Category: God is good

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Firm Foundation, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Resurrected with a Purpose

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Based on the LGG Study, Firm Foundation, w3d3

Scripture and Observation

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and Romans 6:9-10; SOAP: 1 Cor 15:3-4/Rom 6:9

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.

Romans 6:9

Our focus or question of the week is: “What Did Jesus Do?” – So far, we have answered the question with … He never sinned, He was crucified for our sins, and today’s answer/focus is: He was resurrected from the grave … and appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time. He also appeared to James and to all of the apostles, including Paul.

It would be easy to read these truths, celebrate the resurrection, and move on, but God’s call and my hope/goal of journeying through His Word (and taking others along with me on the journey) is more than just reading the words on the pages of Scripture. My hope is to understand the importance and meaning of the words. I believe that we are to learn how they apply to life and godliness and be able to share them correctly with others in everyday life*, both in conversation and in living and loving like Jesus, who is – as we have seen in recent journeys – the very Word of God.

Paul taught Timothy the importance of this in 2 Timothy 2:15, when he told him, and by extension all believers, to *Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

This is why we need to understand the importance of Jesus’ resurrection and His appearing before so many witnesses: let’s break it down …

  1. He was resurrected from the grave: This, like the other truths we have been looking at, is essential to our faith. Why though? Because if Christ is not raised, then our faith is useless, and we are still guilty of our sins.
  2. Friends, Jesus didn’t just walk out of the tomb – He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time. He also appeared to James and to all of the apostles, including Paul. It may seem of little importance to know how many different people saw Jesus alive after He had been buried – but it is crucial to the testimony of His resurrection, and Paul knew this. – Bibleref.com explains it like this:

“Apparently, the truthfulness of the resurrection, or at least the resurrection of Christians, was being challenged or misunderstood by some in Corinth. Paul wants them to understand not only that the resurrection really took place, but that faith in that truth is essential in order to be saved.”

Bibleref.com/1 Corinthians 15;5


Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.1

*2 Timothy 2:15

So, the question begs to be asked: “Why is the resurrection important to our faith?” Again, it is Paul who answers this most clearly – when he addresses the Corinthians about the matter in 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, saying:

But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

1 Corinthians 15:12-23
Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, We believe in Jesus Christ, that He was given over to death for the sins of many and was raised to life so that those who believe might be born again and made right with You. We believe that on the third day, He rose again, triumphing over sin and death so that we would no longer be slaves to sin but live and walk in freedom with/for You here on this earth and with You forever when You return to take us home. As Paul taught the Corinthians, we believe the truth of His resurrection is of the utmost importance. As Paul shared this message in his travels and writings, may we both celebrate the truth and faithfully pass it on to those in our circles of influence.

The Gospel is the Truth that, according to Scripture we receive and believe; it is the faith on which we stand, the power of God unto salvation, and the message we have been entrusted with and called to share throughout the world. May it be of utmost importance to us, and may we faithfully and boldly pass it on to the world around us. 🦋

In recent days, we’ve walked through Scriptures that have pointed us to the importance of Jesus being sinless and of His death by crucifixion, and have, hopefully, come to understand that we are all sinners in need of a Savior who is blameless of any sin and willing to lay down His life for humanity- so that those who believe might have eternal life.2 If you missed any or all of the journey to this point please visit Firm Foundation

The More We Know

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

More than a Miracle Birth

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based on the LGG Study, Firm Foundation/w2d5

Scripture and Observation
Read: Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:18-25/ SOAP: Matthew 1:20-23

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

Matthew 1:20-23

Fresh out of the Christmas season, it might be easy to breeze right over/through this passage. However, this portion of the “Jesus story” should not be relegated to Christmas alone. For it is the long-awaited promise of God in action. The gift of God’s salvation is an everyday story of love – and hope – and life.

She will give birth to son
and you will name him Jesus
because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

As I read through this today, letting it sink in like fresh water for my soul, several thoughts flowed through my mind – but this one was at the center: the miracle wasn’t just in His immaculate conception but in what He would do and who He would do it for! The son of God – Jesus, incarnate – God in the flesh came to save the enemies of God from their sins1. He came to offer us a real and lasting relationship with the God of Heaven so that we might live with Him forever.

Living it Out, the Application of the Journey

It occurs to me that the miracle gift we’ve been given is meant to be embraced. I believe we are to make the most of the opportunity to know His forgiveness … the power of His Spirit in us … the blessing of being a child of God instead of an enemy …, boldly embracing the relationship with God … and following the examples of Jesus’ life so that we honor You – wherever we are.

Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, how great Your love is for us that You would give us Your only son to save us from our sins, to make us new creations in Christ Jesus, the one who came to save His people from their sins. Thank You for keeping Your promises and for opening the door for us, Your “enemies,” to believe and be called the ‘children of God.’ Help us to live and love like Jesus, telling His story with our lives and words wherever we go so that others will know Him also.- Amen!

The More We Know

For more insight into today’s journey be sure and read today’s LGG Blog –

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Firm Foundation, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

No Longer Ashamed

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based on the LGG Study, Firm Foundation, w2d1

Scripture and Observation

Read: Romans 6:21-23 / SOAP v23 (It is most helpful to read the entire chapter)

So, what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WOW! Talk about. a truth that changed everything and is essential to our firm foundation. We could stop here with the reading of these three verses, soak them in and move on – but we would do ourselves an injustice. You see – the question asked in verse 21 requires us to look back to the previous verse(s) to see what Paul is talking about. I found reading the whole chapter to be most helpful, but even going back a few verses revealed that he is referring to slavery to sin, which had resulted in impurity and lawlessness.

Before believing in Christ, the people had been free from the obligation to do/live righteously, and the result of that freedom led to sin and shame. However, and a mighty HALLELUJAH! The result of believing in Christ brought freedom from sin and shame and a life with God, which leads to eternal life!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 NLT
Application from the Journey

If you haven’t placed your faith and hope in Jesus Christ – I plead with you to do that today. – The Bible tells us the way to this salvation, this hope, and freedom from slavery to sin, and the shame sin brings is to “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.”1 – If you have believed – rejoice in the freedom from sin and shame and live the holy life He has called us to by giving yourselves as slaves to righteousness, through the power of Christ and His Spirit in us. 2

I am so thankful for the freedom from sin and truly rejoice in the freedom from shame. That’s right – God didn’t just free us from the law of sin and death – He poured His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom He gave to us, and because of that hope, we do not stand in shame but rejoice in the righteousness of Christ and His blood that covers us! (please tell me this brought a hallelujah!) Friend, because of this hope: “There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus! Scripture makes it clear that …

  • We are made right with God by faith (Rom 5:1,3, 5 and 7)
  • We have peace with God because of what Christ did for us (Rom 5:1)
  • Our sins are put out of sight (Rom 5:7-8)

“Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

(Romans 5:5)
Prayer and Worship Response to the Journey

Father, You are worthy of more praise than we can give – for You have saved us not only from our sins but from the stain and shame those sins marked us with. You have removed their power over us, and You have covered us with the righteousness of Christ and poured the love of Your Spirit out into our hearts! We are most blessed to stand before You, forgiven and cleansed – not because of anything we have done or ever could do but because of what Christ did for us on the cross. He took our sins and their shame upon Himself that we might be made right with You, have peace with You, and have our sins be put out of Your sight! Ah! Lord God – Hallelujah! How very loving and merciful You are! – May we, in turn, give ourselves fully to You, living as slaves to righteous living… being holy as You are holy, hating sin and all that is wrong, and clinging to what is good. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus who bore my sin and shame – Amen and amen!

The More We Know
Click Here for more insight from Love God Greatly

Last week’s journey led us through a lesson on the holiness of God and His instruction for His children to be holy as He is Holy. In backing up and reading the passage that led to our verses today, I found this nugget of gold. If we want to become/live the holy life, “we must give ourselves to be slaves to righteous living.3“

Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

Romans 6:19

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Firm Foundation, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

To Act Justly

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based on the LGG Study, Firm Foundation/w1dd5

Scripture and Observation

Read: Deuteronomy 32:1-4 and Psalm 9:1-8 / SOAP: Deut 32:4 and Ps 9:7-8

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
    Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
    how just and upright he is!

Deuteronomy 32:4

But the Lord reigns forever,
    executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
    and rule the nations with fairness.

Psalm 9:7-8

“.When we say that God is just, we mean that He is perfectly righteous in His treatment of His creatures. God shows no partiality.” This definition is from gotquestions.org. It is truly as simple as it sounds, yet so much more profound that I encourage you to visit the link for the fuller and most helpful explanation included in the footnotes below.

“.When we say that God is just, we mean that He is perfectly righteous in His treatment of His creatures. God shows no partiality.”

gotquestions.org/What Does It Mean that God is Just?1

I believe it is safe to say that we all want to be treated justly (fairly) in this life. Likewise, we also struggle with the injustices of this world, where the wicked are known to prosper. The problem is we live in a flawed world, and more often than not, we come to the various situations and encounters of this life with a variety of opinions on what is fair and what is not fair. This is because, In large part, humans are ruled by their emotions, and decisions are made far too often in the heat of the moment, based – not on what is good and right in God’s eyes but on our emotions at the time.

It is important to remember that on this side of Heaven, our sinful nature will remain a thorn in our flesh to deal with, which is why we must also remember that “Those who belong to Christ Jesus are to have nailed their passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.” This is why we must choose to live, not by our emotions, blown and tossed about by the wind, but guided by the Word and ways of God. Heeding the warning of Paul – we should strive to “keep in step with the Spirit.” When we walk in step with the Spirit, not only will our hearts and minds be ruled by the Spirit, but we will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God, which is yet another call of God on the lives of His people.2

He has told you, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord really wants from you:
He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness,
and to live obediently before your God.

Micah 6:8

Today’s LGG journal entry, p57, explains that – “The importance of understanding God’s justice is vital to understanding His righteousness. It goes on to say, that God’s justice and righteousness are inseparable.

The More We Know

Do you struggle with the injustices of this world? Consider these words found in today’s LGG Journal entry:

“In a world where injustice still exists and evildoers, unfortunately, often prosper, we can trust that God will ultimately judge all sin one day (Psalm 9:7-8). As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect God’s justice by protecting the vulnerable and confronting evil, while walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

God’s justice informs our understanding of righteousness by teaching us that true righteousness embodies fairness, integrity, and obedience to God’s ways, as listed out in Scripture. In times of doubt or frustration over the injustices around us, we can take comfort in knowing that God is a good, fair, and loving judge. His justice will ultimately prevail, and His righteousness will shine forth.”

p 57 of Love God Greatly’s, Firm Foundation, journal
Prayer of Response to the Journey

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your perfect justice and righteousness. Help me to trust in Your fairness and to reflect Your justice in my life. Thank You for the reminder that we are to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before our God. May we be careful to keep in step with the Spirit and not let our emotions hinder us from acting justly. – In Jesus’ Name and power, Amen

,

For More Insight on the Journey click HERE

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Firm Foundation, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Love Is Essential

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based on the LGG Study, Firm Foundation, w1/d4

Scripture and Observation

Read: 1 John 4:7-10 and John 3:16-17 / SOAP: 1 John 4:8 and John 3:1

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:81

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Love is essential to Christian living because it is an essential part of God’s identity.

bibleref.com/1 Jn 4:8

Fresh off of yesterday’s journey exploring God’s call on our life to be holy as He is holy we are now met with the measure of His love and what it means if we do not love. I’m not sure which is harder to embrace: the act of being holy as God is holy or the act of loving others the way God loves us, and what it says about us if we don’t. Both callings are acts that God has called us to and equipped us for, but both can seem impossible to carry out. Actually, in and of ourselves, they are impossible. Holiness and love require the presence of God in us, and His presence is only received when we place our faith in Jesus – the second person of the Trinity – who Himself is holy and loved us enough to leave heaven’s splendor and die for our sins on a cross of shame. Now, this is love!

I don’t know about you but throughout the course of my life there have been some people that have been particularly hard for me to like, let alone love. So when I read our passages today, particularly 1 John 4:8 and the inference that if we do not love then then we do not love God – I knew I had to look a little deeper into the meaning behind it. I found the commentary from bibleref.com to be the most helpful:

To “know” God requires a person to have a relationship with Him … Love comes from God, so those who demonstrate love show they have fellowship with Him. The inverse is also true. The person who does not demonstrate love does not know (or is not walking in fellowship with)* God.

Bibleref.com/1 John 4:8

If we are walking close to God His love will naturally flow through us – even toward those who we don’t really care for. For this holiness and love to be seen and heard in us we must be in fellowship with God. To “know” God requires a person to have a relationship with Him, Love comes from God, so those who demonstrate love show they have fellowship with Him. 

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

1 John 4:10

When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are filled with His Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God, who teaches, guides, and empowers us to live as God called us to live.2 Paul teaches us that believers are not only sealed with the Spirit but we are filled with and controlled by the Spirit. He also teaches that when we let the Holy Spirit guide our lives, we will be known by His fruit – which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.3

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

Romans 8:9

 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Ephesians 1:13-14

The bottom line is this: if we want to live out God’s calling on our lives of holiness and love, we must first believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.4 Following our salvation, we must choose for ourselves which nature will control us – the old sinful nature or the new spiritual nature. 5One leads us away from God, and the other leads us to a life of holiness filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

It seems fitting to close with these words of Joshua to the Israelites: “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”6

Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, Your love is indeed powerful – it saves and actively, lovingly pursues. Yours is a relentless love, or as David described it, a “love that follows us all the days of our lives…” and for this, I am most grateful. I pray for everyone who is on this journey with me that they might be building their lives on the truths of Your Word. I pray that they might find their feet firm on the foundation of Your Word and live out Your calling on their lives. I pray that we will choose to live by Your Spirit and not by our old sinful nature. I pray for anyone on this journey who does not know you to believe in Jesus and be saved that they too might know and share in the power and promise of Your Love – In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray and praise You – Amen!

*Emphasis mine

Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Rejoice

With Whom Is He Pleased?

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Scripture: God’s Roadmap for Our Journey/Luke 2:14; Romans 5:1-11; Isa 9:6

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased!”

Luke 2:14

Oh, the utter beauty of God’s Word and love! How it shines through from the first words of today’s passages to the last. Or perhaps I should say from the last words to the first … as it was Isaiah who wrote about the child who would be born – and be called the Prince of Peace – long before Luke penned the words to the story of the virgin Mary giving birth to her firstborn son in a little town called Bethlehem, and laying him in a manger. It was a story that included not only the angel’s declaration to shepherds in a nearby field but also the song of the angel and the heavenly host “praising and worshiping God, and acknowledging His supreme majesty and sovereignty.1“

  • The Declaration: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
  • The Song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased!”

The child Isaiah prophesied would be called “the Prince of Peace” was the same child that Mary lay in the manger and of whom the angel’s song declared: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Paul writes of this peace in Romans chapter five, where we read: “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (again, the same child that Isaiah and Luke referred to) – What a wonderful thing to know and understand that faith in Jesus brings peace between God and man. We are no longer condemned as our sins deserved, but we are cleansed, set free from the law of sin and death, and given bold access to the throne of our God. The curtain has been torn in two, and we are covered by the blood of Christ, the lamb of God – the Prince of Peace – the baby born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and found lying in a manger just as the angel said.

Paul also writes some of my favorite words in Scripture concerning peace with God. They are found in Romans chapter five, namely verses 8-11. It is here we read that “God demonstrated His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” … being declared righteous through Christ changed our enmity with God to peace. Paul uses one other word that speaks of peace, and that is reconciliation, which infers peace by its very definition – which is the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement.

 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Romans 5:10

As I observed the Luke 2:14 passage, I remembered something that I noted in an earlier post about the verse, specifically the words, “with whom He is pleased.” It is important to understand here that God’s mercy is available to all who please Him, or as one commentary explains, all who follow His will by believing in/accepting His Son, Jesus.2

  • With whom is God pleased?
  • How often do we declare, like the angels, declarations of praise and worship toward God?
Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, my heart rejoices at the peace you have brought to me through Jesus! He truly is my Prince of Peace! May I, like the angel, tell others about Jesus and how to find Him. May I, like the heavenly hosts who appeared to the shepherds, be found giving You the praise and worship You alone are worthy of. May the peace that comes from Christ rule in my heart, for Your Word says that as members of Your body, we are called to live in peace. 💜 – Amen

The More We Know

So, what did Luke mean when he write: with whom is God pleased?” According to Bibleref.com: Most translations of this verse connect the “peace” being proclaimed to God’s pleasure with a certain group. This is alternately phrased as “those with whom he is pleased,” “those on whom his favor rests,” or “people He favors.” The King James translation inverts part of the phrase, indicating a broader “good will toward men.” While the gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of reconciliation and hope (John 3:16–17), that hope is only accessible to those who believe in Him (John 3:18, 36). Accurately translated, the angels are not declaring God’s benevolence to all humanity; they are celebrating His mercy to those who follow His will by accepting His Son (John 6:28–29; Hebrews 11:6).

  1. Online source: churchleaders.com ↩︎
  2. Bibleref.com ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

Our Eyes Are On You

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“Doxology is always the first line of defense against the dark.”

Ann Voskamp

Over the past decade, Ann Voskamp has been a tool in God’s hands, by which He has reshaped my life, so it should come as no surprise that I am sharing one of her blogs with you while we traipse through some side trails as we await our next journey. The timing is perfect because it focuses on gratitude. However, the content is helpful to our walk of faith and, therefore, perfect for any time of the year. I pray it is a blessing.

Ann writes:

“Watching your little sister get crushed and killed under a wheel when you’re only only four-years-old? That’s a moment that’s going to take decades to process.”

My therapist says it steady, his eyes searching mine, reading my face.

And I turn away, as if not looking into his eyes but out the window, I can turn back all this startling wave of drowning ache.

“I’m kinda worried about you, Annie,” a friend comes looking for me after that therapy session. “You… okay?”

“Yes, of course, I am… and no, I’m not… and yes, I am. You know… ” I smile weakly, bravely, through everything brimming.

Every single one of us is walking through some kind of deep heartbreak, and real life strain, and if you look into people’s eyes, and ask the right tender question, there it is: a fracture of pain right up the side of their one life. Bruised relationships, and draining bank accounts, and weary dreams, and sheer mountains ahead of us, and who isn’t a bit tired of the fight called life?

This world is a broken-heart factory, and it’s full of His glory, and it’s only holding both of those, that you let go and find joy.

Ann Voskamp/Blog/When It’s Kinda Hard to Give Thanks
Read the rest of the story here: When It’s Kinda Hard to Give Thanks
The More We Know

*Note: This is a bittersweet glimpse into her life and a glimpse of just some of the trauma and heartache she has known. If you’re not familiar with Ann and her writings, I encourage you to check out some of her blogs or pick up a copy of her book, One Thousand Gifts.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

Safe In God’s Hands

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Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

For further reading: Read 1 Peter Chapter 5

Sometimes, I hesitate to use or write about this verse, which has been a crutch and saving grace for almost fifty years of my life. I’ve shared it often as a testimony of how I came to know it when I was in my teens and the many ways He has used it in my life since that day in the little farmhouse in Texas. Yet, really, can God’s Word ever be shared too much? I don’t think so … plus it is the verse that came to mind when I watched the video that I am sharing with you today.

The video is a beautiful reminder of what a difference it makes to give all of our worries and cares to God. I have seen it time and time again in my own life. I’ve seen what happens when I try to handle the worries and cares on my own and what happens when I lay them at His feet or raise my hands in urgency and sometimes tears – saying, “Here, God – please take ‘this’ I can’t carry ‘it’ alone.” I’ve given Him everything from a daughter’s cancer to my sore knees. Yep, He even cares about sore knees and parking places – well, the truth of the matter is He cares for us, so if our concern is a parking place, then He has invited us to give that concern to Him. Before you laugh too hard or perhaps scoff at giving such a seemingly trivial concern to such a great and mighty God – let me share this brief story/example.

I have bad knees, and for the past year, I have been getting injections to help manage the pain. The doctor I see is in a building with limited “close” parking. There is plenty of parking, but you may have to walk a city block or two—or more, depending on the day and time. I learned very quickly to make it my mission to give God the concern – both for a parking place and/or strength to walk as far as I had to. Time after time, I saw a place open right as I pulled in or when I circled for the third time. There have also been days when I found nothing close and ended up in the three-story garage. Disappointed, yes? But not for long, because in spite of the pain, every time I had to walk further than was comfortable, I knew His strength or saw the greater need for another, whom He allowed me to encourage or the one I was able to share Him with along the pain-filled walk.

You see, it wasn’t that I prayed for a parking place; it was that I prayed. I talked to the One who cares for me and placed my care/needs in His hands and then watched to see what He was going to do.

It Depends On Whose Hands It is In! Watch the short Video here

Posted in From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Some of My Favorite Things

Philippians 4:4

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Philippians 4:4

After reading my morning verse recently, I found myself journaling these words: “Father, You are good. How long ago did You show me this verse? How many years since I sat at my kitchen table reading and rereading it and the verses that followed? How many times and ways since then have you shown me the truth of those verses?”

Sometime in the early nineties, I sat at the table of our newly built home, enjoying the quiet moments of my baby’s nap time. Sometimes, when she slept, I would rest or clean, but most often, I would spend some alone time with God in His Word. As a newly “revived” believer, I was hungry for the Word and eager to build/rebuild a relationship with God.

Today’s verse brought that table and time to mind, as it was there that I first remember beginning to study Philippians 4:4-7, specifically – Paul’s words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. (I will say it again: Rejoice!) 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – note: while verse eight wasn’t included in my early study, it soon followed and has rescued me from more than one battle.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8

God seemed to embed those words in my mind that day. Through the three decades that have followed, He has continued to faithfully ingrain them and use the words to help me through many turbulent days/years of this life/world. These words … have taught me to fix my eyes on God and His will … to ‘rejoice’ even when the days are hard, sad, or downright scary. The words helped me develop a relationship with God, teaching me to spend time in prayer, talking to God, not just at Him. From there, I began learning to trust Him, to fix my thoughts on Him, and to experience the promised peace.

To this day, these words of Paul remind me that God is near, that His return is imminent, and that in and with God, I can have, know, and be filled with peace even in the tumultuous storms of this life! God’s peace is truly a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace that gives strength and hope in both the good and challenging seasons; this strength and hope have led me to “re-joy-cing” in God for more than thirty years of my life.

As I read the words again this morning, they were not new to me but they caused my mind to stop and remember God’s goodness so many years ago and every day since to change my life from the inside-out!

“Joy is the flag flying high above the castle of the hear, announcing that the King is in residence there.”

~Unknown

Loving Heavenly Father, my strength and hope are from You and through Christ in me. Your grace and power fill me with the confident JOY to keep going when hope seems far away and sorrows weigh me down. When I am weak, You are strong! So in my sorrow for this world and despite my concerns – please continue to help me KEEP my eyes and thoughts fixed on You – and let the flag of JOY fly high above the castle of my heart – where You rule and reign – announcing to all that You – my God and King – are in residence here!💜 – And to borrow from today’s devotion from “Our Daily Verse,” “May my life be a testament to the unshakable joy found in a relationship with You. Let this joy be my strength, a light to others, and a reflection of Your constant grace in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land, Quiet Time

The Reputation of God

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land / w6d2

Scripture: God’s Road Map For Our Journey / Ezekiel 36:16-28 (26-27)

I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.27 I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative, and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26-27

Observations and Applications

Sometimes, God’s Word leaves us wondering why certain things happen, or – as we have seen in the book of Daniel – there are visions recorded that we can’t quite understand because some things are meant to stay hidden from us. As we see in the journal page below, this is not the case with today’s passage and the unfolding events in the life of Israel, the people of God. Clearly, God was very open with what was going to happen and why –

– God was very open with what was going to happen and why –

Through Ezekiel, God makes it crystal clear to the people that His anger had been poured out on them because they had defiled their land with their “evil way of living.” It was detestable to Him, and because of this, God scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they chose to live. One would think this would have awakened them and caused them to change their lifestyles, yet, from there, it seems to have escalated, as even in the faithless lands where they were exiled, they brought shame to God’s name – to the point that He was concerned about His reputation.

God uses Israel to reveal Himself to the nations – and the same is true of believers in Christ today. God not only uses us but He has called us to be His light to the world. 🦋

The people had failed God, falling short of His glory despite the teachings they were to remember and obey, as well as the warnings God sent them along the way. So, “for the sake of His holy reputation,” God moved to magnify His great name by restoring Israel and making the nations know that He was the LORD. However, we must not miss this vital truth: God did not restore Israel for their sake but for His own. He uses Israel to reveal Himself to the nations – and the same is true of believers in Christ today. God not only uses us to make Him known but He has called us to be His light to the world.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Matthew 5:14-16

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God created man and that He created him for His glory. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of man, according to the Bible, is simply to glorify God. – Gotquestions.org

One of the ways we glorify God is by walking faithfully in a relationship with Him. Apart from God, it is impossible to glorify His name. As we saw with the Israelites, sin separates us from God (Isa 29:2), not only hindering His glory through us but jeopardizing His reputation. Be encouraged by these words from gotquestions.org: while “sin separates us from God and makes it impossible to glorify Him on our own. – through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, our relationship with God is reconciled—our sin is forgiven and no longer creates a barrier between God and us (Romans 3:23–24).”

Since God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), man’s purpose cannot be fulfilled apart from Him. King Solomon tried living for his own pleasure, yet at the end of his life he concluded that the only worthwhile life is one of honor and obedience to God (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

Gotquestions.org
Prayer Response to the Journey

Father, thank You for the reminder that this life You have given us and all that You do in and through us, and the callings You have placed on our lives are not about us – but are meant to be all for Your glory. Help us never to bring shame to Your reputation but to live as lights in this dark world— Let us heed the words of Jesus and not let our light be hidden. Help us to walk with You and talk with You and to live and speak in such a way that radiates Your love and grace to the world around us so that everyone will give You the praise and the honor due Your holy name. – In the name of Jesus – Amen.

The More We Know

Why did our journey lead us to Ezekiel? (borrowed and shared from got questions.org)

Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. He taught that: (1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s Word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshiped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s Kingdom will come.

Key Verses:

Ezekiel 2:3-6, “He said: ‘son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says.” And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.'”

Further Reading: Romans 5:6-11