Splendor and Majesty

On June 21, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Job 37: 22

Out of the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty.

I have just returned from fifteen days in the great northern expanse of Alaska. For the life of me I just don’t understand how anyone can experience the majesty of Father’s creation and not acknowledge the creator. I don’t know how they don’t feel Him tugging at their heart strings or singing in their spirits. The majesty and awesomeness of our beloved Father is beyond words and I have found that it is beyond photography. I would send you a hundred photographs and still fall far short of capturing the grace and power of our Father’s creation. 

I was overwhelmed with one simple thought, “My Dad created all of this!” Wow! And the quiet whisper I hear in my soul is, “Yes, and I knew when I created it that you would be here today enjoying this rare beauty.” How precious we are in the sight of the Lord.  The mountains and the sea, the glaciers and the wildlife cannot hold His attention. He is more gratified and engrossed by the wonder reflected in our eyes. 

Truly awesome majesty follows in the wake of our Father and God but the greatest wonder of all is that He loves us so much. In His eyes, there is nothing on this earth which compares with us. Is that not amazing? David said it this way, “What is man that You take thought of him?” (Psalm 8: 4). In the shadow of the of the imposing mountains such as this one, Denali, which means, The Great One, who is man that God even notices us? And yet, not a hair falls from our head that He does not notice (Matthew 10: 30). Surrounded by the majesty of Denali, the splendor of the fjords, and the power of the glaciers one feels instantly like an ant amongst the landscape … and yet, the grasp of insignificance never quite takes hold for in that moment our oneness with the Holy One, God the Almighty and Creator of all we behold becomes bigger in our hearts than the Great One herself, Denali. Greater by far is our God and Father and greater still is His devotion to us, deeper than the fjords is His love. The greatest wonder, the majesty of the age is God’s love for us. 

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End of Tears

On June 20, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Isaiah 30: 19

O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.
God answers prayer. He is always attentive and listening for you. He longs to be gracious to you. When he hears you cry out, He will answer. This does not say that He will sometimes answer or when He feels like it He will answer. It is a definitive statement, leaving no room for misunderstanding or interpretation. Perhaps we are not always attentive to His voice but He is always and forever answering our cries. 

Do you have a need today? Do you have a desperate situation with which you really need help? He is standing by to help you. He is there answering you. When you cry out to Him, accept that He is answering you. Be silent and listen. Don’t rush around looking for answers. Get quiet and receive His help. The hardest part is shutting off all of the noise in and around you. Know and do not question or doubt that our God is present and available. Know that he is helping you and is right beside you. As soon as you call, he comes. He is faithful.

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Good News

On June 17, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 16: 15        (NIV)

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
This passage is from when Jesus commissioned his disciples after his death and resurrection. He told them to go and preach the “good news” to all creation. Sometimes as Christians we forget how Jesus phrased this and we lose sight of our commission. He did not tell us to go into all the world and correct others and criticize their life styles. He did not tell us to go and preach fire and brimstone on them until they repent. He told us to tell them the good news; that he, Jesus, came that they might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10: 10). We are supposed to preach that he came into the world so that all could be saved and can enter into a personal relationship with the Father of all creation. He breached the gap between people and God so that we could be reconciled to Almighty God as our own father. This world needs love. People everywhere suffer from a lack of love. We need to tell them that our Father is love and that he loves them. Don’t preach John 3: 16 and skip the word love. Preach it the loudest.

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Dad!

On June 16, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 8: 15

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ” Abba! Father!”

Some people do not appreciate that we have been adopted in the Holy one’s family. We are no longer strangers or trespassers. Also, He went to enormous lengths to adopt us. This relationship as Father and child should become very real to you. It can become so real, in fact, that you begin to see Him as your father foremost, even more so than your biological father. God was a father to you before you were a child of your biological father. God is keenly aware of this child/parent relationship and longs to have you treat Him as your father. Yes, He is God almighty but He is your Dad too. He hears every word you speak to Him and is ready when you cry out Abba, father.

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Preserved

On June 15, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 31: 23 – 24

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.

This verse reminds me of Psalm 23 where it reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me.” What an amazing statement. God will sustain you, protect you and preserve you no matter what kind of situation you walk through. He will be with you even in your darkest day. He is not going anywhere without you. So even though you walk through some scary times and places, you can have confidence. You are secure in his care. Be strong, take courage, you are not alone. You have an attentive father who also happens to be the most powerful being in the universe as your right hand guard. Take heart. You are okay.

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Are You There God?

On June 14, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 31: 22

As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Thine eyes”; nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications when I cried to Thee.

Here is a song of David which reflects a time of panic in his life. David said that it was a time of alarm. He was enduring a stressful and anxious period. His distress was so complete that he felt blocked off from anyone who could help him, even God. He did not even think that his prayers could get through to God because he felt so completely cut off. None the less, God heard all of his prayers and answered all of his petitions. God heard every tearful word. How did David know that God heard every supplication? It is because God answered David in this time of need.

God’s presence is much closer than you think. When we are really stressed and over wrought it becomes very difficult for us to feel God’s presence around us. He is there with us none the less. We cannot always go by our feelings because feelings are fickle. We have to know and say that our God is with us all of the time. Even when we cannot feel you, Lord, you are with us for you will never leave us nor forsake us.

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Good God

On June 13, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 8: 32      (New Living Translation)

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
Our God is a good God. That cannot be said enough. So many times we think that God is punishing us when something bad happens in our lives or that God is trying to teach us a lesson. That just is not true. Our Father loves us. If He loved us enough to let His only son die a cruel and horrible death for us, will He not also give all good things to us? Is it reasonable to suggest that He did not withhold His son but is withholding all kinds of other good things from us? The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6: 17 that God “richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” We are increasing in our knowledge of God and His nature. As we do we also increase in our trust in Him because we come to know that He wants to perform good works in our lives. Then the relationship with Him also grows and we come to trust Him even more. The more trust we put in Him, the more we are able to walk faith. It all keeps growing to our benefit but the first step is ours. We must let him be a good God to us and expect good things from Him.
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