Scott and is preparing me to be the wife that He desires me to be
4. Leading me to new career paths (though some are, as of yet, still unknown)
I am somewhat awed by the fact that Elohim, the Creator God, who never changes, still does new things. New things in us. New things for us. New things with us. Scripture also says that His mercies are new every morning.
Lord, let me never forget to look for the new thing you are doing in me!
God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? ~Numbers 23:19
Even if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us and will deliver us from your hand, o king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, o king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ~Daniel 3:17-18
The first was a reminder to me that God is not a man. He won't deceive me, let me down, lie to me, or do any other despicable human trait. He is faithful, so His word is, too. The second was a reminder that God is able to save us from trouble, but I need to be willing to serve Him alone even if He does not save me. Many put it this way: sometimes God walks you through the fire rather than pull you out of it altogether.
This next verse also is special to me, because I think it sums up my entire life the last few years, and what's to come.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:19
So many new things God has been doing in my life and my heart:
1. Showed me so much about Himself through my read through the entire Bible.
2. Has sparked a real hunger for Him that I've never known before
3. Brought me to Scott and is preparing me to be the wife that He desires me to be
4. Leading me to new career paths (though some are, as of yet, still unknown)
I am somewhat awed by the fact that Elohim, the Creator God, who never changes, still does new things. New things in us. New things for us. New things with us. Scripture also says that His mercies are new every morning.
Lord, let me never forget to look for the new thing you are doing in me!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Minds and Hearts
Something has been happening to me lately. I think it's the beginning of transformation. Not physically (though I hope that can change soon), but mentally and spiritually.
Paul told the Romans, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1) [I don't know why, but I always remember this verse in NKJ translation. I can't say it any other way!]
I have always had trouble understanding transformation. How does it happen? What part do you have in it?
I think it's finally gotten through my thick skull - at least, one part of it, I think. The key, it seems to me, is found not in Romans but elsewhere, in verses like these:
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. ~Luke 6:45
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. ~Philippians 4:8
In the Greek, the word translated "overflow" is perisseuma - which can mean the abundance in which one delights.
This year, I have made some changes in my daily life. For one, I don't have cable tv any more. It was initially a financial decision, but the longer I'm without it, the less I miss it. While I still have movies and sometimes watch something online, I've spent far more time thinking about "things above." Between my own bible study and listening to men and women who teach the Word, I have found quite a bit of time to sit at God's feet, despite all the business of life.
I wouldn't say that I always make the time, or that I always do what I should. But I can sense a transformation. It's transforming what I care about. My priorities have shifted dramatically this year. It's transforming what I think about. It's (very slowly) transforming my speech.
God's Word is so faithful. If we delight in His word, He will bring transformation. His word does not return back void.
So I think I'm beginning to get it. We think on things that are true, noble, praiseworthy, admirable, excellent, things of God. And out of that, out of that abundance in which we delight, will come that which will please the Lord.
What is it that you delight in? What is it that you take in "in abundance," so that it's left over at the end of the day? What is the overflow that's in your heart?
Oh, Father, lead us to you that the overflow of our hearts would speak only of you!
Paul told the Romans, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1) [I don't know why, but I always remember this verse in NKJ translation. I can't say it any other way!]
I have always had trouble understanding transformation. How does it happen? What part do you have in it?
I think it's finally gotten through my thick skull - at least, one part of it, I think. The key, it seems to me, is found not in Romans but elsewhere, in verses like these:
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. ~Luke 6:45
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. ~Philippians 4:8
In the Greek, the word translated "overflow" is perisseuma - which can mean the abundance in which one delights.
This year, I have made some changes in my daily life. For one, I don't have cable tv any more. It was initially a financial decision, but the longer I'm without it, the less I miss it. While I still have movies and sometimes watch something online, I've spent far more time thinking about "things above." Between my own bible study and listening to men and women who teach the Word, I have found quite a bit of time to sit at God's feet, despite all the business of life.
I wouldn't say that I always make the time, or that I always do what I should. But I can sense a transformation. It's transforming what I care about. My priorities have shifted dramatically this year. It's transforming what I think about. It's (very slowly) transforming my speech.
God's Word is so faithful. If we delight in His word, He will bring transformation. His word does not return back void.
So I think I'm beginning to get it. We think on things that are true, noble, praiseworthy, admirable, excellent, things of God. And out of that, out of that abundance in which we delight, will come that which will please the Lord.
What is it that you delight in? What is it that you take in "in abundance," so that it's left over at the end of the day? What is the overflow that's in your heart?
Oh, Father, lead us to you that the overflow of our hearts would speak only of you!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fellowship
Fellowship. An idea that has been on my mind a lot this week.
Thousands of us around the world are still praying for Joanne because the swelling in her brain is at a dangerous and critical level. We are praying God moves miraculously in her body that we might glorify Him alone in this.
My fiancee and I are starting to look for a church home so that we have a place to serve once we're married and I move down here. This week was our second church in two weeks. The pastor at today's church taught on Acts 2:41-47. The early church devoted themselves "to the apostle's teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer."
The word "fellowship" is the Greek word Koinonia, which, according to the New Testament Greek Lexicon, means:
Koinonia: fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse
1. the share which one has in anything, participation
2. intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
3. the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
4. a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship
I love that the original word implies intimacy - when we fellowship, we should be intimate with each other, with our Lord. It is an act that only occurs within community, and there should be mutual giving and benefits.
The pastor today reminded us that we typically think of fellowship as a horizontal relationship - something that occurs between Christians, but that it cannot be separated from our vertical relationship with Christ. The relationship with Christ - the study of the apostle's doctrine - is what creates the human relationships.
That hit home, because all too often I have lamented the quality of "fellowship," feeling it was little more than superficial socialization. But it doesn't have to be - not if we root our fellowship in Christ. If He is the reason for our meeting, the reason for our speaking, the reason for our rejoicing and boasting to each other, we attain true fellowship.
I have been experiencing fellowship in new ways lately - with my fiancee, on the LPM online community, at my current home church, and hopefully soon at a church down here where my fiancee lives. I'm reminded that fellowship isn't supposed to be about what "they" can do for "me," but how "we" can glorify God and support each other together.
May God bless our koinonia and show us how to serve Him through our relationships.
Thousands of us around the world are still praying for Joanne because the swelling in her brain is at a dangerous and critical level. We are praying God moves miraculously in her body that we might glorify Him alone in this.
My fiancee and I are starting to look for a church home so that we have a place to serve once we're married and I move down here. This week was our second church in two weeks. The pastor at today's church taught on Acts 2:41-47. The early church devoted themselves "to the apostle's teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer."
The word "fellowship" is the Greek word Koinonia, which, according to the New Testament Greek Lexicon, means:
Koinonia: fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse
1. the share which one has in anything, participation
2. intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
3. the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
4. a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship
I love that the original word implies intimacy - when we fellowship, we should be intimate with each other, with our Lord. It is an act that only occurs within community, and there should be mutual giving and benefits.
The pastor today reminded us that we typically think of fellowship as a horizontal relationship - something that occurs between Christians, but that it cannot be separated from our vertical relationship with Christ. The relationship with Christ - the study of the apostle's doctrine - is what creates the human relationships.
That hit home, because all too often I have lamented the quality of "fellowship," feeling it was little more than superficial socialization. But it doesn't have to be - not if we root our fellowship in Christ. If He is the reason for our meeting, the reason for our speaking, the reason for our rejoicing and boasting to each other, we attain true fellowship.
I have been experiencing fellowship in new ways lately - with my fiancee, on the LPM online community, at my current home church, and hopefully soon at a church down here where my fiancee lives. I'm reminded that fellowship isn't supposed to be about what "they" can do for "me," but how "we" can glorify God and support each other together.
May God bless our koinonia and show us how to serve Him through our relationships.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Even if...
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." ~Daniel 3: 16-18
This week, I (and thousands of others) have been praying for a godly woman named Joanne. She is a wife, a mother of two daughters, a woman's ministry leader, author, and more. She only 38 years old, and her daughter found her seizing and unresponsive. She had a massive stroke, and despite immediate treatment, surgery, and additional surgery to remove part of her skull to allow room for her brain's swelling, she is in critical condition still today. She has not woken up yet, and just this hour her husband has reported that she has a fever and her heart rate and bp are not where they should be.
Thousands of us around the world have been keeping up a prayer vigil for this dear one. Praying for total healing, for protection, for her daughters' emotional well-being, for her husband's strength and comfort, for her friends and family who are devastated this week.
God alone knows if she will make it through this. HE alone knows what her physical condition will be tonight, tomorrow, a week from now, a year from now, 10 years from now. We are praying fervently for her healing. We are claiming His promises that He will heal, that the prayers of godly men bring healing to the sick.
But my mind today keeps drifting back to Daniel. When the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, was about to throw these three Hebrews into the furnace for refusing to worship the idol he set up, their answer was this: Our God can save us. But even if He doesn't, we still will serve Him.
Even if.
God can heal. He does heal. We beg Him to heal. But even if He doesn't, we will still worship Him, serve Him, love Him.
I beg you, Lord, to bring healing and restoration to Joanne and her family. And teach all of to live according to your ways even if...
This week, I (and thousands of others) have been praying for a godly woman named Joanne. She is a wife, a mother of two daughters, a woman's ministry leader, author, and more. She only 38 years old, and her daughter found her seizing and unresponsive. She had a massive stroke, and despite immediate treatment, surgery, and additional surgery to remove part of her skull to allow room for her brain's swelling, she is in critical condition still today. She has not woken up yet, and just this hour her husband has reported that she has a fever and her heart rate and bp are not where they should be.
Thousands of us around the world have been keeping up a prayer vigil for this dear one. Praying for total healing, for protection, for her daughters' emotional well-being, for her husband's strength and comfort, for her friends and family who are devastated this week.
God alone knows if she will make it through this. HE alone knows what her physical condition will be tonight, tomorrow, a week from now, a year from now, 10 years from now. We are praying fervently for her healing. We are claiming His promises that He will heal, that the prayers of godly men bring healing to the sick.
But my mind today keeps drifting back to Daniel. When the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, was about to throw these three Hebrews into the furnace for refusing to worship the idol he set up, their answer was this: Our God can save us. But even if He doesn't, we still will serve Him.
Even if.
God can heal. He does heal. We beg Him to heal. But even if He doesn't, we will still worship Him, serve Him, love Him.
I beg you, Lord, to bring healing and restoration to Joanne and her family. And teach all of to live according to your ways even if...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Desires
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. ~Psalm 37:1-8
Delight yourself in the Lord. Delight in God.
This verse surrounded me, enveloped me, consumed me a year and a half ago. It was a Sunday morning and I had missed church due to a major migraine. I decided to spend my time in bible study even though it was very difficult to stay upright with the pain. I hit this verse and stopped completely.
What does it mean to delight yourself in God? And what does it mean that He'll give you the desires of your heart?
The Hebrew word for "delight" here is `anag. It has a variety of possible meanings according to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon):
1. to be soft, be delicate, be dainty
2. to be delicate
3. to be of dainty habit, be pampered
4. to be happy about, take exquisite delight
5. to make merry over, make sport of
It's as if God is saying - "pamper yourself with me, make yourself merry because of me, experience total delight and joy in me, beloved!" Most of the times this word is used in the Old Testament, it is a verb - delight yourself in the Lord God. But sometimes it implies delicateness, softness, even tenderness.
The LORD - knowing Him, loving Him, accepting His love, understanding who He is and His ways - He should be our delight, our tender joy, our merriness!
How do we delight in Him? For me, delighting in the Lord began with a decision to find out who He says He is. I spent 16 months reading through the Bible and noting everything I learned about Elohim. I knew that I could only delight in Him if I knew Him - just like I can only delight in my fiancee because I spend time with him and know him more and more. It sounds trite, but perhaps it's trite because it's so true - spending time reading scripture, pondering it, studying it, praying about it - it's really the best way to get to know this Awesome God.
And when you do, you find that you can't wait to learn more, because He is so amazing. The mercy, the compassion, the righteousness, the holiness, the power, the love - all of these attributes of God are compelling. They are humbling. And they are uplifting.
I developed an almost ravenous hunger for teaching and scripture. I listened to my pastor's taped sermons as much as I could, I joined a women's bible study, I started really studying for the first time in my adult Christian life. And then a funny thing happened. I had confessed to God that I didn't understand how delighting in Him would lead to Him giving me the desires of my heart, because they were all about my human needs (or so I thought). Companionship, friendship, security, a husband, etc. I didn't get how those would be fulfilled just because I delighted in God.
But I've come to realize over this last year that getting to know God Almighty - El Shaddai - means you cannot stay the same. You cannot come face to face with the Eternal God and not be transformed. You see, the more I have come to know God, the more I delight in Him. And the more I delight in Him, the more the desires of my heart are to please Him, to know Him even better, and to live the life He has planned for me.
I'm here to tell you, my friends, that God's word never goes unfulfilled! He fulfills every single promise. For me, that fulfillment has meant a radical shift in my priorities - and my career - but it is so worth it. God is such an amazing, awe-some God. Jesus Christ is LORD!
Delight yourself in the Lord. Delight in God.
This verse surrounded me, enveloped me, consumed me a year and a half ago. It was a Sunday morning and I had missed church due to a major migraine. I decided to spend my time in bible study even though it was very difficult to stay upright with the pain. I hit this verse and stopped completely.
What does it mean to delight yourself in God? And what does it mean that He'll give you the desires of your heart?
The Hebrew word for "delight" here is `anag. It has a variety of possible meanings according to The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon):
1. to be soft, be delicate, be dainty
2. to be delicate
3. to be of dainty habit, be pampered
4. to be happy about, take exquisite delight
5. to make merry over, make sport of
It's as if God is saying - "pamper yourself with me, make yourself merry because of me, experience total delight and joy in me, beloved!" Most of the times this word is used in the Old Testament, it is a verb - delight yourself in the Lord God. But sometimes it implies delicateness, softness, even tenderness.
The LORD - knowing Him, loving Him, accepting His love, understanding who He is and His ways - He should be our delight, our tender joy, our merriness!
How do we delight in Him? For me, delighting in the Lord began with a decision to find out who He says He is. I spent 16 months reading through the Bible and noting everything I learned about Elohim. I knew that I could only delight in Him if I knew Him - just like I can only delight in my fiancee because I spend time with him and know him more and more. It sounds trite, but perhaps it's trite because it's so true - spending time reading scripture, pondering it, studying it, praying about it - it's really the best way to get to know this Awesome God.
And when you do, you find that you can't wait to learn more, because He is so amazing. The mercy, the compassion, the righteousness, the holiness, the power, the love - all of these attributes of God are compelling. They are humbling. And they are uplifting.
I developed an almost ravenous hunger for teaching and scripture. I listened to my pastor's taped sermons as much as I could, I joined a women's bible study, I started really studying for the first time in my adult Christian life. And then a funny thing happened. I had confessed to God that I didn't understand how delighting in Him would lead to Him giving me the desires of my heart, because they were all about my human needs (or so I thought). Companionship, friendship, security, a husband, etc. I didn't get how those would be fulfilled just because I delighted in God.
But I've come to realize over this last year that getting to know God Almighty - El Shaddai - means you cannot stay the same. You cannot come face to face with the Eternal God and not be transformed. You see, the more I have come to know God, the more I delight in Him. And the more I delight in Him, the more the desires of my heart are to please Him, to know Him even better, and to live the life He has planned for me.
I'm here to tell you, my friends, that God's word never goes unfulfilled! He fulfills every single promise. For me, that fulfillment has meant a radical shift in my priorities - and my career - but it is so worth it. God is such an amazing, awe-some God. Jesus Christ is LORD!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Changes, oh the changes
My life has been changing drastically over the last year and a half, and it seems only fitting that this blog does, too. The major changes in my life have been these:
1. My mom and her sister both have breast cancer. Mom has stage iv metastatic breast cancer, and she is doing well right now. Her older sister has (I think) stage II or barely stage III and is undergoing treatment but is doing well so far. Our lives will be forever changed.
2. I'm engaged to be married in June, and cannot wait. I love my fiancee, I love his family, and I am so excited about starting a new role in life as his wife. Even now, in the 3 months since he proposed, I have seen myself long to be his helper. I am just beginning to understand God's purpose in designing marriage and marital roles, and am so excited about helping my fiancee in all parts of life.
3. After my aunt's cancer diagnosis, I finally made the decision to stop the PhD. I informed my committee and the head of my department, as well as my boss at the current university. I think my advisor has disowned me, as he hasn't said one word to me in almost 7 months now. Everyone else was supportive. I truly feel that God is leading me to other paths that don't include finishing the dissertation. He kept shutting those doors and opening my heart to other desires and goals. So while I am teaching this year and have applied for a job at a community college for next year, I will no longer be a PhD candidate. I made it through comps and orals and some research, but I don't see myself ever trying to go back and finish. It just isn't my priority. All I want now is to contribute to our family's financial well-being once we're married and to take care of my soon-to-be husband and (God willing) any kids we'll have.
I'm not sure how well I'll do at keeping this up, since I seem to be bad at writing much these days, but I see this turning into something else. I really feel like I need to be talking more about the amazing God I serve and His love and instruction. So while I'll still talk about life and teaching sometimes, I'm hoping that this can become a place to consider the wonders of God's word. I just pray that God would speak through me and keep me in wisdom and understanding.
So just to start off, I'll share one of my spiritual goals this year. I have slowly been becoming part of a women's ministry called Living Proof Ministries. I've gone through two of the bible studies the ministry has put out, and they are wonderfully grounded in scripture (which makes me love them). This year, beginning January 1st, they put out a call for women to pledge to memorize 24 verses this year - two per month, on the first and 15th of each month. I immediately wanted to take part for the accountability. So here is my first verse of 2011:
"God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" ~Numbers 23:19
I was drawn to this verse partly through having read the allegory Hinds Feet on High Places over Christmas break. The Shepherd tells Much-Afraid that He is not a man, that He should lie - He would never lie to her. She responds, "Even if you did lie to me, I would still follow you." Oh, that my heart would respond in such a way - even if you did deceive me, Lord, I can do nothing but follow you. I love you and can only choose you from this point forward!
I also wanted to start my scripture journey this year with a reminder that He is truthful, faithful, and will never deceive us. How can we trust His Word if we think He is like man - lying, deceitful, sinful? One of the first steps in really delving into the Word is acknowledging in faith that God is not a man that He could lie, nor a son of man that He could change His mind. From that starting point, Scripture is a glorious, awesome, and challenging insight into the heart of God.
1. He will not deny what He has promised.
2. He will not change the rules half-way through your life.
3. He will not forsake those who love Him.
4. He will never act in a way that contradicts what He says about Himself in scripture.
Trust in this! Even if you don't trust mankind, if you have been deceived and pained and betrayed, if you have built up so many walls not even a nuclear bomb could penetrate your defenses - know that you can trust God. He is faithful!
Oh, Lord, that we might trust you and what you say in your word, and that 2011 might be the year that we as your children finally allow your Spirit to fully dwell within us and work through us to glorify your name!
1. My mom and her sister both have breast cancer. Mom has stage iv metastatic breast cancer, and she is doing well right now. Her older sister has (I think) stage II or barely stage III and is undergoing treatment but is doing well so far. Our lives will be forever changed.
2. I'm engaged to be married in June, and cannot wait. I love my fiancee, I love his family, and I am so excited about starting a new role in life as his wife. Even now, in the 3 months since he proposed, I have seen myself long to be his helper. I am just beginning to understand God's purpose in designing marriage and marital roles, and am so excited about helping my fiancee in all parts of life.
3. After my aunt's cancer diagnosis, I finally made the decision to stop the PhD. I informed my committee and the head of my department, as well as my boss at the current university. I think my advisor has disowned me, as he hasn't said one word to me in almost 7 months now. Everyone else was supportive. I truly feel that God is leading me to other paths that don't include finishing the dissertation. He kept shutting those doors and opening my heart to other desires and goals. So while I am teaching this year and have applied for a job at a community college for next year, I will no longer be a PhD candidate. I made it through comps and orals and some research, but I don't see myself ever trying to go back and finish. It just isn't my priority. All I want now is to contribute to our family's financial well-being once we're married and to take care of my soon-to-be husband and (God willing) any kids we'll have.
I'm not sure how well I'll do at keeping this up, since I seem to be bad at writing much these days, but I see this turning into something else. I really feel like I need to be talking more about the amazing God I serve and His love and instruction. So while I'll still talk about life and teaching sometimes, I'm hoping that this can become a place to consider the wonders of God's word. I just pray that God would speak through me and keep me in wisdom and understanding.
So just to start off, I'll share one of my spiritual goals this year. I have slowly been becoming part of a women's ministry called Living Proof Ministries. I've gone through two of the bible studies the ministry has put out, and they are wonderfully grounded in scripture (which makes me love them). This year, beginning January 1st, they put out a call for women to pledge to memorize 24 verses this year - two per month, on the first and 15th of each month. I immediately wanted to take part for the accountability. So here is my first verse of 2011:
"God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" ~Numbers 23:19
I was drawn to this verse partly through having read the allegory Hinds Feet on High Places over Christmas break. The Shepherd tells Much-Afraid that He is not a man, that He should lie - He would never lie to her. She responds, "Even if you did lie to me, I would still follow you." Oh, that my heart would respond in such a way - even if you did deceive me, Lord, I can do nothing but follow you. I love you and can only choose you from this point forward!
I also wanted to start my scripture journey this year with a reminder that He is truthful, faithful, and will never deceive us. How can we trust His Word if we think He is like man - lying, deceitful, sinful? One of the first steps in really delving into the Word is acknowledging in faith that God is not a man that He could lie, nor a son of man that He could change His mind. From that starting point, Scripture is a glorious, awesome, and challenging insight into the heart of God.
1. He will not deny what He has promised.
2. He will not change the rules half-way through your life.
3. He will not forsake those who love Him.
4. He will never act in a way that contradicts what He says about Himself in scripture.
Trust in this! Even if you don't trust mankind, if you have been deceived and pained and betrayed, if you have built up so many walls not even a nuclear bomb could penetrate your defenses - know that you can trust God. He is faithful!
Oh, Lord, that we might trust you and what you say in your word, and that 2011 might be the year that we as your children finally allow your Spirit to fully dwell within us and work through us to glorify your name!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Awesome God
{Oh yeah, since I haven't posted on here in forever... I'm engaged! We're to be married in my parents' church in June. I can't wait!}
So last August I decided I wanted to read through the entire Bible - verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. I have never done that before, so I figured I needed to give it a greater purpose than simply "read through the Bible." So on August 21st of last year, I decided that I would read, but as I read I would take notes on anything I found that showed me who God is - His character, His desires, His hates, etc., all with scripture references.
It took me just under 16 months to read through all 66 books while doing this special project along with it. Some of the delay came from traveling this summer and getting off track for a while, but I finished it tonight (er, last night, since it's after 1 am on Thursday now) (Wed, Dec 15), at 11:30 p.m. My final file with all of my references and notes came to 62 pages. Wow! God is truly awesome. I am in awe at the things I've found out about the God I serve through this.
So this is pretty long, but it's just a small a taste of what I've learned about this Great and Awesome, Almighty God we serve:
Old Testament Thoughts (a sampling)
Genesis: He is the creator (ch 1); He is a covenant-making God (9:9-17); He sees us (16:13)
Exodus: He hears our groanings and remembers His promises (2:24); He knows men’s hearts (9:35); He shows love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments (20:6); He provides for our atonement (30:14-16)
Leviticus: He requires atonement for sin (ch 4); He is holy, and demands that His people be holy (19:2); He demands obedience because He is the LORD, YHWH, the God of Israel (chapters 22-25)
Numbers: He guides us and makes Himself visible so we would know which way to go (the cloud, fire) (9:15-17); He is never lacking in the power to do what He says He will do (11:23); He is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, the He should change his mind (23:19)
Deuteronomy: He is a merciful God, and will not abandon, destroy, or forget us (4:31); He, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. (6:4); He is God of gods, Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes, who defends the fatherless and widow, loves the alien (10:17-18)
Joshua: He commands us to be strong and courageous because He is with us everywhere we go (1:9); He will bring judgment as well as blessings – He does not go back on His covenants (23:15-16)
Judges: He still has compassion on His people even when they suffer because of disobedience (2:18); He is faithful even when we doubt, and He gives us what we need to obey (6:36-40); He walks us through, step by step, to overcome our fear (7:10-15)
Ruth: He provides for His people (1:6)
1 Samuel: He brings death and makes alive; brings to the grave and raises up; sends poverty and wealth; humbles and exalts; raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash (2:8); He sometimes gives us what we want, even though He does not want it for us (ch 10); He does not look at the outward appearance; He looks at Man’s heart (16:7)
2 Samuel: He has done great things for the sake of His word and according to His will (7:21); He is our shield and the horn of our salvation, our stronghold, our refuge, our savior (22:3); He shows himself faithful to the faithful; blameless to the blameless; pure to the pure (22:26-27)
1 Kings: He requires that we walk in His ways, keep His decrees/commands/laws/requirements (2:3); He came not in the wind or earthquake or fire, but in the gentle whisper (19:11-12)
2 Kings: He is longsuffering, but He will punish wickedness (17:18-20); He is enthroned between cherubim, alone is God over all kingdoms of the earth (19:15)
1 Chronicles: He remembers His covenant forever, His word for a thousand generations (16:15); He searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts (28:9); He tests the heart and is pleased with integrity (29:17)
2 Chronicles: He cannot be contained by the heavens, even the highest heavens (2:6); He will hear from heaven, forgive sin, and heal the land when His people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways (7:14); He is neither unjust, partial, nor does He bribe (19:7)
Ezra: He, God, is the one who moves hearts (1:5); He gives light to our eyes and relief in our bondage (9:8); He punishes less than we deserve because of our sins (9:13)
Nehemiah: He is a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (9:17); He is just and faithful (9:33); He gives great joy (12:43)
Esther: He turns sorrow into joy and mourning into celebration (9:22)
Job: He is sovereign (1:6); He is God: to Him alone belong strength and victory (12:16); He can do all things – no plan of His can be thwarted (42:2)
Psalms: He will not abandon me to the grave, nor will He let His Holy One see decay (16:10); He is the King of glory, the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (24:7-8); He does not delight in sacrifice or burnt offerings, but in the broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart (51:16-17); His love is as great as the heavens are high above the earth; as far as east is from the west, he has removed our transgressions (103:11-12)
Proverbs: He is the source of knowledge and wisdom: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (1:7); He disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in (3:12); He detests the ways of the wicked but loves those who pursue righteousness (15:9)
Ecclesiastes: He set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (3:11); He will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidding thing, good or evil (12:14)
Song of Solomon: He is the bridegroom and He loves the bride, His people (whole book)
Isaiah: He desires that we seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the fatherless, and plead for the widow (1:17); He, the Spirit of the Lord, is the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (11:2); He, the LORD, is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom (40:28)
Jeremiah: He knew you before He formed you in the womb; before you were born He set you apart (1:5); He desires that we boast not of our own wisdom or strength or riches, but that we’d boast of our understanding and knowledge of Him, that He is the LORD who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in those He delights (9:23-24); He will never stop doing good to His people, and He will inspire them to fear Him so that they will never turn away from Him (32:40)
Lamentations: He has done what He planned; He has fulfilled His word, which He decreed long ago (2:17); He loves us – because of His great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (3:22-23)
Ezekiel: He speaks what He wills, and it shall be fulfilled without delay (12:25); He does nothing without cause (14:23); He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live (33:11)
Daniel: He is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries (2:47); He, the Ancient of Days, will pronounce judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High (7:22); He is the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands (9:4)
Hosea: He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds (6:1); He desires mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings (6:6); He is the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is His name of renown (12:5)
Joel: He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (2:13); He will pour out His Spirit on all people; Israel’s sons and daughters will prophesy, their old men will dream dreams, their young men will see visions; even on His servants, both men and women, He will pour out His Spirit in those days (2:28-29)
Amos: He will judge sin (all of ch 1); He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land – the LORD is His name (5:8)
Obadiah: He punishes those who attack Israel but will deliver Israel (1-17)
Jonah: He answers our calls and listens to our cries (2:2); He sees when we turn from our evil ways and has compassion upon us (3:10)
Micah: He has shown you, o man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you: to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (6:8); He alone is God: who is like Him, who pardons sins and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance; He does not stay angry forever but delights to show mercy (7:18)
Nahum: He is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath (1:2); He is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished (1:3)
Habakkuk: He, the LORD, is from everlasting, the Holy One (1:12); His eyes are too pure to look on evil; He cannot tolerate wrong (1:13); He is the Sovereign LORD – He is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights (3:19)
Zephaniah: He, the LORD, is righteous – He does no wrong. Morning by morning He dispenses His justice, and every new day He does not fail (3:5); He, the LORD your God, is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (3:17)
Haggai: He shakes the heavens and earth, the sea and dry land, and all the nations and fills His house with glory (2:7)
Zechariah: He is determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah (8:15); He refines His children in the fire like silver and tests them like gold; they will call on His name and He will answer them; He will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘the LORD is our God.’ (13:9)
Malachi: He has loved you (1:2); He, the LORD, does not change (3:6); He will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it (3:10)
New Testament Thoughts (a sampling)
Matthew: He is victorious over the devil (ch 4); He knows our needs and provides for them (6:8, 25-31); He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (16:16); He is not willing that even one be lost (18:13); He is RISEN! (28:6)
Mark: He, Jesus, is the Son of God (1:1); He came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (10:45); He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, the Son of Man who sits at the right hand of the Mighty One, who will come on the clouds of heaven (14:61-62)
Luke: He has come and has redeemed His people (1:68); He, Jesus, was annointed to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, as Isaiah predicted (4:18-21); He forgave even his executioners (23:34)
John: He was in the beginning and made all things (1:1-3); He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (1:29); He grants eternal life, not condemnation, for all who hear His word and belive (5:23); He, the Son, set us free, and we are free indeed! (8:36)
Acts: He cannot be contained by death (2:24); He will not let His Holy One see decay (2:27); He does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right (10:34-35)
Romans: His gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (1:16); He presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished (3:25); His kingdom is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (14:17)
1 Corinthians: He chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, the weak things of the world to shame the strong, the lowly things and despised things and things that are not to nullify the things that are so that none may boast before Him (1:27-29); He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts (4:5); He is not a God of disorder, but of peace (14:33)
2 Corinthians: He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles (1:3-4); He made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (5:21)
Galatians: He, Christ, redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (3:14); In Him, Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (5:6)
Ephesians: He marked us in Him (when we believed) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory (1:13-14); He is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations (2:14-15)
Philippians: He, Christ, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likelness (2:6-7); He, Christ, humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross (2:8)
Colossians: He is pleased when we bear fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of Him, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so we may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light (1:10-12); He, Christ, is your life, and when He appears, you will also appear with Him in glory (3:4)
1 Thessalonians: He, Jesus, rescues us from the coming wrath (1:10); His will is that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him (4:3-6)
2 Thessalonians: He, Jesus, will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels (1:7); He is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (3:3)
1 Timothy: He is our Savior and our hope (1:1); He is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God (1:17)
2 Timothy: He, Christ, destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (1:10); He will judge the living and the dead (4:1)
Titus: He does not lie (1:2); He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy (3:5)
Philemon: the only book that says little directly about God, other than He desires that we treat each other in love, whether free or slave, wronged or not.
Hebrews: He, Christ, is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word (1:3); His word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (4:12); He is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised inheritance – now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant (9:15)
James: He is the source of every good and perfect gift, and is the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (1:17); His coming is near (5:8)
1 Peter: His word stands forever (1:25); He is the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (2:25)
2 Peter: He did not spare angels when they sinned; He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood; He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men – He knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment (2:4-9)
1 John: He, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, speaks to the Father in our defense (2:1); He is love (4:8)
2 John: He desires that we love one another!
3 John: He desires that His followers do what is good (1:11)
Jude: He is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (1:25)
Revelation: He is the First and the Last; He is the Living One; He was dead, and behold He is alive for ever and ever, and He holds the keys of death and Hades (1:17-18); His words are holy and true, and He holds the key of David – what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open (3:7); He is worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because He was slain, and with His blood He purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. He has made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. (5:9-10); He speaks and out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations; He will rule them with an iron sceptor, and He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty (19:15); He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; to him who is thirsty He will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life (21:6); He is coming soon! (22:7); He is the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star (22:16)
This is just a small taste of what I've seen over the last 16 months. What a truly awesome, wonderful, fearsome, powerful God we serve. He deserves all glory and praise and honor and love.
So last August I decided I wanted to read through the entire Bible - verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. I have never done that before, so I figured I needed to give it a greater purpose than simply "read through the Bible." So on August 21st of last year, I decided that I would read, but as I read I would take notes on anything I found that showed me who God is - His character, His desires, His hates, etc., all with scripture references.
It took me just under 16 months to read through all 66 books while doing this special project along with it. Some of the delay came from traveling this summer and getting off track for a while, but I finished it tonight (er, last night, since it's after 1 am on Thursday now) (Wed, Dec 15), at 11:30 p.m. My final file with all of my references and notes came to 62 pages. Wow! God is truly awesome. I am in awe at the things I've found out about the God I serve through this.
So this is pretty long, but it's just a small a taste of what I've learned about this Great and Awesome, Almighty God we serve:
Old Testament Thoughts (a sampling)
Genesis: He is the creator (ch 1); He is a covenant-making God (9:9-17); He sees us (16:13)
Exodus: He hears our groanings and remembers His promises (2:24); He knows men’s hearts (9:35); He shows love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments (20:6); He provides for our atonement (30:14-16)
Leviticus: He requires atonement for sin (ch 4); He is holy, and demands that His people be holy (19:2); He demands obedience because He is the LORD, YHWH, the God of Israel (chapters 22-25)
Numbers: He guides us and makes Himself visible so we would know which way to go (the cloud, fire) (9:15-17); He is never lacking in the power to do what He says He will do (11:23); He is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, the He should change his mind (23:19)
Deuteronomy: He is a merciful God, and will not abandon, destroy, or forget us (4:31); He, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. (6:4); He is God of gods, Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes, who defends the fatherless and widow, loves the alien (10:17-18)
Joshua: He commands us to be strong and courageous because He is with us everywhere we go (1:9); He will bring judgment as well as blessings – He does not go back on His covenants (23:15-16)
Judges: He still has compassion on His people even when they suffer because of disobedience (2:18); He is faithful even when we doubt, and He gives us what we need to obey (6:36-40); He walks us through, step by step, to overcome our fear (7:10-15)
Ruth: He provides for His people (1:6)
1 Samuel: He brings death and makes alive; brings to the grave and raises up; sends poverty and wealth; humbles and exalts; raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash (2:8); He sometimes gives us what we want, even though He does not want it for us (ch 10); He does not look at the outward appearance; He looks at Man’s heart (16:7)
2 Samuel: He has done great things for the sake of His word and according to His will (7:21); He is our shield and the horn of our salvation, our stronghold, our refuge, our savior (22:3); He shows himself faithful to the faithful; blameless to the blameless; pure to the pure (22:26-27)
1 Kings: He requires that we walk in His ways, keep His decrees/commands/laws/requirements (2:3); He came not in the wind or earthquake or fire, but in the gentle whisper (19:11-12)
2 Kings: He is longsuffering, but He will punish wickedness (17:18-20); He is enthroned between cherubim, alone is God over all kingdoms of the earth (19:15)
1 Chronicles: He remembers His covenant forever, His word for a thousand generations (16:15); He searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts (28:9); He tests the heart and is pleased with integrity (29:17)
2 Chronicles: He cannot be contained by the heavens, even the highest heavens (2:6); He will hear from heaven, forgive sin, and heal the land when His people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways (7:14); He is neither unjust, partial, nor does He bribe (19:7)
Ezra: He, God, is the one who moves hearts (1:5); He gives light to our eyes and relief in our bondage (9:8); He punishes less than we deserve because of our sins (9:13)
Nehemiah: He is a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (9:17); He is just and faithful (9:33); He gives great joy (12:43)
Esther: He turns sorrow into joy and mourning into celebration (9:22)
Job: He is sovereign (1:6); He is God: to Him alone belong strength and victory (12:16); He can do all things – no plan of His can be thwarted (42:2)
Psalms: He will not abandon me to the grave, nor will He let His Holy One see decay (16:10); He is the King of glory, the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (24:7-8); He does not delight in sacrifice or burnt offerings, but in the broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart (51:16-17); His love is as great as the heavens are high above the earth; as far as east is from the west, he has removed our transgressions (103:11-12)
Proverbs: He is the source of knowledge and wisdom: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (1:7); He disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in (3:12); He detests the ways of the wicked but loves those who pursue righteousness (15:9)
Ecclesiastes: He set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (3:11); He will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidding thing, good or evil (12:14)
Song of Solomon: He is the bridegroom and He loves the bride, His people (whole book)
Isaiah: He desires that we seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the fatherless, and plead for the widow (1:17); He, the Spirit of the Lord, is the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (11:2); He, the LORD, is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom (40:28)
Jeremiah: He knew you before He formed you in the womb; before you were born He set you apart (1:5); He desires that we boast not of our own wisdom or strength or riches, but that we’d boast of our understanding and knowledge of Him, that He is the LORD who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in those He delights (9:23-24); He will never stop doing good to His people, and He will inspire them to fear Him so that they will never turn away from Him (32:40)
Lamentations: He has done what He planned; He has fulfilled His word, which He decreed long ago (2:17); He loves us – because of His great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (3:22-23)
Ezekiel: He speaks what He wills, and it shall be fulfilled without delay (12:25); He does nothing without cause (14:23); He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live (33:11)
Daniel: He is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries (2:47); He, the Ancient of Days, will pronounce judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High (7:22); He is the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands (9:4)
Hosea: He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds (6:1); He desires mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings (6:6); He is the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is His name of renown (12:5)
Joel: He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (2:13); He will pour out His Spirit on all people; Israel’s sons and daughters will prophesy, their old men will dream dreams, their young men will see visions; even on His servants, both men and women, He will pour out His Spirit in those days (2:28-29)
Amos: He will judge sin (all of ch 1); He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land – the LORD is His name (5:8)
Obadiah: He punishes those who attack Israel but will deliver Israel (1-17)
Jonah: He answers our calls and listens to our cries (2:2); He sees when we turn from our evil ways and has compassion upon us (3:10)
Micah: He has shown you, o man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you: to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (6:8); He alone is God: who is like Him, who pardons sins and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance; He does not stay angry forever but delights to show mercy (7:18)
Nahum: He is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath (1:2); He is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished (1:3)
Habakkuk: He, the LORD, is from everlasting, the Holy One (1:12); His eyes are too pure to look on evil; He cannot tolerate wrong (1:13); He is the Sovereign LORD – He is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights (3:19)
Zephaniah: He, the LORD, is righteous – He does no wrong. Morning by morning He dispenses His justice, and every new day He does not fail (3:5); He, the LORD your God, is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (3:17)
Haggai: He shakes the heavens and earth, the sea and dry land, and all the nations and fills His house with glory (2:7)
Zechariah: He is determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah (8:15); He refines His children in the fire like silver and tests them like gold; they will call on His name and He will answer them; He will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘the LORD is our God.’ (13:9)
Malachi: He has loved you (1:2); He, the LORD, does not change (3:6); He will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it (3:10)
New Testament Thoughts (a sampling)
Matthew: He is victorious over the devil (ch 4); He knows our needs and provides for them (6:8, 25-31); He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (16:16); He is not willing that even one be lost (18:13); He is RISEN! (28:6)
Mark: He, Jesus, is the Son of God (1:1); He came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (10:45); He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, the Son of Man who sits at the right hand of the Mighty One, who will come on the clouds of heaven (14:61-62)
Luke: He has come and has redeemed His people (1:68); He, Jesus, was annointed to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, as Isaiah predicted (4:18-21); He forgave even his executioners (23:34)
John: He was in the beginning and made all things (1:1-3); He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (1:29); He grants eternal life, not condemnation, for all who hear His word and belive (5:23); He, the Son, set us free, and we are free indeed! (8:36)
Acts: He cannot be contained by death (2:24); He will not let His Holy One see decay (2:27); He does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right (10:34-35)
Romans: His gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (1:16); He presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished (3:25); His kingdom is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (14:17)
1 Corinthians: He chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, the weak things of the world to shame the strong, the lowly things and despised things and things that are not to nullify the things that are so that none may boast before Him (1:27-29); He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts (4:5); He is not a God of disorder, but of peace (14:33)
2 Corinthians: He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles (1:3-4); He made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (5:21)
Galatians: He, Christ, redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (3:14); In Him, Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (5:6)
Ephesians: He marked us in Him (when we believed) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory (1:13-14); He is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations (2:14-15)
Philippians: He, Christ, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likelness (2:6-7); He, Christ, humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross (2:8)
Colossians: He is pleased when we bear fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of Him, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so we may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light (1:10-12); He, Christ, is your life, and when He appears, you will also appear with Him in glory (3:4)
1 Thessalonians: He, Jesus, rescues us from the coming wrath (1:10); His will is that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him (4:3-6)
2 Thessalonians: He, Jesus, will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels (1:7); He is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (3:3)
1 Timothy: He is our Savior and our hope (1:1); He is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God (1:17)
2 Timothy: He, Christ, destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (1:10); He will judge the living and the dead (4:1)
Titus: He does not lie (1:2); He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy (3:5)
Philemon: the only book that says little directly about God, other than He desires that we treat each other in love, whether free or slave, wronged or not.
Hebrews: He, Christ, is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word (1:3); His word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (4:12); He is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised inheritance – now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant (9:15)
James: He is the source of every good and perfect gift, and is the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (1:17); His coming is near (5:8)
1 Peter: His word stands forever (1:25); He is the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (2:25)
2 Peter: He did not spare angels when they sinned; He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood; He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men – He knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment (2:4-9)
1 John: He, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, speaks to the Father in our defense (2:1); He is love (4:8)
2 John: He desires that we love one another!
3 John: He desires that His followers do what is good (1:11)
Jude: He is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (1:25)
Revelation: He is the First and the Last; He is the Living One; He was dead, and behold He is alive for ever and ever, and He holds the keys of death and Hades (1:17-18); His words are holy and true, and He holds the key of David – what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open (3:7); He is worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because He was slain, and with His blood He purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. He has made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. (5:9-10); He speaks and out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations; He will rule them with an iron sceptor, and He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty (19:15); He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; to him who is thirsty He will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life (21:6); He is coming soon! (22:7); He is the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star (22:16)
This is just a small taste of what I've seen over the last 16 months. What a truly awesome, wonderful, fearsome, powerful God we serve. He deserves all glory and praise and honor and love.
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