Tag: Our God Who Pursues

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

Crying Out In Prayer

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Sbased on the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues/w2d3

Read: Jonah 1:17-2:10 (SOAP: 1:17-2:2)

Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. 2 He said,

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
    and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,
    and Lord, you heard me!

Jonah 1:17-2:2


These beautiful words, highlighting today’s portion of our study, are from today’s LGG journal entry.

Into The Text


Jonah was at the lowest point of his life, both literally and figuratively. It would have been easy for him to blame God and grow bitter. Instead, Jonah recognized that it was his own actions that led him to this place in the belly of a great fish. Notice what Jonah does. He cries out in prayer.
Jonah pours out his heart before the Lord. His prayer is raw and honest. And what does God do? He hears and answers.


In our darkest valleys, God hears our prayers. He cares for us and responds, though it may not be immediate or in the way we expect. But He always hears.

For some, you may find yourself in a pit due to your own actions. If so, call out to Jesus. He wants to have a relationship with you. There is no sin that is too great for the cross and grace of Christ. All you have to do is pray in faith, asking for forgiveness.


God is in the business of redeeming that which was lost or that which is stuck in the pit. Your lowest moments or seasons of life will not be wasted. There is hope found in Jesus.


For others, you may find yourself in a pit due to hard life circumstances or the actions of others. Know that you are not alone. You have not been forgotten. These seasons feel long and weary, but it is not the end of your story. David writes in Psalm 23 that “even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me” (23:4). Cry out to God in your hurt and pain. It will not catch Him off guard. Depend on Him to give you strength for each day.


Jonah’s prayer realigned his heart back to God so that he would be ready to faithfully follow God’s call to go to Nineveh. May your prayers today bring you peace and trust in the only place where true life is found, in Christ. As Jonah’s story wasn’t over, yours is not either.

My Prayer of Response


Father, thank You for the testimonies you bring from hardships and tragedies. Thank You for letting us see how You can work things together for good even through or despite our bad choices and situations. Thank You that this isn’t just a story but that it is truth played out on the pages of Your Word, in the lives of Your people bearing witness to who You are and the miraculous things You can do! May we be quick to share the testimonies of Your people and of the work You have and are doing in our own lives. In the mighty name of Jesus – Amen!

The More We Know

For more insight into today’s passage, read today’s LGG Blog Post

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

God Will Repay

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Read Joel 3

Borrowed from the journal of Love God Greatly’s, Our God Who Pursues, p57

SOAP
Joel 3:16
The Lord roars from Zion; from Jerusalem his voice bellows out. The heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge for his people; he is a stronghold for the citizens of Israel.


INTO THE TEXT


From our earliest years, we are taught the difference between right and wrong. When we or someone we love are treated unjustly by others, or when we see the terrible things that are done to people throughout this world, we often feel anger. Life is unfair and we strongly feel the need to make things right. We know that life here on earth is not what it should be.


Of course, Christians should work hard to promote justice on behalf of those who are oppressed and mistreated. There are many ways we can help to make this world a little more bearable for others. However, when it comes to revenge, that is not ours to seek. It is God’s role. God promises in Joel 3 that there will be a future day of judgment where He will confront all evil and remove it forever. A lot of times, our motives for revenge are out of selfish or angry means. Everything God does, however, is out of His holy character.


For believers, we don’t have to worry about getting even with others or making sure that we are treated with justice. We are called to trust God, who will make sure that every evil deed committed against us or others, if it is not forgiven through the cross of Jesus, will be brought into the open and justly dealt with.


Joel sees a future with two sides. On the one side, there will be salvation and blessing for those who belong to God, for those whose sins have been forgiven through Jesus Christ. But on the other, there will be judgment and destruction for all those who go their own way. At the end of times, God will be for us either a roaring lion or a safe place of refuge.


Let’s run to our Heavenly Father, who offers mercy, forgiveness, peace, and protection. He will give us strength to withstand all the difficulties and injustices of life.


PRAYER


God, I oftentimes want to see revenge and repayment done to those who commit sin and evil around me. Help me to run toward your safe refuge and trust in your timing for seeing justice delivered. Amen.

REFLECTION

Where are you tempted to take revenge or justice into your own hands? How can you open your hands to trust in God’s deliverance and begin to pray for your enemies?

THE MORE WE KNOW

Be sure and check out today’s LGG blog post: Refuge for the Day of Judgment