God is on the Throne
Is 40:4-5
4Every valley will be lifted up,
every mountain and hill made low,
the rough ground will be a plain
and the rugged terrain smooth.
5 The glory of Adonai will be revealed,
and all flesh will see it together.”
For the mouth of Adonai has spoken.
Isaiah 40 is one of my favorite chapters of the entire Bible. God’s justice may be delayed, but it will take place, Isiah 40 is a word to bring solace to a people who sinned against God and were going to be punished, but there was hope on the horizon.
When we read these verses, we immediately think of topographical upsets, particularly in the form of earthquakes. But the shaking and moving spoken of by Isaiah is actually a snapshot of what will happen when Jesus returns.
You see, Jesus is the great equalizer. The mountains (the proud and the rich) are brought low, but the valleys (those who are poor and sometimes considered insignificant) are elevated.
I want to encourage you today to live above both the mundane and the challenging, and live in the fullness of God, whatever your circumstances. God is on the throne and our lives matter to Him.
May we make time each day to praise Him, being assured of His great love for us, and may our hearts swell with the understanding that the Sovereign God of the universe cares about each of us so much that there is a plan for our lives. So let’s turn that frown upside down and start our day with thanksgiving and praise.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Focus on Love
Romans 12:9-13 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Do you notice how much is packed into these few verses? We are to offer real love, not fake, detest evil, hold tightly to good, be kind, think of others before ourselves, be passionate about serving and in giving, and continue to rejoice! You might be thinking, “Fine, it’s easy to accomplish all of these things as long as life is uncomplicated. But life is no fairy tale.”
Paul of all people knew the cruelty that life can exact upon us. But he also knew the extreme joy of living in God’s will.
May we make it a daily goal to love big and give mercy, beginning and ending each day with praise, prayer and gratitude.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord is my Shepherd
Job 1 (NRSV) Chapter 1
1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did.
Attack on Job’s Character
6 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job Loses Property and Children
13 One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
Have you ever asked the question, “Why me, Lord?” If you live long enough, you will experience illness, hardship, loss, and even betrayal. I have often heard, and I believe, that it matters less what happens in our lives than how we react to our problems. When Job was attacked by Satan, he could have asked why, but would that question have resulted in a way out? It is unlikely.
So how do we remain standing when all hope has failed? We trust in and rely upon the One who created us, the One who redeemed us, and the One who sustains us. We stay in the Word, we sing praises to His name, and we pray without ceasing.
Sound simple? The lesson is not in knowing what to do, but in continuing regardless of our circumstances. When we can praise God, when we can pray for adversaries, when we wait on the Lord, then even if deliverance is not speedy, God’s presence is assured.
May we begin and end each day with the name of Jesus on our lips.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To Abide
1 John 4:12-16 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Words are cheap.” You may not realize that this phrase is attributed to Charlie Chaplin. It means, of course, that it is our deeds that count.
Today’s scripture tells us we can know God’s love always abides in us if we abide in love. To me, love is not the key word here. Instead, the key word is abide.
- Relationship over Effort: Abiding is not a special level of Christian experience but the position of a believer who is “in Christ,” depending on Him for life and spiritual nourishment, similar to how a branch derives life from the vine.
- Remaining in His Word: To abide means allowing Jesus’ teachings to reside in you, guiding your actions, thoughts, and decisions.
- Loving Obedience: Jesus defines abiding as obeying His commandments and resting in His love.
- Continuous Communion: It is a lifestyle of walking with God daily, not a temporary, sporadic activity, emphasizing constant dependence rather than infrequent interaction. (Got questions)
May we depend, reside and abide daily in the Savior’s love, sharing His amazing capacity for love with others, then we will truly be walking not in words alone, but in deed.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Live like Easter People
1 John 4:7-11 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Yesterday we celebrated another Easter, and the older I become the more I understand the extreme love of God. He had one plan for the redemption of mankind—let’s call it Plan A.
Some might think of the Great Flood as Plan A, but no, the flood cleansed the earth without redemption of sin. The earth became repopulated but with no less sin than before.
It took a Savior, one born without sin, to redeem mankind and provide that living hope that only He could give. There was never a need for another plan, never a reason for a do-over.
May we accept the salvation provided by God, love with His love, forgive with His heart, and live as Easter people all year long.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 