Do You Hear Me?

Do You hear me?

Do You see me?

Have you ever asked this of God? I think David felt this way on occasion. In Psalm 55:1 he pleads with God, "listen to my prayer, O God, and hide not Yourself from my supplications." And in Psalm 61, verse one, it sounds as though he is pleading "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer."

There was a time when I thought of God’s knowing me about the way a speaker knows the person in the back row of a large auditorium full of people. Yes, I was in the crowd, I was in the door, but I was only one of the masses. Of course this also gave me reason to feel that if I did something not becoming a child of God, no one knew. Wow! Was this ever putting God into a box! I was bringing Him down to our very human level.

When Jesus Christ came to earth some 2000 years ago, and ultimately gave His life on Calvary’s Cross to pay the wages of sin, He tore away the veil separating God and man.

We are now one with God if we have accepted Christ as our Savior. He states in John 17:21 "That they all may be one, (just) as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, and they also may be one in Us…" and in verse 23 "I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one…"

Ephesians 3:17 makes it very clear that Christ dwells within me. From the Amplified version we read "May Christ through your faith (actually) dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts!"

And read what it says in Colossians 2:9 & 10 (again from the amplified): "For in Him the whole fullness of diety (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form (giving complete expression of the divine nature). And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life (in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,--and reach full spiritual stature.)"

So I ask again, "do You hear me? Do You see me?" And the answer is "of course my child, behold, I am with you always, as we are one."

"He knows my name,

He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call!"
         (Words by Tommy Walker)

Thank You Father, for hearing me, seeing me, and knowing all about me. You are so Good! Amen

I Do Not Understand

 

I do not understand why Jesus had to come to earth to die that I might have life. Why couldn’t God have found an easier way to give us salvation? I do not understand why God’s children on earth suffer pain, and persecution. I cannot understand why I must constantly battle with Satan and his helpers. I have often said things like "why did God allow this" or "if God loves me why did such and such happen?" Job 42:3 gives Job’s answer: "Therefore I have rashly uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."

You’ve no doubt seen the quote: "We make plans and Life happens." And here is another one that I just recently heard: "If you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans." Proverbs 16:9 states "A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure." And in Proverbs 20:24: "Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?" We have no idea what the future holds for us, and God does, so why not trust Him, instead of telling Him we don’t understand so we’d rather do it ourselves.

Here is what God’s Word tells us about understanding the ways of God from Isaiah 55:8,9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." "As the heavens are higher than the earth"... Wow! That is a big spread. So what makes me think I can know what God’s reasons are? In Psalm 139:6 it says "Your infinite knowledge is too wonderful for me: it is high above me. I cannot reach it."

I may not understand the workings of the Lord, but this one thing I do know: "our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." 2 Cor. 4:17, 18

We may not understand nor know

Just how the giant oak-trees throw

Their spreading branches wide,

Nor how upon the mountain-side

The dainty wild-flowers grow.

 

We may not understand nor see

Into the depth and mystery

Of suffering and tears;

Yet, through the stress of patient years

The flowers of sympathy

 

Spring up and scatter everywhere

Their perfume on the fragrant air--

But lo! the seed must die,

If it would bloom and multiply

And ripened fruitage bear.

                              ---Thomas Kimber



My Prayer: No, Lord, I do not understand why You had to suffer and die that I might have life; or why we suffer in this life. You could have put a hedge around all Your children, but we would then become weak; we would not have learned how to use Your armor. You say in I Peter 4:13 that our suffering is working for us and will make us rejoice even more when we see Your glory. David said that before he was afflicted, he went astray. I know that all that comes my way is allowed for my good, and I pray I will not waste the trials You allow for me. I also know that nothing touches me that has not gone through You first. You have a design for me, and though I may not understand it, You will use it for my good. You said in John 13:7 "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." Thank you Lord for all You do for me, even if I do not understand it now. Amen

YESTERDAY IS GONE!

I have been pondering on a helpful New Year thought to share that will help get us off to a right start for 2013. As I read from ‘Springs in the Valley’ this morning, the words of Bob Burdette seemed to be my answer. The thoughts he gave aren’t new, but the way he puts it made it catchy and so understandable.

He says that there are two days each week during which he never worries—two carefree days to be free of fear and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday. Yesterday, with its cares and fears and mistakes, is gone, gone forever! All that was done yesterday is in the hands of the Mighty Lord. It is God’s!

The other day is tomorrow. All the fears, burdens and failures are beyond me to do anything about. It is a day of God’s. Just as the Mighty Lord held yesterday, so He holds tomorrow. That day is God’s day!

So I have one day left for me in each week—Today. We only carry the burdens, or face temptations one day, so don’t add what is gone or hasn’t come yet. These are God’s days, leave them with Him. We only have to face one day at a time, and our Mighty Lord walks with us each step of the way.

"Tomorrow is God’s secret—but today is yours to live!"

Paul says in Phil. 3:13: "But one thing I do (it is my one aspiration); forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on…"

My Prayer:
Lord, my past, my yesterdays are under the blood. Paul tells us to forget those things that are behind. He further says to ‘press forward’ knowing that my tomorrows are in Your hands. Today is my gift from You, my "Present" from You. Each new day as it becomes my ‘present’ I commit it to You to lead and guide, step by step, just one day at a time.
Amen

God's Indescribable Gift

II Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
We are just a few days from Christmas, so it is a good time to remind ourselves of God’ s unspeakable, amazing, beyond our comprehension, gift. This gift was Jesus, all wrapped up in love.  Yes, God’s ultimate gift to us was His Son, Jesus. Of Himself, Jesus said "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water." (John 4:10)

Because of God’s wonderful gift, we can have other gifts such as the ‘gift of a relationship’. John 1:12 states that all who receive Him, those who believe in His name, He gives the right to be called the sons and daughters of God.

He also gives the ‘gift of His Grace’. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by Grace you have been saved…" We have received the ‘gift of Eternal Life’, as according to Romans 6:23 "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

One reason I think of God’s gift as ‘indescribable’ and perhaps part of Paul’s thinking in II Corinthians 9:15, is that it is greater than we can grasp with our finite minds. Jesus was God, 2^nd person in the Trinity, totally God. Yet in order to become the propitiation for man’s sin, He had to take on a human body. In doing so He had to become a human being. Now we have something beyond our imagination, something incredible, indescribable. He was still God, just as though He had never been man; yet He was man as though He had never been God.

And He did this as a gift to each of us. "For God so loved the world that He gave (this indescribable gift) His only begotten son, that whosoever believes on Him will have eternal life." (John 3:16)

So at this Christmas Season, as we open all our wonderful, no doubt expensive gifts, remember the most unspeakable, indescribable gift of all, ours for the taking. This Gift is Jesus!!

Angels

 

A lot has been said about ‘angels’ in recent years: from TV shows to movies, to figurines both cute and majestic.  What is an angel?  Is this a figment of our imagination, or are they real beings?  To better define an “angel” we turn to the Holy Scriptures in which we find angels mentioned quite frequently.  We also find that angels are ‘spirits’ yet are often given a form of man to perform specific services.  Angels are referred to in the masculine gender, as ‘he’, though sex in the human sense is never given to angels.  Neither are angels given in marriage, see Matt.22:30 and Mark 12:25.  Their power is greater than that of any man, and their place of being is around the throne of God.  Revelation 5:11 states “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne…” and “And all the angels stood round about the throne.”

 

As to their relation to the believers, they are said to be ministering spirits, and to give us physical safety and well being for the children of God.  These guardian angels have constant access to "“see the face of God” Matthew 18:10.

 

We find that angels are given for our protection, to fight for us, to comfort us, as messengers sent by God, and that the angels watch man--they observe what we do.  Psalm 34:7 states “The angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him, and delivers them.”  Psalm 91:11 tells us “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”  We also find in Daniel 6:22 that Daniel told the king “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths…”  In Daniel 3:28 the king acknowledges that God had “sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him”.  Psa. 35:5 & 6 tells us “the angel of the Lord chase them”…and “the angel of the Lord persecute them” (meaning our enemies), and in II Kings 19:35 the angel slew a whole army.

 

In Acts 12:7-10 the angel woke Peter up, loosed his chains and led him out of the prison.  Once he was safely in the street the angel departed.  In Acts 5:19 the apostles were brought out of prison by an angel.

 

God used his angels throughout scripture as special messengers.  In Daniel 10 there is an interesting story about the angel who states in vs. 11 “for unto thee am I now sent.”  And then the angel goes on to tell Daniel that he was bringing Daniel the answer to his prayers but was held back by the forces of Satan, referred to as “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”.  This brings real meaning to the verse in Eph. 6:12 where it tells us to put on the whole armor of God “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 

In Daniel 8:15 after Daniel had seen the vision of the “little horn”, a specific angel, Gabriel came to explain to Daniel the meaning of the vision.

 

In Matthew 1:20, and 2:13 the angel appeared to Joseph on two different occasions giving him messages.  The first one assuring him that he should take Mary for his wife, that she had conceived of the Holy Spirit; and the second time to warn him to take his family and flee into Egypt.  Luke 1:11 the angel came to Zacharias when he had gone into the temple, and told him that his prayer had been heard and he and Elizabeth would have a son, whose name would be called “John”.  In Luke 1:25-33 the angel came to Mary and gave her the message that she would bring forth a son, the Son of the Highest.

 

Luke 2:9-14 tells us that the angel came to the shepherds with the message that Jesus had been born, and this angel was joined by a multitude of heavenly hosts.  They were so excited that all the angels wanted to be a part of this glorious and awesome message.

 

In Matthew 28:5 after rolling away the stone, the angel met the women with the message that Jesus was no longer there, but He had risen.  And the angel told the women to give the disciples a message that they were to meet Jesus in Galilee.

 

Angels are sent to comfort us and strengthen the children of God.  When Jesus was in the garden praying, before his arrest, Luke 22:43 states “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”  Hebrews 1:14 tells us they are “sent forth to minister (comfort) for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”  I Kings 19:5 and also 7 tells us about the angel coming to Elijah on two occasions, touching him and telling him to “arise and eat”, thus nurturing and ministering to Elijah in his time of need.

 

Scripture also tells us that the angels watch us.  I Cor 4:9 says that the apostles were made a “spectacle unto the world, and to angels.” Ephesions 3:10 (NIV) says “through the church, the manifold (or displaying) wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” It should be a sobering thought that the church on earth is observed, so to speak, by spiritual powers.

 

During the time of the Tribulation, God will use His angels to execute most of the judgments.  It will be the army of God’s angels that will defeat Satan and his fallen angels and cast them forever out of Heaven, and at the end an angel will seize Satan and bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit for a thousand years.

 

God created the angels sometime before He created the universe, as they were there according to Job 38:4-7.  And we know they will be entrusted with guarding the New Jerusalem in eternity as Rev. 21:12 describes this beautiful place as having a “great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.”

 

As powerful and beautiful as these angels are, and as overwhelming as it might be should we actually see an angel, we are not to worship them.  When John was overcome at the sight of the angel, the angel told him “Do not do it!  I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.  Worship God! (Rev. 19:10, NIV)

Also in Rev. 22:9 he again says, “Do no do it! I am a fellow servant…Worship God!”

Crowns

Man makes a lifetime of running around, trying to lay up riches for himself.  Psalm 39:6 states: “…every man walks about like a shadow; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.” 

 

In Proverbs 27:24 it states “Riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.”  Wow!  That is a truism.  I have just been reading II Kings and very seldom did a kingdom go from father to son, to son.  Someone, maybe a Captain of the Guard, or an outside villain would have a ‘coup’ and kill the king, then take over the throne.

 

We may never receive a crown while here on earth.  Some of us may never receive any kind of reward or medal for accomplishments or great leadership; but the Bible says there is a ‘crown’ waiting for each of God’s children when we get to Heaven.

 

Paul states in II Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the “Crown of Righteousness” which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing.”  So here we have a “Crown of Righteousness”.

 

Another Crown we will receive is the “Crown of Life”.  James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the “Crown of Life” which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

 

In I Thess. 2:19 we hear about the “Crown of Rejoicing.”  In the KJV it is Crown of Rejoicing.  In the Amplified Version from which I have been studying lately, it is called “a Victor’s wreath of excellent triumph when we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming.”

 

Here is one I am really looking forward to, found in I Peter 5:4 (KJV): “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a “Crown of glory” that fadeth not away…”

 

The only reason we are able to even claim such crowns is because of the crown our Savior wore while here on earth, namely, the “Crown of Thorns”.  Matthew 27:29 states: “they plaited a ‘crown of thorns’, they put it on His head.”

 

When I was in Israel we were shown the kind of thorny bush from which they took the branches to make the crown.  The thorns were an inch, to an inch and a half long.  These they twisted together and put on His head, no doubt forcing it down so the thorns pierced his skin.

 

When I think of the crown Jesus wore, knowing it was part of the curse He took for me, so that someday I can stand before Him wearing my Crown of Righteousness, I feel so humbled, so very unworthy. 

 

My Prayer: The crowns You give Your children, Lord, are incorruptible; they will last forever and ever.  And these crowns are mine only because of what you did on Calvary.  I have done nothing to deserve them.  You are so good!  You are the Life in me!  You are my All and my Salvation.  Holy Lord, You are my treasure and it is at Your feet where I will lay down my heart and my crown!  Amen

 

 

I Am on God's Mind!

 

Did you know that God actually thinks about you, just YOU!  When I first realized this it was awesome to me.  It took me awhile to just sit and absorb it.   In Psalm 40:17 (Amplified Version) it states:  “I am poor and needy;  yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me…”

Just think about that!  With all the millions who are God’s children, yet because He is God, He thinks of me as though I were the only one.
 
Dear Lord, You call me Your beloved, and You call me by my name.  Your desire is to me, and Your thoughts of me are precious (Psalm 139:17)  You saw me being formed in my mother’s womb and loved me even then.  You have said You will care for me even to my old age and gray hairs.  I am the apple of Your eye and through You I am rich and possess all things. When I go to sleep, You see me; when I awake You are still with me.  Praise God, I am Yours, and I am on Your Mind!  Amen