Today’s scripture:
Exodus 34:6-8
The descriptors of God in this passage are listed elsewhere (Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15) in addition to each individual attribute sprinkled throughout the Bible.
I love this as an overall look at how wonderful God is:
Merciful—not giving us what we do
deserve
Gracious—giving us what we don’t
deserve
Longsuffering—patience to draw
unbelievers to Himself (see devotional on November 20)
Abounding in goodness and truth—pure
and holy, and the Author of truth
Forgiving—of those who confess and
seek redemption
We serve an amazing and awesome God. He loves us so very much and gives us so
much. His blessings are overwhelming
Thank Him today for all He is!
Today’s scripture: 1 Timothy 6:13-16
I am so encouraged by today’s verses! Yes, there is exhortation: Timothy is charged
to keep the commandment to be Christ-like. But look at the hope in Paul’s
words:
Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, will return! Only the Father knows the
“proper time,” but the Son will return one day!
Jesus, our Overcomer (John 16:33), our Victor, our Redeemer, will return! (I know I'm being repetitive, but if anything is worth repeating, this is!) And
as I watch this world continue its downward spiral, I can’t help but think it’s
going to be soon—or so I pray.
And so, with this confidence, I can join Paul in his words of praise:
Our Lord Jesus is the “blessed and only Sovereign.”
He is the “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
He is immortal, omnipresent, omniscient, all-loving.
He is “light and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
Oh, I hope these words encourage you as they’ve encouraged me. As we keep His
commandments while on earth, we can do so with the confidence that we’ll be
spending eternity with our Lord and Savior, with our Abba Father.
And with Paul, I give Him praise and honor. Won’t you join us?
Today’s scripture: 1 Timothy 1:17
In one short verse, Paul exalts his God with highly descriptive adjectives. His
words offer praise and worship. And a clear love and devotion.
God is eternal. He has always been and will always be. It’s difficult for our
human minds to comprehend this. We are bound by time, and the idea of
timelessness is beyond our comprehension.
God is immortal. He is infinite, unchanging. He doesn’t sleep or hunger. He
doesn’t need shelter or clothing. He is always on alert, hearing our prayers,
meeting our needs.
God is invisible. He is not bound by a tangible form, and such, He is
omnipresent—everywhere at once. He is with me when I’m in pain, and He’s with
you when you’re grieving. We can’t go anywhere in heaven or on earth where our
God is not.
God is the only God. False gods are everywhere. Whether personified like those
of ancient Rome or modern Hinduism, or self-made like fame or money, they are
rampant. Some even say we can be our own gods. But there is only one God. One
Creator. One Redeemer. One Savior.
And to this God, to the one true God, we should give all honor, all glory, all
praise.
Forever and ever.
Today's scripture: Colossians 3:25
Many wonderful attributes describe the triune God. He is gracious, merciful,
and loving. He is our Redeemer, Savior, and Teacher. He is our refuge, our
stronghold, our strength. He is personal. He is holy, righteous, and just.
Most people can get on board with the majority of these descriptors. But many
have a problem with the last. God is just. They say if God is loving, then why
does He punish? Why is there a hell? Wouldn't a loving God just let everyone go
to heaven?
The fact that God is just goes hand-in-hand with the fact that He's holy and
righteous. God cannot co-exist with sin. Yet, because He loved His first
created man and woman so much, He gave them the choice to obey Him and remain
in intimate communion with Him or to choose their own way. And though it's a
mystery to us, the all-holy, all-perfect God allowed sin to enter the world.
It was always God's plan, though, to offer the means of man's reconciliation
with Him, first through animal sacrifice and then through the once-for-all
sacrifice of God the Son, Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself to mankind
throughout the ages, and He still does so today through the general revelation
of His creation and the biblical revelation of the gospel.
We all have the opportunity to choose to follow Him or choose to go our own
way. And if we choose the latter, there will be consequences. Those who choose
not to follow Christ on earth—to, in essence, separate themselves from Him—will
spend eternity separated from Him.
Yes, God is love. Yes, He offers grace and mercy. But He is also holy and righteous
and just. And because He is a God of justice, He must deal with sin. He must
deal with those who don't choose Him.
And they will reap the consequences.
Today's scripture: Ephesians 3:20-21
Our God—Father, Son, and Spirit—deserves all glory, all honor, all worship, and all praise.
He is all-mighty, all-knowing, all-loving. He is Lord of lords and King of
kings. He is Savior and Redeemer.
He is wise and just, righteous and holy. He is counselor and friend,
ever-present and constant.
He is the Alpha and Omega. He has always been and will always be.
He is our strength, our refuge, our stronghold. He heals, protects, and
provides.
He is our Shepherd, and He carries us when we’re weak.
He is the giver of peace and joy.
He is our guide and the lifter of our heads.
He works all things for good, and His plan is perfect.
He is everything we could ever want or ever need.
And one day, we’ll be able to stand in His very presence and worship Him
eternally.
Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
Only those who have accepted the gift of salvation through the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ can call Him “Lord.”
And He is our Lord. Our Adonai.
I love that God is called by many names in His word. I wrote about this a decade ago:
One
of the things I love most about the Bible is that God is called by many names.
What I love about that is that I can find God by name in each and every
situation. If I’m in pain, I can find Him by name. If I have a need, I can find
Him by name. If I’m experiencing tremendous joy, I can find Him by name. If I’m
lonely, I can find Him by name. This is such a blessing to my heart, and I hope
it blesses your heart as well. When you feel lonely, remember that God sees you
and is there for you. You can find Him by calling El Roi: the God who sees (Genesis 16:13). When you have a need, remember that God will provide for you.
You can find Him by calling Jehovah Jireh: the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14). When you’re in pain, remember that you can find Jehovah Rophe: the God
who heals (Exodus 15:26). When you’re frightened and unsure, remember that you
can find the God who is your Refuge and your Strength (Psalm 46:1). When you’re
feeling stressed or out of control, remember that God will calm your spirit.
You can find Him by calling Jehovah Shalom: the Lord is peace (Judges 6:24). When you’re feeling unlovable and unloved, remember that you can find the God
who is Love (1 John 4:16). When you’re surrounded by darkness, remember that
you can find the God who is light, and “in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). I encourage you to find a good book on the names of God and of Jesus. As
you seek God every day, you’ll find Him however you need Him. (The Best Laid Plans © 2005 Sauni
Rinehart)
If you are a follower of Christ, you can call on your God … by whatever name
your heart desires.
Today's
scripture: Psalm 125:4-5
Our God is so good. So good. He is gracious and merciful. He loves and protects
us. He provides for our needs. He blesses us with the "desires of [our] hearts"
(Psalm 37:4) as we pray within His will.
He is our Abba and invites to climb on His lap to lay our heads on His
shoulder. He delights in hearing our voices.
He is our refuge. He gives us strength when we have none of our own.
He is ever-present, never leaving us alone. He is the foundation of our lives.
He is worthy of our trust.
This psalm ends with an appropriate promise of peace upon Israel ... but also
upon us because we serve the Giver of peace. This time of year, we celebrate
the birth of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we spend the next few days looking at the four attributes of the Lord Jesus
Christ as described by the prophet, Isaiah, we should remember how very, very
good our God is.
I pray these days leading to the celebration of Christ's birth will bring you
peace and joy as you remember the goodness of our God.
Today's
scripture: Psalm 85:10-13
These are really, really beautiful verses.
In the one true God, we experience both mercy and truth. Because He is truth, we can trust what He says. In
His infinite, flawless knowledge, He will never do or say anything that is
false.
Then there's this lovely phrase: "Righteousness and peace have kissed."
Don't you love that? Our holy God is perfect and righteous. True peace comes
through a relationship with holy God, through striving to live as He calls us
to live.
Today's verses also tell us that the "Lord will give what is good,"
good according to His plan, that is. We may ask for things that God knows are
not for our ultimate good. He gives us what we need each day, and He also gives
us the desires of our heart that are within His will.
Finally, He "make[s] His footsteps our pathway." God is omniscient
and eternal. He knows all things today and tomorrow and beyond. He knows the
paths we will take ... and when we commit our lives to Him, surrendering
everything to Him, He will lead us according to His will. We can walk His
pathways with trust and confidence.
Trust the God of truth, mercy, and righteousness because He alone is worth of
that trust.
Today's scripture: Psalm 62:5-8
I don't know about you, but when I read verses like today's, I just feel the
need to praise the Lord! He is so good and amazing and awe-inspiring, and these
words just resonate with the wonder of Whom He is.
He only is my rock and my salvation
... He is the very foundation of my life. Without Him, I absolutely could not
get out of bed each morning. He defends me from my enemies and gives me
strength, so I shall not be moved.
He
is my salvation and my glory. I am
redeemed through the blood of God the Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one
to Whom I can give honor, praise and worship.
I trust in Him at all times because
He is faithful and fulfills all His promises. I never have to worry about His
provisions or care.
I can pour out [my] heart before Him,
confident that He will answer my prayers and listen to my cries. I can crawl on
my Abba's lap and lay my head on His shoulder because He is my refuge.
Good and amazing and awe-inspiring. I can't help but praise Him!
Today's scripture: Psalm 111:10
When we truly fear God, focusing on Him with reverent awe, we want what He
wants. We seek His will. We find wisdom as we read His word—and we’re eager to
do so.
As we read and meditate on His word to us, we understand more the desires of
His heart. We understand that we’re to love and serve Him, with everything we
are (Mark 12:30). We’re to seek first Him and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). We’re
to daily take up the cross (Luke 9:23). We’re to love others (Mark 12:31).
When we know God more intimately, we become more certain of His trustworthiness
and faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9). We can be confident in His everlasting love
(Jeremiah 31:3). We can rest assured in His constant presence (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8).
We can rejoice that He listens to us (Jeremiah 29:12). He sees us (Genesis 16:13). He provides for us (Genesis 22:14). He heals us (Exodus 15:26).
And we can praise Him for all that He has been, all that He is, and all that He
will be. Forever.
Today's scripture: Psalm 111:1
I write about this often, but I truly believe that one of the greatest
privileges we have as followers of Christ is praising our Lord. He—the
Sovereign Creator of all things—wants to hear our voices. When we lift our
voices in abandoned praise, He is well-pleased.
We can praise Him at any time. As we rise in the morning. As we go through our
days. As we lie down at night. Words of praise can and should fill our
hearts—our whole hearts.
Praise Him for His grace, His mercy, and His love. Praise Him for His holiness,
His justice, and His righteousness.
Praise Him for His attributes: He is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). He is
our Provider (Genesis 22:14). He is our Healer (Exodus 15:26). He is the Lord
of Peace (Judges 6:24).
Praise Him through struggles, knowing He’s working everything out for good
(Romans 8:28). Praise Him for His blessings, knowing He’s taking care of you (1Peter 5:7).
Sing songs of praise. Memorize and recite psalms that lift His name in worship.
Stand in the congregation of other believers and lift your hands in reverence.
He is worthy of our praises—our whole-heart praises.
