I am THE LORD YOUR GOD (part 18)

God being in control He could do whatever He wants to with this earth. He could make us into robots that bow down to Him on command. But He loves us so much He wants us to come to Him of our own free will. Praise God for that. In Isaiah 51:3-17 is a description of God as a healing God. He knows the desolation and waste that surrounds those that believe in Him, as well as oppressors, but He tells those people in righteousness that they are not to worry. And neither am I. I am not to worry about what can kill the flesh, but to concern myself with He that can add hairs to my head. He tells me that while I am on earth, real and true growth is in Him and to put all of my faith in Him. While all fades, He is forever.

God is such a wonderful God. He called and calls to those who are outcast (Isaiah 56:3-9) and all strangers that obey Him and wish to do His will. All are called to His mountain, if they come to Him and obey Him and wear the bridal clothes for the feast that Jesus described in Matthew (Matt 22:3-11). Even more resounding is the pep talk in Isaiah 60:1-19 not to give up on God, because His promises are true, and heaven awaits those who can hold out and stand firm in Him. God has always come through on His promises, may not on my time or other’s time but on His time which is more appropriate, more according to what we need. Above all, He promises a place of peace, of everlasting beauty, never going hungry, tired, thirsty, in pain, where there are no enemies or oppressors.

I Am The Lord Your God (part 17)

When I use my free will to exalt my self, I am denying that God is supreme, when in reality, He is. (Is 49:6-23) All I have shall one day be dust, all I make is dross and desolate without my acknowledgement that God is at the helm and has been from the beginning of time. I don’t realize that I am going to be part of His mountain, the Holy Mountain, in which all can come and no longer be called Jew, Gentile, man, woman, slave or bond. When I come to that mountain, and realize that He has built it for all who believe Him and act on that belief, then I can truly live in peace. God sent His Son, so that I can be fed, and safe, and free. On the other hand, my living in peace is contingent upon me surrendering full power to Him, on entering the Sabbath rest, on acknowledging that the Sabbath rest just doesn’t mean a day of play for me but it means going before the throne, conversing with God, and resting in His arms. Kind of like climbing in Daddy’s lap. I used to climb in my dad’s lap. All children remember what that is like, and if they don’t they sure yearn to know what that feels like and they can know what that feels like with God. He is not some great ogre. He sees the walls I put up in my life out of fear or insecurity, He touches them, and the walls in an instant fall, and God replaces them with Himself as my protector. He sees injustice. He sees desolation. And none of it matters because He knows that I have a place of refuge here (the church) and later (heaven). And all anyone has to do is to trust Him, believe in Him. And if I truly believe, I will act accordingly. I will not try to take matters into my own hands, I will love and obey the Father. And God loved and loves me so much, He had all this planned out. He knew I couldn’t make it on my own, so He sent His Son. He even foretold about His Son in Isaiah 54:1-17. In fact, He wants to gather people from all nations and all walks of life, and all states of existence, the poor, the rich, the well, the sick, the free, the oppressed. And because He is God, He tells us to trust Him and that His reign is forever. In His Son He provides the mechanism by which I and others can come to Him. (Isaiah 55:1-13) I can recover from my life of sin and receive His mercy. And God looks to the poor, because He knows in one way or another all of us are poor, we just don’t realize it.

I Am the Lord Your God (part 16)

God and Only God is Supreme. His rulership is above all. (Isaiah 45:6-12) To question Him continuously causes me to eventually make null and void His leadership. And that is not because of God. God has everything under control. I on the other hand am weak and lowly but think that I am high and mighty. He created me, knows me better than I’ll ever know. He formed me and breathed life into me. He gave me His Spirit. Why shouldn’t I trust that I can do all things through Him that strengthens me? (Phil 4:13) I am not so sure that doubting is the same thing as questioning God. Even Peter had doubts but He never doubted that Jesus was and is Lord. Those doubts cause us to choose and trust comes in having those doubts and yet moving through that tunnel toward the Light of the World. Similarly I can be angry but I must not in that anger sin. (James ) I must not give satan the foothold that Cain gave Him. I must not disrespect Him, although I am told I can go boldly before His throne (Hebrews 4:16) and that I should talk to Him as “Abba” (Romans 8:14-17). God gave me a free will, and He has equipped me with His Word. Now it is up to me. Doubting and anger with God are not a sin. Denying His power, telling Him that He is wrong, questioning Him constantly…that leads to the sin of pride in me because I come to believe I can do better than God.

I Am the God (part 15)

Something else about the Almighty. He could be mean, He could send down thunderbolts if He wasn’t pleased, just because. But He doesn’t. Instead He has chosen to be merciful and just and hearing the cries of the oppressed. Even though humans don’t realize it, even though it seems that bad things happen to good people and are not recompensed here. The operative word is “here”. And what humans, myself included, don’t realize is that what happens here is nothing compared to what happens when we meet God. Humans have a lot to answer for. Not just how we treat one another, especially strangers, but also how much faith we have. How much do we allow doubt to linger and not follow God because of it? How much do I not take the God of Glory seriously? His power is incredible. I was traveling through eastern North Carolina after Hurricane Fran and along the side of the road was a tree one its side, complete with its entire root system, as though it had been dug and set aside much as those that garden may do potted plants. What I don’t realize is that He is so powerful He could do the same thing to me if He so desired, but He is merciful. (Isaiah 41:17-20) And He made the supreme sacrifice so that I might know the words of His truth, the actual words of His creation. (Is 42:1-12) And He healed me and heals me. Constantly, not just physically but in all aspects of my life.