The subject of God fills books. There are way too many different false gods in this world, but I believe in the only true God: the God of the Christian Bible. The Bible is all about God: who he is, what he has done, and how much he loves us. What are the most important things about God? That's what I'd like to cover in this post.
I believe in God not because of anything I can do, but because he has given me faith to believe in him.
He created the universe and everything in it, including all people, which gives every person inherent worth as a creation of God.
He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere at the same time.
He is three Persons in one God. I can't explain how this is, but I know it by faith. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Son is Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate--man and God, both at the same time, neither more or less of the other. As man, he was able to die on the cross; as God, he lived a sinless life, and therefore his death counted for the sins of all people-- and he didn't stay dead! He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will return someday to bring all those who believe in him to live with him in heaven for eternity.
God the Holy Spirit came into my heart at my baptism, and it is he who gives me faith. The Holy Spirit gives me the ability to live a life that is obedient to God; without the gift of faith no good works I do are good at all. But no works do anything to help me earn salvation. In fact, I cannot do anything at all to "earn" salvation. It is a gift.
Because he loves me, God has saved me from sin, death, and the power of Satan. He has given this gift freely, without expecting anything from me. He gives me faith to believe in him, and as a result of believing in God and what Jesus has done for me, I am forgiven of all the bad things I do, and I am reconciled to God, and can look forward to eternity with him in heaven--all because of his grace to me.
Now, it is possible to reject the gifts of faith, salvation and eternal life. Many people have chosen to do so, and they will have to endure the consequences of that choice. But God freely offers the gift of faith to all people.
It's important to remember that we can't fully understand everything about God. If we could understand him completely, he wouldn't be God! Our minds are finite, and as humans we simply don't have the mental capacity to understand the enormity that is God. We can understand aspects of who he is and what he does, but it is not for us to understand him fully. That's okay. That's why he gives us faith, because he knows we don't have the capacity for complete understanding. We just accept the things we can't understand by faith.
The fact that I believe in and trust in God doesn't mean I don't have questions. I struggle with why God allows so many horrible things to happen in the world. I don't know why he does. But I do know this: God has a plan for all of humanity that is WAY bigger than I can comprehend. I know that I fit into that plan, and I know what the outcome will be for me and all believers: HEAVEN. :) What happens between now and then is not for me to know. That's God's business. I know that he's completely good, and that he has a good and perfect plan. I trust that by faith, and leave the rest up to him.
I could write so much more about who God is to me personally, and what he's done in just my life. It's amazing that such a big God would pay so much attention to, and heap so much love on, just me. But he does. And he's amazing. :)
I guess the most important thing about this awesome God of mine is that he loves you. He loves me. He loves all of humanity, far more than we could ever imagine. In fact, the Bible says that God IS love.
Just trust that.
Linking with: Upward Not Inward, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers, We are THAT Family, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Thankful for God and My Husband {and what they have in common}
Sometimes writing a "Thankful Thursday" post is kind of hard.
Do I make a list of things I'm thankful for?
Or do I pick one thing and expound on that?
This is a good problem to have. :)
I have realized the last few days how much my husband's love for me is like God's love for me (and all his children). {See the last point of yesterday's post for why marriage is supposed to be like that!}
My husband loves me even when I'm unlovable. No, he doesn't love me perfectly (only God can do that!), but he still takes care of me, he still does sweet things for me, he still listens to me even when I'm being crabby or disrespectful or if I'm hormonal (which he does NOT deserve).
He forgives me for everything. We have a hard time holding grudges around here (because who can stay mad at your best friend for long, especially if they're handsome and hilarious like my husband? :D ). In the same way, God constantly forgives me for everything I do wrong--all because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
My husband sees beauty in me even when I can't see it in myself. I got about six inches cut off my hair last week (thanks Mom!) and Joshua keeps playing with it and admiring it. He is always telling me I'm beautiful even when I know my hair is greasy and I have a breakout on my face and my breath is horrible. I know that God, my Creator, thinks I'm beautiful, too...just because he made me. Not because of anything I've done.
My husband encourages me spiritually and in my faith. Now, of course, God is the source of my faith, and that's something Joshua won't ever be, but he definitely fills the role of spiritual leader. He prays for us several times every day. It was his idea to have devotions every morning and pray together in the evenings. He reminds me to keep trusting God even when I have a hard time doing so. And oh, the wonderful talks we have about our faith, and who God is, and what it means to be a Christian.
So today, I'm thankful for my husband. I'm thankful that he helps me understand better who God is. I'm thankful for his spiritual role in our home. I'm so very thankful for God's love, forgiveness and understanding, and most of all for the faith that he has given me.
Linking up today with these lovely ladies:
Passionate and Creative Homemaking; The Fontenot Four; black tag diaries; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; Live Called
Do I make a list of things I'm thankful for?
Or do I pick one thing and expound on that?
This is a good problem to have. :)
I have realized the last few days how much my husband's love for me is like God's love for me (and all his children). {See the last point of yesterday's post for why marriage is supposed to be like that!}
My husband loves me even when I'm unlovable. No, he doesn't love me perfectly (only God can do that!), but he still takes care of me, he still does sweet things for me, he still listens to me even when I'm being crabby or disrespectful or if I'm hormonal (which he does NOT deserve).
He forgives me for everything. We have a hard time holding grudges around here (because who can stay mad at your best friend for long, especially if they're handsome and hilarious like my husband? :D ). In the same way, God constantly forgives me for everything I do wrong--all because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
My husband sees beauty in me even when I can't see it in myself. I got about six inches cut off my hair last week (thanks Mom!) and Joshua keeps playing with it and admiring it. He is always telling me I'm beautiful even when I know my hair is greasy and I have a breakout on my face and my breath is horrible. I know that God, my Creator, thinks I'm beautiful, too...just because he made me. Not because of anything I've done.
My husband encourages me spiritually and in my faith. Now, of course, God is the source of my faith, and that's something Joshua won't ever be, but he definitely fills the role of spiritual leader. He prays for us several times every day. It was his idea to have devotions every morning and pray together in the evenings. He reminds me to keep trusting God even when I have a hard time doing so. And oh, the wonderful talks we have about our faith, and who God is, and what it means to be a Christian.
So today, I'm thankful for my husband. I'm thankful that he helps me understand better who God is. I'm thankful for his spiritual role in our home. I'm so very thankful for God's love, forgiveness and understanding, and most of all for the faith that he has given me.
Linking up today with these lovely ladies:
Passionate and Creative Homemaking; The Fontenot Four; black tag diaries; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; Live Called
Thursday, January 12, 2012
In the Presence of God
Today's Joy Dare asks us to list "something above you, something below you, something beside you."
We're in the presence of God's gifts all the time. We're in the presence of God all the time. Sometimes I forget that. There are times when I want to forget it: when I'm doing things I know I shouldn't, when I say things to hurt others, when my thoughts don't honor God. There are times when it doesn't seem like God is there.
But he always is.
Looking for his blessings in everything is a reminder that God is all around me. He is there in the hug of a friend. He's there in the sunshine, even on a cold day. He's in a squeeze from my husband's hand. He is there in the quiet, in the night, in the silent presence of people who love me.
God is even within me. He is there hearing all my thoughts, hearing my joy, my desperation, my successes, my sorry. He feels what I feel. He sees all the worst things of me, and loves and forgives me still.
Today, he's blessed me with
something above me: the roof over our heads. A home, keeping us safe and warm and protected.
something below me: the comfy couch I'm sitting on, hand-me-down from my grandparents.
something beside me: a coat that helped protect me from the cold. books for school. my beloved husband.
We're in the presence of God's gifts all the time. We're in the presence of God all the time. Sometimes I forget that. There are times when I want to forget it: when I'm doing things I know I shouldn't, when I say things to hurt others, when my thoughts don't honor God. There are times when it doesn't seem like God is there.
But he always is.
Looking for his blessings in everything is a reminder that God is all around me. He is there in the hug of a friend. He's there in the sunshine, even on a cold day. He's in a squeeze from my husband's hand. He is there in the quiet, in the night, in the silent presence of people who love me.
God is even within me. He is there hearing all my thoughts, hearing my joy, my desperation, my successes, my sorry. He feels what I feel. He sees all the worst things of me, and loves and forgives me still.
Today, he's blessed me with
something above me: the roof over our heads. A home, keeping us safe and warm and protected.
something below me: the comfy couch I'm sitting on, hand-me-down from my grandparents.
something beside me: a coat that helped protect me from the cold. books for school. my beloved husband.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Why God Gives Us Friends
He gives us friends...
To make us feel better about ourselves.
To help us see who we truly are.
To help us become better.
To remind us Whose we are.
To tell us that we're beautiful.
To give us advice--about life, relationships, marriage.
To reflect our faults back at us so we can see where we need correction.
To understand us when no one else does.
To pray for us and hold us up to God.
To laugh with.
To cry with.
To hug and hold when we need that.
To join us in the things we love and share with us the things they love.
To remind us how much He loves us.
To give us someone to share His love with.
To make our life a brighter, happier, more joyful one.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wow, three posts in one day!
My first post of today was very "me-centered." I'm going to leave it as an example of what I DON'T want to do with my posts.
It's not about me. Life isn't. It's about the One who created me, who loves me, and who holds my life in his hands.
I was talking with my friend Sara yesterday about how mind-boggling it is, what Christ has done for us. God came down to earth to live as a human, with all the pain and frustrations and inconveniences that that entails. He was treated poorly, and at the end of his earthly life was mocked, beaten, whipped, spit upon, jeered at, and finally nailed to a rough cross of wood.
To the Jews who witnessed that, it was the most humiliating death a person could experience: the death of a criminal. If only they had known that He was there because He had chosen to be. That He had chosen to experience hell, quite literally, in order that mankind wouldn't have to. That those who believed in Him and what He had done and that He had done it for them, without any help from them, that they might live. Eternally. With the One who loved them so much.
Not only that, but Sara and I talked about how much we still sin against God, despite what He's done for us. And then, most mind-blowing of all, how He DAILY forgives us from all those sins! What Jesus suffered on the cross was one payment for all sins of all people of all time. He already took care of it ALL! And He forgives every sin of every day. No matter how many there are.
THAT is grace. THAT is love.
Well, that's God.
It's not about me. Life isn't. It's about the One who created me, who loves me, and who holds my life in his hands.
I was talking with my friend Sara yesterday about how mind-boggling it is, what Christ has done for us. God came down to earth to live as a human, with all the pain and frustrations and inconveniences that that entails. He was treated poorly, and at the end of his earthly life was mocked, beaten, whipped, spit upon, jeered at, and finally nailed to a rough cross of wood.
To the Jews who witnessed that, it was the most humiliating death a person could experience: the death of a criminal. If only they had known that He was there because He had chosen to be. That He had chosen to experience hell, quite literally, in order that mankind wouldn't have to. That those who believed in Him and what He had done and that He had done it for them, without any help from them, that they might live. Eternally. With the One who loved them so much.
Not only that, but Sara and I talked about how much we still sin against God, despite what He's done for us. And then, most mind-blowing of all, how He DAILY forgives us from all those sins! What Jesus suffered on the cross was one payment for all sins of all people of all time. He already took care of it ALL! And He forgives every sin of every day. No matter how many there are.
THAT is grace. THAT is love.
Well, that's God.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
I'm Growing Up...
Today, for the first time in a while, I put on an apron and wielded my mother's marble rolling pin and got all floury, making cut-out sugar cookies. It was a delightful mother-daughter-time, both of us in the kitchen, chatting, laughing, baking, tasting. Dad and sis helped with frosting the cookies later.
I've been helping with this Christmastime ritual every year for as long as I can remember. A couple of things about this year made me realize that I'm not a little girl anymore, though. My mom handed me a ribbon-tied bag with several cookie cutters in it, for me to use next year when I prepare for my first Christmas as a married woman. Two of the cutters my mom bought for herself, but the rest of them were her grandmother's. Being given these family heirlooms touched me deeply, and made me realize again that I am becoming a woman. (Of course, the little-girl left in me came out this afternoon when I played the game Sardines-similar to hide-and-seek- with my sister and our neighbor friends. :) )
I also don't mind doing dishes as much as I used to. I have all these homemaking urges that are becoming very hard to resist. Things like the Pampered Chef items my mom and some relatives got for me make me very excited.
My life is changing, and I'm changing, at an impressively rapid rate. I'm very ready to become a wife and homemaker. I can hardly wait to be married to my husband and live in a home of our own.
As we are changing and growing up, it's immensely comforting to realize and remember that God never changes. He always stays the same. His love, his forgiveness, his power, his grace, his wonder, they never change. God is as wonderful as it is possible to get. He has perfected perfection and he can't get any more perfect!
God is the same now as he was when I was born and he will be the same in fifty years. For that matter, he is the same now as he was at Creation and he will still be the same at the Last Day.
So, despite all the changing and growing in my life- which are good things, natural and necessary- I can rely on God to stay steadfast and unchanging, loving and blessing me no matter what happens in my life.
Today, I am going to rely on the comfort of knowing that God will never change.
I've been helping with this Christmastime ritual every year for as long as I can remember. A couple of things about this year made me realize that I'm not a little girl anymore, though. My mom handed me a ribbon-tied bag with several cookie cutters in it, for me to use next year when I prepare for my first Christmas as a married woman. Two of the cutters my mom bought for herself, but the rest of them were her grandmother's. Being given these family heirlooms touched me deeply, and made me realize again that I am becoming a woman. (Of course, the little-girl left in me came out this afternoon when I played the game Sardines-similar to hide-and-seek- with my sister and our neighbor friends. :) )
I also don't mind doing dishes as much as I used to. I have all these homemaking urges that are becoming very hard to resist. Things like the Pampered Chef items my mom and some relatives got for me make me very excited.
My life is changing, and I'm changing, at an impressively rapid rate. I'm very ready to become a wife and homemaker. I can hardly wait to be married to my husband and live in a home of our own.
As we are changing and growing up, it's immensely comforting to realize and remember that God never changes. He always stays the same. His love, his forgiveness, his power, his grace, his wonder, they never change. God is as wonderful as it is possible to get. He has perfected perfection and he can't get any more perfect!
God is the same now as he was when I was born and he will be the same in fifty years. For that matter, he is the same now as he was at Creation and he will still be the same at the Last Day.
So, despite all the changing and growing in my life- which are good things, natural and necessary- I can rely on God to stay steadfast and unchanging, loving and blessing me no matter what happens in my life.
Today, I am going to rely on the comfort of knowing that God will never change.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
He Knows All My Ways: Psalm 119:161-176
I missed quite a few days of posting this week. I added more verses to the "Old Testament Verses" page (New Testament coming soon) on Sunday, but I haven't blogged on Psalm 119 since Saturday. It's been an insane last few days, and God has blessed me incredibly despite my ignoring him lately.
I did read through today's passage with my fiance yesterday at lunch. He pointed out how heavily law-oriented this whole Psalm is, which is correct. It has encouraged me a lot, though, just to learn to seek God's will more and to love his Word and his laws. Verse 165 is encouraging like that too:
"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."
There are a lot of times when I despise God's law, but generally I do love it and I know how good it is. God promises "great peace" to me, and that NOTHING will make me stumble! That is great comfort.
The second part of verse 168 is partly encouraging and partly convicting: the psalmist says to God, "All my ways are known to you." Whoa! God knows everything about us! ALL our ways, all our actions, are known to him. It's great to know that God is always watching over me and taking care of me, and he sees me and comforts me in the bad times, and is also there in the good times.
But what about those times when I sin? Especially when I do it knowingly????
God sees ALL my ways, even those! That is a rather uncomfortable thought: He knows when I'm really, really bad.
But you know what? He loves us anyway!!! And, even better, he FORGIVES all of our sins!!!
It's like a quote I heard about friends once: "A friend is one who sees you at your best and your worst, and loves you just the same." God is our very BEST friend, and he will always love us, no matter what. THIS is what I take the most comfort in: God's never-failing love!!!!
Psalm 119:176 happens to be the very last verse of the longest book in the Bible. That means I'm done with this Psalm and am going to be moving on to other Psalms! A friend of mine has decided to take on the challenge of blogging every single day for the next year- whether it be a full-blown post like this or just a quote or a picture. I'm not going to be so strict about blogging daily, but I do want to continue this process of blogging about Scripture, so hopefully it will be daily or at least very nearly. I'm doing this mostly for myself, to develop the discipline, and to improve my writing because someday I'd like to be a professional writer. We'll see how the Lord leads!
Verse 175 says, "Let me live that I may praise you." Today, I want to live to praise him, knowing that he knows all my ways, and loves me just the same.
I did read through today's passage with my fiance yesterday at lunch. He pointed out how heavily law-oriented this whole Psalm is, which is correct. It has encouraged me a lot, though, just to learn to seek God's will more and to love his Word and his laws. Verse 165 is encouraging like that too:
"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."
There are a lot of times when I despise God's law, but generally I do love it and I know how good it is. God promises "great peace" to me, and that NOTHING will make me stumble! That is great comfort.
The second part of verse 168 is partly encouraging and partly convicting: the psalmist says to God, "All my ways are known to you." Whoa! God knows everything about us! ALL our ways, all our actions, are known to him. It's great to know that God is always watching over me and taking care of me, and he sees me and comforts me in the bad times, and is also there in the good times.
But what about those times when I sin? Especially when I do it knowingly????
God sees ALL my ways, even those! That is a rather uncomfortable thought: He knows when I'm really, really bad.
But you know what? He loves us anyway!!! And, even better, he FORGIVES all of our sins!!!
It's like a quote I heard about friends once: "A friend is one who sees you at your best and your worst, and loves you just the same." God is our very BEST friend, and he will always love us, no matter what. THIS is what I take the most comfort in: God's never-failing love!!!!
Psalm 119:176 happens to be the very last verse of the longest book in the Bible. That means I'm done with this Psalm and am going to be moving on to other Psalms! A friend of mine has decided to take on the challenge of blogging every single day for the next year- whether it be a full-blown post like this or just a quote or a picture. I'm not going to be so strict about blogging daily, but I do want to continue this process of blogging about Scripture, so hopefully it will be daily or at least very nearly. I'm doing this mostly for myself, to develop the discipline, and to improve my writing because someday I'd like to be a professional writer. We'll see how the Lord leads!
Verse 175 says, "Let me live that I may praise you." Today, I want to live to praise him, knowing that he knows all my ways, and loves me just the same.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
His Compassion is Great: Psalm 119:153-160
There are so many beautiful words in this passage that tell all the wonderful things God is and does for us:
153a Look upon my suffering and deliver me...
154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.
156 Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws.
159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love.
160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
God delivers us, he defends and redeems us. Three times the psalmist says "preserve my life": according to God's promise, his laws, and his love. Promise: what God has said he will do for us. Laws: what we do for him. Love: the reason for both things! God loves us and so we love him!
In reading these psalms several times over, writing them out, looking at the patterns and parallels, I'm getting so much out of them! That has been my prayer and desire as I've been doing this reading and blogging. I wrote about that a bit in an earlier post. God has been teaching me his word, as I asked him to! He is faithful and he DOES answer prayer.
When I stop to think about how huge and powerful and amazing God is, it's incredibly awesome to know that he takes care of and love little (relatively) insignificant me! His compassion is GREAT, he redeems me and takes care of me and every aspect of my life (that's what it means for him to preserve my life). He defends me, too: when Satan accuses us of all the sins that we are guilty of (because we are guilty of them), God is our defense and states that our debt has been paid and to him, we are no longer guilty. In a way, God is the defense lawyer and the judge, too, because he also pronounces the sentence on us: forgiven and blameless! In reality, God defends us from our own sinful selves. He loves us that much!!
Today, I am going to remember how much God loves me and how great his compassion is for me!
153a Look upon my suffering and deliver me...
154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.
156 Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws.
159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love.
160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
God delivers us, he defends and redeems us. Three times the psalmist says "preserve my life": according to God's promise, his laws, and his love. Promise: what God has said he will do for us. Laws: what we do for him. Love: the reason for both things! God loves us and so we love him!
In reading these psalms several times over, writing them out, looking at the patterns and parallels, I'm getting so much out of them! That has been my prayer and desire as I've been doing this reading and blogging. I wrote about that a bit in an earlier post. God has been teaching me his word, as I asked him to! He is faithful and he DOES answer prayer.
When I stop to think about how huge and powerful and amazing God is, it's incredibly awesome to know that he takes care of and love little (relatively) insignificant me! His compassion is GREAT, he redeems me and takes care of me and every aspect of my life (that's what it means for him to preserve my life). He defends me, too: when Satan accuses us of all the sins that we are guilty of (because we are guilty of them), God is our defense and states that our debt has been paid and to him, we are no longer guilty. In a way, God is the defense lawyer and the judge, too, because he also pronounces the sentence on us: forgiven and blameless! In reality, God defends us from our own sinful selves. He loves us that much!!
Today, I am going to remember how much God loves me and how great his compassion is for me!
Friday, November 12, 2010
He is Near: Psalm 119:145-152
In this psalm the writer is seeking God and his understanding. I can almost picture the psalmist, laying awake at night and waking early, searching the Scriptures and crying out to God in prayer for God to answer. Here is the passage for today:
I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees.
I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay opent hrough the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.
Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.
Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true.
Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.
I had a time in my life, when I was nine or so, when I had some health issues that made it hard to sleep. I'd lay awake for hours at night and was thankful when I woke up by five o'clock and not earlier. I spent a lot of time reading Scripture for those days. Now that I'm older, sleep is easier to come by, but I have so many big decisions to make. I think I should emulate this psalmist more, and spend time late at night and early in the morning talking to God and searching his word.
I'm sure there are people out there who can really relate with the writer of this psalm. For those people, there is this precious promise of God for them: He is near! In the book of Joshua, God says, "I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)
Today, I am going to remember that God is near, and that I have the privilege of seeking him!
I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees.
I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay opent hrough the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.
Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.
Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true.
Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.
I had a time in my life, when I was nine or so, when I had some health issues that made it hard to sleep. I'd lay awake for hours at night and was thankful when I woke up by five o'clock and not earlier. I spent a lot of time reading Scripture for those days. Now that I'm older, sleep is easier to come by, but I have so many big decisions to make. I think I should emulate this psalmist more, and spend time late at night and early in the morning talking to God and searching his word.
I'm sure there are people out there who can really relate with the writer of this psalm. For those people, there is this precious promise of God for them: He is near! In the book of Joshua, God says, "I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)
Today, I am going to remember that God is near, and that I have the privilege of seeking him!
Monday, November 8, 2010
He is My Refuge and Shield: Psalm 119:113-120
Psalm 119 very much contrasts the wise- those who follow God's law- with the wicked and foolish- those who reject God's law. Today's passage carries that theme. I'll look at each verse in turn.
113 I hate double-minded men, but I love your law. This goes back to verse 53, which was about the righteous indignation a follower of God's law has against someone who disobeys it. Personally, those who claim to be Christians but don't act like it really make me frustrated, too, because it is a poor reflection on the body of Christ. I can somewhat relate to the psalmist here.
114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. My favorite verse in the passage, definitely! I love the mental picture I'm getting of this. In the midst of the spiritual battle that is going on all around us, God is the place where we can hide from the evil that surrounds us; we can rest in him and not fear the attack of Satan. When we are out fighting, God is still protecting us as our shield. He keeps us safe from attack. We can be confident even when fighting this spiritual battle because our hope is not in how well we can fight, but in God's word, and in his word we learn that he has already won the battle and so we have too!
115 Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Do you ever feel like if it wasn't for sinful people all around you and the evil in this world, it would be a lot easier to obey God? Yeah. Me too. And apparently the psalmist felt the same way.
116 Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. I like taking psalms apart verse by verse like this because it brings out parallels and patterns. This goes with verse 114-- God's word contains promises that he will take care of us, and we also hope in his word. Verse 116 is a prayer that verse 114 would happen. Verse 117 echoes that also:
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. I think it's funny in a really sad way when people think they can trick God. It's like the little kid who steals a quarter off their dad's dresser or disobey their parents in some other way, and think they can get away with it. Mom and Dad see everything, and God does even more so! When people wander away from God and think they can get away with it, he sees it, and rejects them. This is echoed in verse 119:
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. Dross was the scum removed from molten ore or metal, according to my study notes. It had to be removed for the metal to become pure. It was useless and impure, and was therefore thrown away. This might seem like really harsh language, and it is, because it's law, but there are major consequences for those who disobey God.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws. This verse on first sight makes God sound like some big, scary, awful being. He's big, yes, but he's awe-some! We have every right to be a little bit afraid of God, when we consider the immeasurable power he has. But go back to verse 114 again: "You are my refuge and my shield." This big, powerful, amazing God protects and takes care of each one of his children. Just think how cool it is to have God on your side--because he IS!!
Today, I am going to rest in the knowledge that God is my refuge and place of rest, and he is my shield and protects me from all evil.
113 I hate double-minded men, but I love your law. This goes back to verse 53, which was about the righteous indignation a follower of God's law has against someone who disobeys it. Personally, those who claim to be Christians but don't act like it really make me frustrated, too, because it is a poor reflection on the body of Christ. I can somewhat relate to the psalmist here.
114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. My favorite verse in the passage, definitely! I love the mental picture I'm getting of this. In the midst of the spiritual battle that is going on all around us, God is the place where we can hide from the evil that surrounds us; we can rest in him and not fear the attack of Satan. When we are out fighting, God is still protecting us as our shield. He keeps us safe from attack. We can be confident even when fighting this spiritual battle because our hope is not in how well we can fight, but in God's word, and in his word we learn that he has already won the battle and so we have too!
115 Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Do you ever feel like if it wasn't for sinful people all around you and the evil in this world, it would be a lot easier to obey God? Yeah. Me too. And apparently the psalmist felt the same way.
116 Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. I like taking psalms apart verse by verse like this because it brings out parallels and patterns. This goes with verse 114-- God's word contains promises that he will take care of us, and we also hope in his word. Verse 116 is a prayer that verse 114 would happen. Verse 117 echoes that also:
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. I think it's funny in a really sad way when people think they can trick God. It's like the little kid who steals a quarter off their dad's dresser or disobey their parents in some other way, and think they can get away with it. Mom and Dad see everything, and God does even more so! When people wander away from God and think they can get away with it, he sees it, and rejects them. This is echoed in verse 119:
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. Dross was the scum removed from molten ore or metal, according to my study notes. It had to be removed for the metal to become pure. It was useless and impure, and was therefore thrown away. This might seem like really harsh language, and it is, because it's law, but there are major consequences for those who disobey God.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws. This verse on first sight makes God sound like some big, scary, awful being. He's big, yes, but he's awe-some! We have every right to be a little bit afraid of God, when we consider the immeasurable power he has. But go back to verse 114 again: "You are my refuge and my shield." This big, powerful, amazing God protects and takes care of each one of his children. Just think how cool it is to have God on your side--because he IS!!
Today, I am going to rest in the knowledge that God is my refuge and place of rest, and he is my shield and protects me from all evil.
Friday, November 5, 2010
I am His: Psalm 119:89-96
Today's section of the psalm has so much to it. I practiced a little bit of lectio divina, a contemplative, meditative reading of the Scriptures. I would highly recommend trying it sometime with a few verses, by the way. It's my favorite way of reading the Bible.
I'm going to go through the passage verse by verse and write my thoughts on each.
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
Here, "word" could be taken to mean the Scriptures- which are eternal, more so than any other religious writings- or it could mean the Word made Flesh: Jesus Christ himself. So, Christ is eternal, lasting forever in heaven, and so is the Scripture eternal, lasting forever.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
What I find wonderful about this truth is that despite humanity's constant unfaithfulness to God, which has happened since the beginning of time, God's faithfulness continues- through all generations! Not only that, but the earth that he created has endured despite man's continued unfaithfulness. What grace!
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
This could be taken to mean God's law in Scripture, which does endure just as all Scripture does. I think it also applies to the laws which God set in creation: the sun rises every twenty-four hours, our lungs brreathe in and out, things are born and grow and die, and it all continues: because all things do serve God.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I had to check my notes on this one. God's law teaches us the way to live, and without delighting in his law, we would perish in the affliction of our sin. Verse 93 repeats this in a different way, and it says:
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.
The first phrase of this verse is one that is quoted in the Luther movie. Luther is arguing with Satan and desiring a merciful God, "one who loves me and who I can love". His father confessor tells him to pray, "I am yours. Save me." I didn't know till today that that prayer is Psalm 119:94b! It is a prayer that I can pray all the time, daily, to remind me that I am God's and to beg him to save me.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
Honestly, I don't really understand this verse. Maybe it is clearer in the original Hebrew. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that when we know, understand and live by God's law, we are less easily ensnared by sin and those who would deceive us.
96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.
My notes have a good interpretation of this: "boundless. Lit. 'very broad', i.e., an inexhaustible source of wise counsel for life." Most perfect things can only get to be so perfect and then they are as perfect as is possible. God's commands, his "wise counsel for life," are so broad that they are uneclipsable. (I don't know if that's a word, but it describes well what I'm trying to say.) In other words, God's commands are so perfect that they have no limits! God himself is like this also. He's so good that he transcends all other perfection and then some!
It is this completely perfect, fully eternal, forever faithful amazing God who saves us and whom we belong to.
Today, I am going to remember that I belong to this incredible God who has saved me.
I'm going to go through the passage verse by verse and write my thoughts on each.
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
Here, "word" could be taken to mean the Scriptures- which are eternal, more so than any other religious writings- or it could mean the Word made Flesh: Jesus Christ himself. So, Christ is eternal, lasting forever in heaven, and so is the Scripture eternal, lasting forever.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
What I find wonderful about this truth is that despite humanity's constant unfaithfulness to God, which has happened since the beginning of time, God's faithfulness continues- through all generations! Not only that, but the earth that he created has endured despite man's continued unfaithfulness. What grace!
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
This could be taken to mean God's law in Scripture, which does endure just as all Scripture does. I think it also applies to the laws which God set in creation: the sun rises every twenty-four hours, our lungs brreathe in and out, things are born and grow and die, and it all continues: because all things do serve God.
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I had to check my notes on this one. God's law teaches us the way to live, and without delighting in his law, we would perish in the affliction of our sin. Verse 93 repeats this in a different way, and it says:
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.
The first phrase of this verse is one that is quoted in the Luther movie. Luther is arguing with Satan and desiring a merciful God, "one who loves me and who I can love". His father confessor tells him to pray, "I am yours. Save me." I didn't know till today that that prayer is Psalm 119:94b! It is a prayer that I can pray all the time, daily, to remind me that I am God's and to beg him to save me.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
Honestly, I don't really understand this verse. Maybe it is clearer in the original Hebrew. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that when we know, understand and live by God's law, we are less easily ensnared by sin and those who would deceive us.
96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.
My notes have a good interpretation of this: "boundless. Lit. 'very broad', i.e., an inexhaustible source of wise counsel for life." Most perfect things can only get to be so perfect and then they are as perfect as is possible. God's commands, his "wise counsel for life," are so broad that they are uneclipsable. (I don't know if that's a word, but it describes well what I'm trying to say.) In other words, God's commands are so perfect that they have no limits! God himself is like this also. He's so good that he transcends all other perfection and then some!
It is this completely perfect, fully eternal, forever faithful amazing God who saves us and whom we belong to.
Today, I am going to remember that I belong to this incredible God who has saved me.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
He is Good: Psalm 119:65-72
As I begin to focus more on God and less on myself, I'm going to change the titles of my posts to reflect that.
This is something I need to do in all my life. I am so often focused on ME: what I should do, what I shouldn't, what I don't do that I should, what I want to do but can't. I would become a lot less selfless if I focused on God and on others instead of myself. I'm going to work on doing that in my posts, too.
In today's passage, three verses stood out to me. Verse 66 says, "Teach me knowledge and good judgement, for I believe in your commands." My notes say about this verse that we can have confidence in God's commands because they are not deceitful. The note on verse 52, which says "I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them," says, "God's law is not fickle, but it is grounded firmly in his unchanging moral character. This is a major source of the author's comfort and one of the main reasons he cherishes the law so highly." Unlike human laws, which are changeable and made by changeable people, God's laws stay the same forever. They teach us "knowledge and good judgement".
I was discussing this with someone the other day: how it is such a comfort that God is unchangeable. People are so fickle and unpredictable, and it's impossible to fully understand them because they're always changing. Now, it's also impossible to fully understand God because he's more than we can understand, but he will NEVER CHANGE!! So when we do begin to understand aspects of him, we can be sure that those aspects will stay the same no matter what. God's laws are the same way.
This leads into the next verse I underlined, verse 68: "You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees." This sentence is such a comfort to me: God is good, and everything he does is good! Even when things seem to be going horribly, even when I can't understand why things happen, I know God is good. All the time. Because he doesn't change. One of my all-time favorite Bible verses ever is Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (the emphases are mine). I get so excited about this verse (all of Romans, actually)!!! God works IN ALL THINGS for the good of those who love him and whom he has called!! That's ME!!! That's you! That's everyone who loves him and whom he has called!!
This leads right into the third verse that I underlined, verse 71: "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." I firmly believe that in every trial we go through, God teaches us something. The frustrating difficulty I've been experiencing for the last few weeks has taught me patience. It's taught me to trust God more. It's taught me to be thankful for my many blessings, because even my trials are insignificant compared to many others'. God is so amazing like that! Even when we experience the influence of sin in the world, he uses it to teach us how much he loves us and to trust him!
I could go on and on about this (I sometimes do; don't get me started talking about Romans 8!), but for now, I'm going to remember how good God is. And how he's always working for my good, no matter what!!!
This is something I need to do in all my life. I am so often focused on ME: what I should do, what I shouldn't, what I don't do that I should, what I want to do but can't. I would become a lot less selfless if I focused on God and on others instead of myself. I'm going to work on doing that in my posts, too.
In today's passage, three verses stood out to me. Verse 66 says, "Teach me knowledge and good judgement, for I believe in your commands." My notes say about this verse that we can have confidence in God's commands because they are not deceitful. The note on verse 52, which says "I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them," says, "God's law is not fickle, but it is grounded firmly in his unchanging moral character. This is a major source of the author's comfort and one of the main reasons he cherishes the law so highly." Unlike human laws, which are changeable and made by changeable people, God's laws stay the same forever. They teach us "knowledge and good judgement".
I was discussing this with someone the other day: how it is such a comfort that God is unchangeable. People are so fickle and unpredictable, and it's impossible to fully understand them because they're always changing. Now, it's also impossible to fully understand God because he's more than we can understand, but he will NEVER CHANGE!! So when we do begin to understand aspects of him, we can be sure that those aspects will stay the same no matter what. God's laws are the same way.
This leads into the next verse I underlined, verse 68: "You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees." This sentence is such a comfort to me: God is good, and everything he does is good! Even when things seem to be going horribly, even when I can't understand why things happen, I know God is good. All the time. Because he doesn't change. One of my all-time favorite Bible verses ever is Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (the emphases are mine). I get so excited about this verse (all of Romans, actually)!!! God works IN ALL THINGS for the good of those who love him and whom he has called!! That's ME!!! That's you! That's everyone who loves him and whom he has called!!
This leads right into the third verse that I underlined, verse 71: "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." I firmly believe that in every trial we go through, God teaches us something. The frustrating difficulty I've been experiencing for the last few weeks has taught me patience. It's taught me to trust God more. It's taught me to be thankful for my many blessings, because even my trials are insignificant compared to many others'. God is so amazing like that! Even when we experience the influence of sin in the world, he uses it to teach us how much he loves us and to trust him!
I could go on and on about this (I sometimes do; don't get me started talking about Romans 8!), but for now, I'm going to remember how good God is. And how he's always working for my good, no matter what!!!
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