God's Character Revealed

Over the last two days I have run across two passages where God reveals His character.  


First in Exodus 34:6-7a, when God reveals himself to Moses, He says, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." 


Second, in Jeremiah 9:24, He says, " but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD."


I was thinking about how many people mis-judge the character of God.  They see him as absent, uncaring, angry, punishing, etc.  Instead, couple these Old Testament verses with who Jesus revealed himself to be in the New Testament and you get just the opposite - a loving, caring, compassionate, faithful, kind God.


Lord, help us to know You as You truly are!

My Purpose Fulfilled

Recently I was reading Psalm 57:2, "I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me."  I was reassured by this verse, that God, who is all-powerful and all-knowing, was going to fulfill His purpose for me.  I believe I was created by Him with a specific purpose, and He will not be thwarted in fulfilling this purpose.  I also believe that my greatest sense of fulfillment will come as I enter into His purpose for me - I will be doing what I was created to do!


Lord help me to trust in You and look to You for direction, knowing that You are completely capable of doing that which You plan, that which is Your purpose.  I don't need to flail around wondering if I am doing the right thing - You will guide me and direct me, and help me! 

Give Them What We Have

This morning I was reading Acts 3:1-10, which is one of my favorite verses, and was reminded of the reality of our situation.  Verse 6 says, "Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”


Peter, the leader of the Apostles, trained under Jesus, was very clear about his own ability.  He knew that the only thing of value that he had to give was the authority and power He was given by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  He could have given the begger sympathy, food, money, etc., but he gave him the one thing of true value he possessed - Jesus.


It was a good reminder to me of what I have to offer others, Jesus.  I was listening to Bill Johnson recently and he has a saying - Jesus is inside you and He wants to be let out.  


Lord, help us to give You away to all who are in need!

Covered by His Hand

This morning I was reading from Isaiah 50:16 "I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand..."  I thought this is a wonderful picture of God's protection and intervention in our situation!  Not only will He put His words in our mouth - timely words of encouragement and wisdom - He will protect us and shelter us.  His right hand represents power and authority, and He is placing that hand directly over us - ready to act!


As we read about the continued natural disasters - Joplin being devastated, Louisiana and Mississippi flooding - we know we need both Your words of Life and Your protection!  God Help us!

The Time When The Disciples Didn't Believe Jesus

Last night I was reading my Bible shortly before going to bed and I came across a passage that caught my eye.  John 2:20-22, "They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken."


The last sentence blew me away - because it is saying that 3 years after this event the Disciples finally came to the point of belief - concerning this statement!    I just always imagined the Disciples believing everything that Jesus said, even if they didn't understand it.  I couldn't believe this was so clearly stated by John - that up until the resurrection, they hadn't believed everything Jesus said, and apparently Jesus wasn't that concerned about it!


I can almost imagine the forehead slapping that went on when they received the Holy Spirit and He reminded them of everything Jesus had said.  This gives me encouragement in my own life, knowing there are probably things I don't really believe correctly about the Lord and His ways, but knowing He will be patient and merciful towards me - just as He was in this case.  He will lead me to the Truth, and I will believe!

Heaven's Treasure?

This morning I was reading Matt 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

This started me thinking about what type of treasure one would store up in heaven.  I know what treasure is here, but what is it in Heaven? 1 Cor 13:13 says three things remain - Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest is Love.  1 Tim 6:18-19  says we should do good, be rich in good deeds and generous and thus store up treasure in Heaven. Finally, one would believe that the greatest treasure will be our relationship with God.

So - treasure in Heaven - Faith, Hop, Love, good, good deeds, generosity, and our relationship with God!  All of which are definitely worth investing in!

God, help us to set our hearts on these things - for they are the things that truly last!

Water from the Rock and Hardened Hearts

The last few days in my time with God, I have been meditating on Psalm 95 specifically verses 7-9.  
"Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸ do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,   as you did that day at Massah in the desert,⁹ where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did."  


I was thinking about how hearing God's voice would elicit anything but a hardened heart, especially if you were in a desert waiting on God to speak and provide.  The story can be found in Exodus 17, and tells how the people were angry that they didn't have water,  If you read the two chapters prior to Ex. 17 - you will see how God miraculously provided water, Quail and Manna to feed them in the midst of the desert, and yet after all that, the people were angry!


Rather then coming to God, expecting Him to move, and asking Him to provide, they came with anger, and quarreling and demands.  They totally had missed the fact that God was providing everything else for them, He was totally committed to their survival and He clearly could move miraculously to provide for them.  Rather than experiencing growth in their faith in God, they instead only chose to become angry - one can almost hear them counting the number of inconveniences they were experiencing rather than the miracles.


Oh Lord, help me to turn my eyes from my own situations and see them from Your perspective,  seeing You as provider, healer, loving and forever faithful!   Help me to look at difficult situations as an opportunity for You to move, rather than as an inconvenience to me!

Jesus is the Way

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite verses, John 14:6 "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  I was struck by the clear and concise statement Jesus made about himself.  How many could describe ourselves in three words.


The apostles were concerned because Jesus he was leaving them, but had said that they knew the way to place where He was going. They were confused... He replied as above.  He was going to the Father and relationship with Him was the only way they could get there as well -  for He and the Father were one - if they knew Him, they would know the Father.


Jesus help us to know You more, that we might know the Father too!  You said you are the only way to the Father.   We believe this and know that if this is true, then You will guide us to the Father, even as You guided the apostles.

A Person of Prayer

I was reading through Ps 109 and verse 4 caught my eye: "In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer."  It is such an interesting response to being accused - I am a man of prayer.  Being a person of prayer was this writers (David) defense, or at least his support.


Later in the Psalm, David is pleading with God, for God's sake, to save him and bless him in accordance with His love for him (David).  David was convinced of God's love for him, knew that God was faithful, kind and loving.  He was willing to wait on God's intervention.


All this came from a position of being a person of prayer.  He KNEW God.   As Jeremiah wrote (Jer 9:24): "but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me..." 


Lord, help me to know You and understand You!  Help me to find You in my place of prayer.

Three Keys of Jesus' Ministry

I've been reading Matthew recently, and have been meditating on Jesus ministry.  THis morning I was reading Chapter 4, specifically verse 23 and 24:


"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them."


Looking at this statement - Jesus focused on teaching (1) (clearly from Scripture); proclaiming the Kingdom of God (2) - and demonstrating that Kingdom reality by healing all (3) - regardless of illness, sickness or origin of sickness (demon-possessed).


The results was wide-spread acclamation and in-gathering from the surrounding areas!  I am sure that we (the Church) would see the same type of response if we saw the same results from our ministry.


Lord - that we wight walk in this same reality and ministry - help us!