Tag: Love God Greatly

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

Verses of Encouragement, part 1

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For every discouraging circumstance of your life, God’s Word has an encouraging answer filled with hope and light. Print them off, write them down, or snap a picture with your phone.

The collection of verses was originally shared by gotquestions.org

When you’ve lost something, or someone, who has been very precious to you:
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Revelation 1:18 “I am alive forevermore.”
John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’”

When excruciating waves of chronic pain and weakness are crashing over your head:
2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

When your cupboard is bare, and your last crumb has been scraped up:
Matthew 6:33 “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “… give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

When no one seems to understand, or even to care:
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”
Isaiah 40:11 “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

When you are being persecuted for your faith:
2 Peter 2:9 “the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment.”
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

When the nation, the world, and even the family and the church, seem to be disintegrating:
Isaiah 14:24: “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand.’”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When life’s fears and insecurities gang up on you:
Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
Luke 12:7 “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Romans 8:1 “There is, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”

When your mood is dark:
Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice, and be glad in it.”
Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

When worn out and worn down to the point of giving up:
Hebrews 12:2-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and completer of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

When abandoned by everyone meaningful:
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 “… God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”

When friends and even family seem to be abandoning God:
Psalm 100:5 “God’s faithfulness endures through all generations.”
2 Timothy 3:1-4 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

The House or the Heart?

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based on the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues / w4d1

Read: Haggai 1 (SOAP 1:12-13)

When God’s people were released from Babylonian captivity, they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. However, because of opposition from the Samaritans, the temple still lay in ruins while the people were living in houses they built for themselves with panels meant for the temple.

The people were misguided in thinking that the Samaritan opposition meant they should abandon their mission to rebuild the temple. Their decision to instead use what was meant for the Temple to build their own houses was an even bigger mistake, and God made sure they knew it (Haggai 1: 1-11).

 So – Is it wrong to live in nice houses?

While some may believe and teach that Haggai’s message was meant to infer that we are not to live in nice houses, I believe God’s true message wasn’t about their houses but rather about their hearts. They had misplaced their focus and lost sight of their mission and, in the long run, of their God. For, as Gotquestions.org points out, not only did the self-focus of God’s people involve neglecting God’s temple, but it also meant they were not worshiping in the temple as He desired.

The application for us today is that we must place God’s will above our own. In the case of the Jewish people, their self-focus involved neglecting God’s temple (and therefore worship in the temple) while focusing on their own homes. There is nothing wrong with living in a nice home, but there is something wrong with neglecting God’s priorities to pursue our own. First things first, and honoring God is more important than houses or any other material thing.

gotquestions.org

The Lord was not pleased, nor would He tolerate the people putting themselves first. However, the real problem wasn’t the houses; it was their hearts. As He had told them through the first commandment He gave to Moses, and Moses gave to them – He was a jealous God, and they were to put nothing (no other gods) before Him. There is nothing wrong with living in a nice home, but there is something wrong with neglecting God’s priorities to pursue our own. First things first, and honoring God is more important than houses or any other material thing.1

“You shall have no other gods before me. … for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

Exodus 20:3, 5

This was made clear to them not only through the message of Haggai but through a variety of ‘natural disasters’ that were meant to turn their focus and mission back to the true and living God. I find this to be a great reminder that the LORD does indeed pursue us and, in love, uses what it takes to get our attention. Verses twelve and thirteen reveal that the people not only listened to the message from Haggai, but they obeyed – and not as those under duress but as those who respected the Lord their God – and the Lord responded by energizing and encouraging both the leaders and the people.

Friends, we would be wise to understand that while this passage is from the Old Testament, its message still holds true for us today. We are to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, which Jesus said sums up all the law and the prophets.

Food for Thought

From the LGG Journal

“The Israelites return to Jerusalem was a gift of God. Their response should have been one of praise and thanksgiving by first rebuilding the temple, yet they were focused on self.

We, too, can be like the Israelites. We ask and hope for God to deliver us from a situation or make something new or better. When He does, we forget to respond rightly in praise. We can quickly move on and serve our own desires, or we start wanting the next thing. God graciously used Haggai to call the people back to obedience, and they quickly obeyed.

Think of your own life right now. Would your lifestyle and habits indicate that your first priority is serving and worshiping God? May we not become distracted and taken off course like the Israelites. May our hearts and lives be focused on God first and foremost.”

p121/Our God Who Pursues
Prayer of Response

Father, God, we can so easily become distracted by roadblocks or our own wants and desires. Thank You for the reminder that You not only love us but pursue us and draw us back to You and Your mission/desire for our lives. Help us to remember that Your desires/mission for our lives are so much better and more important than our own. May we live lives that glorify and honor You as we live obediently to Your commands. May we not neglect to praise and worship You for who You are and what You have done in our lives. – In the Name of Jesus I pray, – amen and amen!

The More We Know
For more Insight click here for today’s Lgg Blog
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

Loyal Love

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from the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues

Who is a God like you? Who forgives sin and pardons the rebellion of those who remain among his people? Who does not stay angry forever, but delights in showing loyal love?

Micah 7:18

INTO THE TEXT

Wonderful insight from the Love God Greatly Journal, p111


We are forgetful people. We can walk into a room and forget what we came to get. We forget a person’s name after they told us two minutes before. Part of this is because we’re so busy that we forget to focus. The biggest reason we forget is because we’re selfish. We spend our days thinking about our wants and needs and how we can build up our kingdoms. We forget who God is.


This is what happened to the people of Judah. They forgot who God is, so they turned toward serving themselves, building up their nation, and serving other gods. What did this leave them with? Brokenness and shame.


It can be easy for us to read about the people of Israel and Judah and criticize them. We can think, “How could you turn your back on God? Haven’t you seen how much He has done for you?” But if we stop and think about it, we are just like them. We make life all about us and forget who God is.


Micah 7:18 is a great verse to help us reorient our hearts. It reminds us of the character of God. He is unlike anyone or anything else in this world. He is merciful, gracious, loving, compassionate, and patient. The list could go on. When we meditate on the character of God, it helps us to turn our focus off our own selves and onto the One who is all and sustains all.


PRAYER

God, you are good, loving, patient, and sovereign. I can easily forget this and make life all about me. When I do this, help me orient my heart back to focusing on You. Amen.

The More We Know
For more insight from LGG

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues

Give Him Your Heart

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based on, Our God Who Pursues / w3d4

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

As we dive into chapter six of Micah, it’s important to remember that Micah has been addressing the problem God’s people were having with sin. Gotquestions.org explains that “the answer to Israel’s sin problem was not more numerous or more painful sacrifices. The answer was something much deeper than any religious observance: they needed a change of heart. Without the heart, Israel’s conformity to the Law was nothing more than hypocrisy.

While there are clearly some things God does not reveal to us in today’s passage, Micah makes it clear that God’s people, then and now, do not need to wonder about or act like they/we do not know what the Lord wants from us. He spells it out for us here and throughout Scripture so that we are without excuse.

The overall picture seems to be that God doesn’t want our hearts more than any other ‘thing’ we can offer Him.

  • We are to “carry out justice,” meaning we are to know what is right and wrong and do what is right. Gotquestions.org points out that this was particularly pointed at the judicial courts, “They had a responsibility to provide equity and protect the innocent,” The commentary goes on to say that “Injustice was a problem in Israel at that time.”
  • We are to “love mercy,” which involves “loyal love or loving-kindness,” which, as the commentary points out, “is foundational to God’s character. – This, of course, would indicate that He expects His people to show love to their fellow man and to be loyal in their love toward Him, just as He had been loyal to them.”
  • We are to “walk humbly” (aka: have a humble attitude toward God. “Instead of taking pride in what we bring to God, we humbly recognize that no amount of personal sacrifice can replace a heart committed to justice and love.”

The response of a godly heart is outward (do justice, inward (love mercy), and upward (walk humbly).

Got questions.org

“The message of Micah is still pertinent today. Religious rites, no matter how extravagant, can never compensate for a lack of love. External compliance to rules is not as valuable in God’s eyes as a humble heart that simply does what is right. God’s people today will continue to desire justice, mercy, and humility before the Lord.”

Prayer

God, thank you that all you ask of me is my heart. May I live fully surrendered to you each day and love others in response to your love. Amen.1

The More We Know

All quotes used today are from gotquestions.org unless otherwise noted.

Bonus Post from the Journal
  1. as found on p107 of the journal, Our God Who Pursues ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues

What God Requires

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SOAP
Micah 6:8
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.


INTO THE TEXT – from the journal, Our God Who Pursues / p107


Have you ever gotten something really wrong before? Maybe you’ve been listening to some music, singing along, and you realize that you really don’t know the words. You’ve been singing it wrong the whole time. Maybe you were on the way to your destination and realized you were going in the wrong direction. Though these are silly examples, Micah is addressing this concept here in the beginning of Micah 6.


The people of Israel and Judah had gotten their faith all wrong. They had started to look like the nations around them serving false gods and rejecting the true God: Yahweh. So God asks them, “What have I done to deserve this?” He lists out His faithful acts of rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12-15) and provision in the desert (Numbers 22-24). God had always been faithful. It was the people who had forgotten their God and refused to follow Him


What does God require of His followers? Micah tells us to carry out justice, love, and faithfulness and to live obediently to God. Essentially, God wants us to love Him and love others.


We can equate going to church or doing good things as the sum of following God. This is not the case. Yes, our actions can be indicators of who we follow and love, but God ultimately looks at our hearts.


If we have not trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and our hearts are not fully surrendered to Him, then our actions are meaningless. That’s because we will not be doing the good things for the glory of God but rather to impress Him and others or to feel proud about ourselves. Instead, God wants our actions to be done out of sincere devotion to Him and real love for the people around us. How short we fall of His standards if left to ourselves! We need to humbly ask Him for help so that we can increasingly love Him and others the way He wants us to.
Love God and love others. It’s that simple.


PRAYER
God, thank you that all you ask of me is my heart. May I live fully surrendered to you each day and love others in response to your love. Amen.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

Glorious Hope

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Based on Our God Who Pursues/w3d3

Read: Micah 5:2-7 and 10-15

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.

“O’ Little Town of Bethlehem” was always one of my favorite songs when I was growing up. It still brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. So, when I read chapter 5 of Micah, it drew me in. My mind pictures the scene of the little town that unknowingly welcomed the birth of a King, who lay wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger bed.

Micah 5:2 is a Messianic Prophecy that was actually quoted to the Magi; these wise men from the East were told that from the tiny village of Bethlehem would come forth the Prince of Peace, the Light of the world. Micah’s message of sin, repentance, and restoration finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:24-25) and the only way to God (John 14:6).1

The Hope of a Rescuer

Knowing the people had previously received a message of exile and destruction, I can only imagine what a beautiful message of hope Micah’s words offered the people, one they desperately needed. As today’s journal entry points out, “We all need words of hope in this fallen world. Hope keeps us going, and it helps us to keep things in perspective.”

“We all need words of hope in this fallen world. Hope keeps us going, and it helps us to keep things in perspective.”

Our God Who Pursues/p99

The message would have reminded them not only of God’s faithfulness but of God’s “promise in the Garden (Genesis 3:15) that He would send a Rescuer to save people from their sins. Over time, God had been slowly revealing more and more of who this Rescuer would be and what He would be like. Now, God was showing where He was to be born.2“

A Ruler from Bethlehem: Little is much when God is in it

Jesus left all the grandeur of Heaven to come to Earth, where He was quietly and unobtrusively delivered into this little, “seemingly insignificant” town of Bethlehem. Yet from it, God brought King David and, ultimately, used it as the birthplace of His only begotten Son, the promised Messiah from David’s line. Actually, gotquestions.org says this about the little town: “As the City of David, Bethlehem became a symbol of the king’s dynasty.“- As an old song comes to mind as I write, entitled, “Little is much when God is in it.” We have read and seen evidence of this truth on the pages of God’s Word, and as believers, we have experienced the reality of the truth in our own lives – as His presence takes our sinful, insignificant lives and changes everything! Friends, this is the greatest gift we can ever receive – to know the presence of Christ in our lives, His forgiveness, love, and power. Without Him, we are nothing, lost with no hope, but by faith, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and can truly bear witness to the fact that Little is much when God is in it!

“Bethlehem, while diminished in importance to a humble village in New Testament times, remains distinguished above all other biblical cities as the place where our Savior Jesus Christ was born.”3

gotquestions.org
Prayer of Response

Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus, sent as a baby into that seemingly insignificant little town of Bethlehem. A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger certainly would not have seemed like a king or anyone of any significance – yet we worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He’s our rescuer proclaimed from ages past, the One in whom we have believed and received so great a salvation – the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternity with You. The same King that we know will one day come again and take us to live with Him forever. Oh, what glorious Hope we have been given!

The More We Know
More Insight from LGG

“Today, you may be facing great difficulties or challenges. You may be in a season where you have turned your black on God. Know that God still has a message of hope for you. That coming Rescuer has come. His name is Jesus. He brings a message of hope that you can be forgiven and free of your sins. He wants to give you an abundant life full of love, joy, and peace, lasting for eternity. All He asks for is your heart. Will you trust Him today?4“

Know These Truths

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

Choosing The Jesus Way

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Based on the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues,/w3d2

Read: MICAH 3:9-12; 4:1-5 and 4:10-12
Bad morals corrupt good character

Today’s journey through Micah reveals an unflattering picture of God’s people and disturbing news of what was to come. Israel’s leaders had forgotten the God whom they were committed to serve. Micah writes that they hated justice and perverted all that was right. They were building Zion through bloody crimes and Jerusalem through unjust violence. Legal cases were decided on bribes that the leaders received, even the priests proclaimed rulings for profit, and the prophets read omens for pay. As if this corruption was not bad enough, despite the fact that devastation and destruction were already wreaking havoc within the nation, the leaders continued to claim to trust the LORD and were telling the people, “The LORD is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!”

What About You?

We, too, face a similar choice. In a world that says that serving self and doing what seems right to you is the most important, we must, as Joshua told the people in his day, decide whom we will serve. Will we serve self or God? Take a moment to think about your own heart. Are you willing to set aside your wants and desires to follow what God may be calling you to? Are you willing to put others first over getting something you want? Is your heart’s desire to make the name of Jesus known over building your platform or building your own renown? It’s a choice we all must make.

Our God Who Pursues/LGG Journal p99
The hope of Future Days

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 2 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 3 The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore 4 Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! 5 Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

Micah 4:1 -5

The Temple Mount/Mountain of the LORD’S House written about by Micah: A hill in the Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a holy site for thousands of years, including in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Jesus Way

Admittedly, serving oneself or garnering the applause or approval of others can be pretty enticing. Goodness knows I have succumbed to those choices more than I care to admit, but I can tell you it generally led to disappointment or heartache. Choosing the Jesus Way isn’t always the easiest, most desirable, or most comfortable way, but it is most certainly the best way, for it leads to immeasurable blessings and joys.

As I wrote that last sentence, A group of women I used to lead on Sunday mornings came to mind. The name of our group was JOY, which stood for Jesus … Others … You. Seems like a great acronym for our focus today. Jesus first, then others, and then yourself. Whether it is in serving or living out our day-to-day lives, or even in our prayer lives, pay our eyes to stay on Jesus, the One we chose to follow.

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

But I say love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Matthew 5:44

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31
Prayer of Response

Father, do not let us be like the leaders of Israel, who forgot their commitment to serve You and Your call on their lives to serve the people. Help me to remember Jesus’ similar call to let go of my life and follow Him. It isn’t always easy, but You knew that, and You sent the Spirit to empower us to do all that You have called us to do. Holy Spirit, keep my focus Heavenward, guard me from the distractions of this world and the enticements of the flesh. May I be known for living a J.O.Y.-focused life: Keeping Jesus first in all things and serving and loving others before myself. In the name of Jesus – I pray and believe – Amen!

The More We Know
The Jesus Way Devotional
The Jesus Way Song

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

A Plan to Restore

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Based on “Our God Who Pursues”/LGG Journalpw3d1

Read: Micah 1:1-9; Micah 2: 3-13 (SOAP/2:12-13)

Micah delivers a message of both judgment and hope. While it is easy to gravitate to the hope his words bring, we must not neglect or misunderstand the fact that the destruction and exile they face are a result of their sins. In case you are among those who, like the Israelites in Micah’s day, believe that God’s patience cannot be exhausted – hear the warning of Micah from the LORD: “My commands bring a reward for those who obey them.” However, Moses warned in Deuteronomy that disobedience brings destruction. Clearly, many, if not most of the people had been infected/wounded by sin and drawn away from obedience.

“While the judgment promised may be hard to read, it is also merited. The people wanted their own ways over God’s ways, so God was giving them over to what they wanted. This would end poorly for the people of Israel and Judah. By understanding the judgment promised, we can better appreciate the message of hope. ”

LGG Journal/p95 of Our God Who Pursues

I love that even though God’s Holy character stood firm against the disobedient, He pursued the faithful ‘remnant,’ and by His mercy made a way where there was no way.

“I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,
I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain.
I will bring them together like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in the middle of a pasture;
they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise.
13 The one who can break through barriers will lead them out;
they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave.
Their king will advance before them;
the Lord himself will lead them.”
Micah 2:12-13


Keep in mind that God’s pursuit and deliverance of His people comes not out of obligation but from a heart and character full of mercy, love, and grace. As today’s journal entry points out, when we understand this truth, “It allows us to worship Him as we should. We must understand both God’s divine justice as well as His mercy and grace. It’s in light of these characteristics that we can stand forgiven and free through the cross of Jesus Christ. What an incredible God we serve.1”

A personal note from me🦋: Be careful to remember that sin (or a wound as some translate it) is infectious, and no one is immune. After a full winter of illnesses that spread throughout my immediate family, the word “infected” (also translated as “wound”) in 1:9 grabbed my attention. Though our viruses/illnesses were not incurable as Micah described the Samaritans’ to be, they were rough and spread quickly and retentively from family member to family member and among the places we work. Having it once did not ensure you would not get it again. From upper respiratory infections to the flu and the new strain of COVID following Christmas, to another bout with the flu and the coronavirus in January and February – it has been a ‘long, hard winter.’ – My point is this – sin is infectious and we must careful to stay alert that it not grab hold of us. (1 Peter 5:8-11) – One other point from this analogy is that just like the illnesses kept me from work and the reward of those days wages (so-to-speak), the sin that infiltrates our lives, if left unchecked, can separate us from fellowship with our God.

Prayer of Response

Father, thank You for making a way where there was no way. Through Your mercy, love, and grace in Christ Jesus, we have been set free from the law of sin and death. Help us to stay alert to the enemy, and please guard us from the infectious sins that we encounter in our daily lives so that nothing and no one will hinder us from fellowship with You and the freedom to truly worship You. May we be faithful in confessing our sins so that we might enjoy Your faithfulness in forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

The More We Know

For more insight, click the button below

love God Greatly Blog
  1. Our God Who Pursues, p95 ↩︎

Posted in Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

Grace and Compassion

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I am always amazed—perhaps stunned is a better word—when I read about Jonah’s displeasure with God. I understand, and have experienced, disappointment with something God has allowed or not allowed before. However, in this case, Jonah had just cried out to God, repented, and been rescued from certain death. Not only that, but he was given a second chance to obey the LORD by going to Nineveh to deliver the LORD’S message. Yet, now Jonah is angry because God gave the people of Nineveh a chance to repent and spared their lives when they did. So great was Jonah’s displeasure that he cried out, “Kill me instead.”

~ God’s grace in salvation can take the worst of offenders, the worst of angry people, the worst of cheaters and liars and make them whole and brand new. Their sins can be forgiven if they respond to repentance and faith. We wonder if that’s really fair.

We may say that we are thankful that God’s grace is so great, but we hesitate when it comes to God forgiving those who have hurt us or wronged us. In those cases, we would really prefer justice to be done. We may think, “? After all they’ve said and done to us, how could they just be forgiven?”

LGG Our God Who Pursues/p83

I particularly love the second part of this chapter; It is such a wonderful illustration of God’s compassionate heart and His very personal involvement in our lives, not only for His children but also for those who do not know Him. Look again at the story – God sent a plant to shade Jonah as he waited to see the fate of the city, He sent a worm to destroy the plant, and a hot east wind. Scripture says, “the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life and declared, ‘I would rather die than live!'”

God’s reply is a great teachable passage, as He points out to Jonah that he had not worked for the little plant or done anything to make it grow, yet was upset because it grew up overnight and died the next day. He draws a line of comparison with a question that rebuked Jonah for his misplaced anger, asking: “Should I not be more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than 120,000 people in it who do not know right from wrong…”

Let’s remember that God pursued not only Jonah but the people of Ninevah as well. I find this to be a reminder that God loves His enemies (Romans 5:8-10), and He calls us to do the same (Matt.5:44).

Reflection: How can we rejoice when God saves us but be angry when He also goes after those who we deem too far gone/not worthy?

Prayer

Father, help us to faithfully carry/share Your message of repentance and salvation with the world around us. Do not let us forget that Jesus’ death on the cross was necessary because of our sins as well as theirs. Cause us to remember that our sin is an offense to Your holiness, yet in Your grace, You chose to make a way for all to be forgiven – even me. When we are tempted to judge and weigh sins against someone else, may we remember the cost of our salvation and the great grace granted to us despite how undeserving we are. Thank You that Your character never changes. Thank You that salvation is by Your grace and not because it is deserved, yet You still welcome us in as Your children through faith in Jesus. And please, help me see others the way You see them. – Amen~1

  1. Prayer adapted from the journal entry and prayer on p83 of Our God Who Pursues ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

It’s About God, Not Us

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Based on the LGG study, Our God Who Pursues, w2d4/p79

Jonah 3:5
The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

Let’s recap what led up to the people’s repentance. Jonah was told to go, instead he ran the other way and ended up in the belly of a great fish, rescued by God and now restored to be told, once again, “Go to Nineveh and proclaim the message of the LORD.” Jonah then went throughout the city – “announcing, ‘At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!’”

The following is another wonderful commentary by the team off Love God Greatly about the adventures of Jonah in the third chapter.


INTO THE TEXT
How many times have you said or thought of someone you know, “They’ll never change. What’s the point?” It can be exhausting to hope for something different in a person when they’ve never shown any sign of a desire to change. Jonah felt this strongly when he finally made it to Nineveh.


Even though Jonah just had this incredible experience of salvation from God, we see that his attitude toward the people of Nineveh hadn’t changed at all. We read in verse four that Jonah proclaimed a message of repentance to the Ninevhites. In Hebrew, the message was only five words. As we’ll see tomorrow, Jonah secretly hoped that God would not be merciful with this wicked nation.


Here’s the thing. When we proclaim the gospel, it is not about us. It’s not about how eloquent, winsome, or persuasive we can be. It’s not about how long our message is. It’s about God and the Holy Spirit’s movement in a person’s heart. God can use anyone and any moment to open a person’s eyes to the truth of the gospel. After all, Jonah’s message was quite short. Yet, God, in His kindness, still chose to use Jonah’s words to transform the entire city.


In Jonah’s eyes, there was absolutely no hope or no reason to expect the Ninevites to change, but God is greater. No one is ever too far gone. As Jonah just experienced, God can rescue anyone, even from the darkest depths.


God has called all believers to be part of His rescue mission through Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to proclaim the good news of the gospel to all those around us whether they are far or near to God.

PRAYER


God, thank you that you are a merciful God. You rescued me from sin, and you can rescue anyone, no matter what they’ve done. Help me to faithfully proclaim your gospel wherever I go. Amen.

The More We Know
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