Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Philippians 2:5-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b] grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death [d]on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Only Higher Glory
Philippians 2:9 Amplified Bible
9 For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
We have been talking about our having the mindset of Christ and following his example of humility.
When it comes to humility, no one can be humbler than Christ, who gave up his own life so that all who call on his name can be saved to have new life forever.
And because Jesus did that, the Word of God says that God also raised him from the grave and “exalted him to the highest place.”
He started out as the Son of God in heaven.
Then he willingly became a suffering servant who swooped down to the lowest of depths by dying on a cross for our sake.
Then God, as only God is able, reversed it all and swung Jesus upward to rule in heaven over everything.
The words Apostle Paul uses to describe this position have to do with the power of the highest name: “God . . . gave him the name that is above every name.” And what is that name? It is Jesus (meaning “Savior”), and it is Christ (meaning “Anointed One”). Jesus Christ is the Lord, the sovereign ruler, over all things.
His name is so glorious the day will come when every knee will bow to honor him, every tongue will sing songs to “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, is Lord of the cosmos.
All glory be to him forever and ever!
The Only Rightly Exalted, The Only Greater Exaltation
Philippians 2:5-8 Amplified Bible
5 Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], 6 who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; 7 but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. 8 After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 is a beautiful statement concerning Christ’s humanity, deity, ministry, and humiliation.
Having mapped the humility of the incarnate Son of God all the way to His death on a cross, where does your mind go next? Naturally, we think of the resurrection. But Paul does not. He takes us directly to Christ’s exaltation.
There is, Paul says, a logical connection between Jesus’ humiliation and His exaltation: “Therefore God has highly exalted him”(v 8, emphasis added).
What is this exaltation?
It is that the Father has given His Son the throne and ordered this world so that one day
“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (v 10-11).
But why is His exaltation fitting?
Scripture gives us several answers.
First, Christ’s exaltation is fitting because it fulfills Old Testament prophecy and demonstrates that God keeps His word.
The worldwide recognition of Jesus as Lord will occur because God promised it would.
Six hundred years before Jesus arrived on the stage of human history, Isaiah recorded these words from God: “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted” (Isaiah 52:13).
And so Christ came to bear the pain and sin of the world, fulfilling the role of Suffering Servant, lifted up on a cross, then raised to be exalted on His throne.
As Paul wrote elsewhere,
“All the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Second, Christ’s exaltation is fitting because He is God.
The Bible teaches us all that the Son is One with the Father. On account of His divinity, exaltation is an absolute necessity; there is nowhere else for God to sit!
No other seat is suitable for the Son except at His Father’s right hand.
Finally, Christ’s exaltation is fitting because He is the dear Son of His Father.
God the Father watched the Son obediently go to the cross to fulfill the covenant of redemption and heard Him cry out in pain,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
The Father knew that the Son underwent that agony out of love for the Father and love for His people.
Matthew 23:37 Amplified Bible
Lament over Jerusalem
37 “[a]O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
The Father would not leave His perfect Son in that dire condition.
How could the Father’s love do anything other than exalt the Son from His lowly state?
Christ’s humiliation for us and exaltation above us are surely enough to bring us to the point where we bow in joyful submission to Him.
They show us that there is only one who has the absolute unchallengeable status to demand our obedience and the character to deserve our adoration.
They remind us that the best thing about heaven will be the most glorious person in heaven:
I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace; Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand; The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land.[1]
1 Anne R. Cousin, “The Sands of Time Are Sinking” (1857).
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Dear God, please help us to bow our knees and confess with our mouths the truth about Jesus’ cosmic glory. Make us witnesses of this splendid gospel truth. Amen.
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Works and the Word of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be [e]blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Philippians 2:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995
Be Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace a servant attitude, putting the needs of others far before our own.
This humility echoes the very heart of Jesus, who came not “to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
In a world that far too often exalts self-promotion and personal gain, we stand apart by valuing others far above ourselves. Our mindsets; we seek to meet the needs of people around us, extending all kindness, empathy, and compassion.
A servant attitude begins with a heart shaped and transformed by God’s love.
As we live in all the selfishness around us, in God’s presence, we learn how to lay down our ambitions and egos, making room for selflessness and sacrificial love. We act with grace and with love toward others, just as God has done for us.
By Paul’s words in Philippians, in every interaction, let’s consider the interests of others, seeking greater opportunities to serve in the both big and small ways.
Contrasting against worldly selfishness, may we be better known not by our alleged accomplishments and achievements and successes but by our love and by our humility and by our servant hearts that follow only the example of Jesus.
Disciples and the World and Lights in the Darkness?
Matthew 5:13-16New American Standard Bible 1995
Disciples and the World
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
In response to knowing the heart of God we are called to share the wonders of his invisible nature with a world in desperate need of him. God has chosen to use us to reveal himself. He’s filled us with the Spirit and empowered us to proclaim the good news of salvation and restored relationship with our Creator.
Jesus’ teaching on salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount is truly one of my favorite passages of Scripture related to sharing the heart of God with the world around us.
In Matthew 5:13-16The Message Jesus taught:
Salt and Light
13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
One of the most powerful, empowering aspects of this passage is how Jesus begins by speaking identity over us.
God doesn’t tell us to go get some salt and share it.
He says we are salt.
He doesn’t tell us to go get a light and shine it.
He says we are a light.
Sharing God’s heart is a part of who we are.
As believers we’ve been redeemed—washed clean of our sins—that we might proclaim the excellencies of our Savior by living in line with our new identity.
The world is a dark place.
It is without hope.
It’s filled with the blind leading the blind and the needy seeking fulfillment from the needy. Our only hope is Jesus. The one, true Guide is the Holy Spirit.
We are called to a humble lifestyle of expelling the darkness around us with the powerful proclamation of God’s heart to love, provide for, and redeem all those who would simply say yes to him. We are each called to respond to Jesus’ call
We are summoned to cease putting a basket over the light he’s placed within us.
We don’t have to be apologetic for the hope we have.
We don’t have to fear the opinion of man.
We can love relentlessly, offer grace unexpectedly, and sacrifice ourselves so that others might see a glimpse of God’s heart.
“Let your light shine before others”today.
Don’t cover up who you are in Christ.
Seek to reveal God’s heart in all say and you do. And watch as the world around you is drawn to the light of God’s unconditional love revealed through your life.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount.
Renew your mind to who you are in Christ.
Matthew 5:13-16 Easy-to-Read Version
You Are Like Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.
14 “You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
2. In what ways are you covering up your light?
In what ways are you living in fear or according to the ways of the world?
Take time to engage in confession and receive God’s forgiveness and love.
3. Receive courage from God to live in accordance with your new identity as salt and light.
Ask God how you can be light in the darkness today. Ask him for specific ways you can reveal the hope you have in Jesus to others. Journal his response.
Oftentimes we see the things of God as a part of our life.
As soon as God starts trying to change the way we live day-to-day, we put a wall up over our hearts so we don’t have to change.
But to sequester God is to value this life over eternity.
To care more about the world’s opinion of us than who God says we are is to try and make God a servant of the world and its systems.
God is the Creator.
He alone is King.
And he alone knows best as our loving Father.
To section off your life and allow God only into parts is to live foolishly.
Crown God as King over every part of you.
Choose to live as salt and light. And experience life where God is allowed to manifest himself, bless you in every way he can, and use your life to change the world for the better. May your day today be filled with all the fullness of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Spirit of God, mold my heart in humility and love to imitate the Lord Jesus. Help me to value others above myself and to serve selflessly. May I reflect Christ’s love for the benefit of others in this world each day. In Jesus’ name, Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995
God the Refuge of His People.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our refuge and strength, [b]A very present help in [c]trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her [f]when morning dawns. 6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, [i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in [a]the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” 3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance [b]for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Do I need a fresh start with God?
Do you need a fresh start with God?
Do we, being the Body of Christ, being the Church, need a fresh start with God?
If we do, in as much as we are going to be authentic and honest in the presence of a knowing God the opening verse of the gospel of Mark has something for us.
It speaks of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to offer new beginnings to all who seek God’s mercy and strength in a time of need.
Mark’s opening words immediately remind us of the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Mark apparently wanted his readers to immediately remember that God is always present and always at work in the very beginning of all good things.
When God created the world, everything was good.
But Adam and Eve sinned against God, and things began to go wrong.
But that was not the end of the story, for God immediately set out to restore what was lost, and his work centered on the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Individually and Corporately (the church), what does this mean for us?
Well, we know God loves us and did not turn away from his rebellious creation.
God came into the world through Christ Jesus to save us from our sin and its consequences.
Because Jesus came to die in our place, paying the price for our sin, all who believe in him are not under sin’s curse anymore.
They are given a new beginning, and that is what the gospel (“good news”) is all about.
Have you, have we (the church) received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?
How would we know we have received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?
How are we to Tell if Something Is truly a ‘God Thing’
Exodus 3:14-15 Complete Jewish Bible
14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.
“It’s a God thing” is a common enough way, believers and non-believers, to describe an event or situation people believe was influenced or guided by God.
The circumstances that surround what happened occur in such a way that only God himself could have orchestrated them, or that is at least how it appears.
Yet, like Moses, how can we ever decipher if something is a “God thing” or not?
To be clear in answering this question, I will only speak to the way God moves in the lives of his children.
I am doing this because God’s primary motive in the lives of unbelievers is to bring them to salvation in Christ.
1 Timothy 2:1-7 New King James Version
Pray for All Men
2 Therefore I [a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b] authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth [d]in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
However, once you and I and the church gets saved, God desires to make you more like Christ and to position you to accomplish his purpose for your life.
So, with that context established, let’s consider a few different ways we can know if something is a “God thing.”
1. When it brings our attention, focus back to Christ
John 15:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995
26 “When the [a]Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 [b] and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
In the world today, it is not the politicians nor the global power brokers but it is the Holy Spirit who is the one who shifts and orchestrates the events in our life.
When he is at work, he will always point your focus and attention back to Christ.
The Holy Spirit does this because salvation is found only in Jesus’ name.
Acts 4:8-12 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, [d]as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
However, Jesus Christ is also our model and the one we strive to be like.
As Christians, when the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, he aims to transform you so you look like Christ.
For this reason, everything he does brings Christ into the center.
If you can’t point to Christ, if you can’t glorify Christ, or if it doesn’t challenge you to become more like Christ, then you must question if God is really in it.
One of the simplest ways to know if something is God is to look at who is getting the glory.
If Christ is not being glorified, then God is not in it.
It does not matter how “spiritual” an experience you have; if Jesus is not at the center, then God has no part in it.
That’s why you can’t always judge something by how it makes you feel or the result. It would be best to consider whose direction that event is moving you in.
2. When it confirms God is aware of your situation
Isaiah 38:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
Hezekiah Healed
38 In those days Hezekiah became [a]mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept [b]bitterly.
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your [c]life. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’
There may be times in our lives when we pray secretly for things, and God responds to our secret cries.
In Isaiah 38, the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah he would die.
In response, he cried out to God and wept bitterly before the Lord in prayer.
Isaiah had no knowledge that Hezekiah was praying for God’s mercy, yet when he came to Hezekiah, he brought an answer to the prayer that Hezekiah prayed.
It was a God Thing – God was at work.
There may be things you pray for or situations you are going through.
In this season, maybe someone brings the right word or even the right provision that you need.
Especially when you have never expressed it to anyone else.
You could go for prayer, and someone prays for your need without you telling them what your need is.
Or, you could sit in church one day, the pastor “reads your mail,” meaning they preach as if they know exactly what we are going through, we never told them.
Situations like these are what God uses to show that he is completely aware of your situation and that he has not forgotten you.
3. When it meets a need at just the right time
Ecclesiastes 3:11 New American Standard Bible 1995
God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man
11 He has made everything [a]appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, [b]yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
When God is truly in something, he has a way of showing up at just the right time and providing exactly what you need.
It is not a coincidence when you hear the right word, the right song, the right encouragement, or receive the right provision at the moment you need it.
I know sometimes we wish we didn’t have to experience it this way. However, the only way you will ever know God is authentically faithful is if you must be in a situation where he can prove his faithfulness to you and you praise God for it.
4. When it Rightly aligns with the word of God
2 Timothy 2:14-19 New King James Version
Approved and Disapproved Workers
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”
A recent blog I read celebrated the idea of a “never-ending vacation.”
Faced with all the ugly long term prospects of an unfulfilling relationship, an unfulfilling job, and the constant demands of everyday life, many people dream of “just leaving it all behind” and heading for a place with no responsibilities.
While it can surely be good and desirable thing to have a change of pace in life, the temptation to run away from all our responsibilities will lead to trouble and will inevitably and perhaps permanently, damage the relationships in our lives.
In 2 Timothy 2 the apostle Paul mentions two individuals who ran away from home spiritually.
Apparently they got caught up in false teachings about the resurrection and undermined the hope that believers had in Christ.
The false teachers aggressively painted a picture that misled people to wander from the good news of Jesus—that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again so that we can live forever with him.
No matter how much we might enjoy learning new things in life, we need the “solid foundation” of scriptural truth that we can depend on to provide us with our spiritual home. We need a place where we are known and accepted in grace.
2 Timothy 3:10-17 New King James Version
The Man of God and the Word of God
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Let’s be careful about the stories we tell and the “chatter” we might engage in.
This means we are responsible for knowing and correctly applying what God has said in his word. When you know what his word says, here is what happens.
Ephesians 4:11-16 New King James Version
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
So many people easily deceive themselves and believe that God is orchestrating activities that contradict his word.
Unfortunately, because they are not studious, they are unfamiliar with his word, they don’t and wont always recognize that God is not any part of it.
If you want to be sure if something is a genuine God thing, check to see how it aligns with the holy scripture. If it doesn’t, then you know what the answer is.
In all that we say, do, we should ask ourselves, “Does it point people to Christ?”
5. When you look at the results (but not always)
Isaiah 55:8-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
One Thanksgiving, our pastor once told this story to the children in our church.
He showed the children and the congregation a pumpkin and an acorn, and he said he could never figure out why God had created such a small seed for a large tree and why he had created such a large oversized gourd for such a small plant.
It seemed that in a creation that was proportional an oak tree should have a large seed, about the size of a pumpkin, and a small plant like a pumpkin vine should have a small seed, about the size of an acorn.
But then he went on to explain to the church that one day while he was walking through the woods, looking at the leaves an acorn fell and hit him on the head–and suddenly he realized that God must always know exactly what he is doing.
Often in our life we see and experience things that don’t seem to make sense to us, just as often we are all called to trust that God truly knows what he is doing.
God reminds us of this when he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Even in the confusion of life, we can be assured that when things do not make sense to us, God knows what he is doing and we can all trust him to care for us.
John 19:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
For example, Jesus followed the Father in perfect obedience, getting him nailed to a cross. In the short term, that outcome did not look so good. However, in the long term, “It is Finished” meaning that his obedience paid for our salvation.
So yes, results absolutely matter, but not more than your obedience to what God desires you to do.
While results can indicate that God is doing something supernatural, we must measure those results according to God’s standards and not worldly priorities.
Otherwise, we may consistently think God is doing something he is not part of.
Little is much when we know God is absolutely in it – it is His thing – not ours!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995
Longing for the Temple Worship.
For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.
5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, [f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths.
7 Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom; but fear Adonai, and turn from evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and give strength to your bones.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
By these timeless words of Scripture, God invites each of us to implicitly trust in him, to be still, surrender our worries, doubts, and fears into his capable hands.
On our parts, this involves our sacrifice, our conscious choice to rely on God’s wisdom and guidance rather than leaning on our own limited understanding.
In a world filled to overflowing with uncertainty, we will wander around, we stumble everywhere, can we find solace in the unchanging character of God?
Based on the measure and degrees of his own personal experience, intrigue, Solomon’s response is ultimately clear: the Lord is faithful, steadfast, and true.
Our being more aware of his presence, He will fulfill every promise he has made.
From within that raised awareness of his presence, when we place our trust in the Lord, we will be tapping into the wellspring of his grace, strength, peace.
Trusting God doesn’t mean that we will never face challenges or hardships.
But it does mean that we can confidently face hard times, knowing that God is with us, working all things together for our good. We can rest in the blessed assurance that Almighty God is in control and that his plans for us are perfect.
Trusting God requires humility—a recognition his ways are higher than ours.
It involves sacrificing, surrendering our understanding of our wisdom, our need for self control, reshaping our thoughts, embracing HIS divine wisdom, timing.
Day to day, as we submit the fullness of our lives unto the Lord, he directs our paths, leading, guiding, directing us, on a journey of purpose and fulfillment.
Let’s trust God with all our heart. In every circumstance, may we lean on his understanding and submit to his will. As we do trust God, we experience his faithfulness, and our lives become that testimony to his goodness and grace.
In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible
23 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. 2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, 3 he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. 4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me, even as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life; and I will live in the house of Adonai for years and years to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
22 Immediately He [a]made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already [b]a long distance from the land, [c]battered by the waves; for the wind was [d]contrary. 25 And in the [e] fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out [f]in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
He Saw the Wind, He Saw the Waves, and He Sank
The story of Peter’s attempt to walk on water is definitely one of my favorites.
Along with all the other disciples, Peter first fears the ghostly figure looming in the night, through the rain storm and walking on the waves toward their boat.
When Jesus reassures them that he is the one walking out there, courageously, quite impulsively Peter wants to be first to get in on a piece of the action too.
“Lord, tell me to come to you on the water,” he says. “Come,” invites Jesus.
Like a child taking his first tottering steps toward his parents, Peter gets out of the boat, against all the winds and the waves, walks toward Jesus on the water.
But when for but the briefest of moments, he gets distracted, he takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the wind and waves, the unsure Peter suddenly begins to sink.
So Jesus reaches out and catches him.
Then Jesus looks directly into his eyes and asks Peter, “Why did you doubt?”
I like this story so much because I know the same feeling of taking my eyes off Jesus and “seeing the wind,” feeling the weight of the crashing waves instead.
In the crushing weight of my doubts, when my thoughts are clearly elsewhere, I get distracted from faith so easily by my frustrations, insecurities, temptations.
In such burdened moments I can read this passage over and over again and I can relate to Peter, and thank God this story has been preserved in Scripture.
I also love how it turns out.
Jesus challenges Peter’s lack of faith, but then he lifts, helps him into the boat.
Peter gets a second chance, and he will also need more. I thank God for too the many second chances he has given me. My weakness is covered by his strength.
Leaning on His Everlasting Arms: Dealing With Doubt
Psalm 56 Complete Jewish Bible
56 (0) For the leader. Set to “The Silent Dove in the Distance.” By David; a mikhtam, when the P’lishtim captured him in Gat:
2 (1) Show me favor, God; for people are trampling me down — all day they fight and press on me. 3 (2) Those who are lying in wait for me would trample on me all day. For those fighting against me are many.
Most High, 4 (3) when I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 5 (4) In God — I praise his word — in God I trust; I have no fear; what can human power do to me? 6 (5) All day long they twist my words; their only thought is to harm me. 7 (6) They gather together and hide themselves, spying on my movements, hoping to kill me. 8 (7) Because of their crime, they cannot escape; in anger, God, strike down the peoples. 9 (8) You have kept count of my wanderings; store my tears in your water-skin — aren’t they already recorded in your book? 10 (9) Then my enemies will turn back on the day when I call; this I know: that God is for me.
11 (10) In God — I praise his word — in Adonai — I praise his word — 12 (11) in God I trust; I have no fear; what can mere humans do to me?
13 (12) God, I have made vows to you; I will fulfill them with thank offerings to you. 14 (13) For you rescued me from death, you kept my feet from stumbling, so that I can walk in God’s presence, in the light of life.
Doubt can cast a shadow on our faith, causing us to question God’s faithfulness and promises.
But in the midst of bludgeoning doubt we can find assurance by anchoring ourselves in the unwavering truth of God’s Word.
Hebrews 6:17-20 New American Standard Bible 1995
17 [a]In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, [b]interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have [c]taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 [d]This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters [e]within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
When doubt arises, we turn to God in prayer, pouring out our hearts honestly.
As we read in the Psalms, We express our fears, uncertainties, and questions, knowing that the Lord welcomes our honesty.
In his presence we find reassurance, comfort, and the strength to persevere.
It’s very important to for each of us to remember that doubt is not a sign of weakness but an invitation for growth and maturity in the Lord our God alone.
It presents an opportunity to seek a deeper understanding of God’s character and of his plans for our lives.
We can lift our bibles up and find a host of encouragement in the testimonies of others who have experienced God’s faithfulness in the midst of all their doubts.
As we experience doubt, we hold fast to the promises of God.
We remind ourselves of his past faithfulness and lean on his unfailing love.
We ought to be inviting God as the praying Psalmist did to reveal himself to us, to increase our faith, dispel those shadows of doubt with the light of his truth.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Jesus, my eyes get distracted by the wind and waves instead of seeing you. Please, Lord, help me stay focused on you alone. I need your strength always.Faithful God, when I am in doubt, guide me to trust your unwavering faithfulness. Help me to bring all my doubts to you, seeking comfort. Increase my faith. Reveal yourself in profound ways. Grant me the strength to overcome my doubts and to walk in truth.
Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible
23 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. 2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, 3 he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. 4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me, even as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life; and I will live in the house of Adonai for years and years to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
46 1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything he says.
7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”
11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father.
We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us.
Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God.
God longs to be known by you.
He longs for you to make time to simply seek his face and get to know his personality, the nature of his love, and the availability of his presence.
You don’t have to live without a real, revelatory knowledge of God’s heart.
You don’t have to live with the uncertainty of whether you are cared for, provided for, and loved.
In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God proved his longing to be known by us. Jesus took on flesh not just so he could save and redeem us, but so he could usher in a better, truer revelation of who the Father is.
In John 17:3 Jesus says,
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” And later in verse 26 Jesus prays to the Father, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Jesus came that we might know the love of the Father. He came that we might have communion—continuous unhindered relationship with our Creator.
Through Jesus you’ve been granted eternal, real access to your heavenly Father. And in the Holy Spirit you can search the deep places of God’s heart and grow in restored relationship with him.
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says:
For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
God has made the way for you to know his heart.
You can know him in infinitely deeper and more transformative ways than you can know even your best friend or spouse.
The Holy Spirit, God himself, dwells within you and longs to reveal the “deep things of God” to you.
All that’s left for you to do is have faith in God’s ability to reveal himself when you seek him and set aside time to know the heart of your heavenly Father.
May you make time to do exactly that today as you enter into guided prayer.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on what Scripture says about the knowability of God’s heart.
Let God’s word fill you with faith to seek deeper relationship with your Father.
“For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-12
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”John 17:3
“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26
2. Ask God to reveal an aspect of his heart that you need to know.
Ask him how he feels about you in this moment.
Ask him to reveal just how near and loving he is. Rest in his presence.
3. Thank God for how available he is to you.
Worship him because he’s paid the ultimate price simply for you to know him.
As you pour out thankfulness on him, watch as he pours his presence out over you.
What a tragedy it is to not take full advantage of what Jesus paid so high a price to accomplish. What a waste to live this life as if God isn’t fully with us, fully for us, and fully available to us. He couldn’t make the way to his heart any clearer.
The Holy Spirit dwells within you as close to your heart as he could possibly be.
Knowing God is as simple as acknowledging how close, available he already is. bolde
May your life be changed, inspired, empowered, emboldened by the light of the highest possible knowability of your perfect Shepherd, loving heavenly Father.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 Timothy 6:11-16 New American Standard Bible 1995
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, [a]perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who [b]gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [c]bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of [d]kings and Lord of [e]lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
When God made the world He created humanity, and first created a man He named Adam.
Then He made a woman that Adam named Eve.
God intended for men and women to be different, and to play different roles in the world.
After the fall, men and women both became capable of sin, and both had to strive to be more righteous, as God intended before sin entered the world.
A man who pursues that righteousness, and strives to live for the Lord, is sometimes called a man of God.
It can be difficult to define what that kind of man looks like, but the Bible provides insights into how a man can conform to the image of God, and help others identify them.
Some of the traits of a man of God include faith, a consistent relationship with God, patience, and temperance, among other things. (Galatians 5:19-23)
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [b]factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
What Is a “Man of God”?
A man of God is not one stereotype of a man.
It is not a scholar who has memorized all the Scriptures.
It is not a man who can lift very heavy objects and fight back any enemy at the gate-more powerful than a locomotive, with no effort able to leap tall buildings.
Instead, it is a consistent public and private display of his character which the Bible highlights, attempting to avoid the above mentioned temptation and sin.
A man of God values the things of Heaven over the things of the flesh.
He will not be perfect until he is with the Lord in heaven above, but he makes his personal relationship with the Savior the very first priority in his life.
He loves justice, wisdom, and discretion.
He is also not a hypocrite like the Pharisees who, “clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:27b). He does not just exhibit good behavior, surrenders himself before God and pursues a clean conscience, pursuing a real relationship with Jesus Christ.
Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
In many ways, a man of God is someone who strives to live by the following verses from Proverbs 3:5-8,
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your [a]body And refreshment to your bones.
Bible Verses about Being a Man of God
There are many verses that outline the character traits that God wants both men and women – as well as just men – to possess or strive to exhibit.
These verses include:
1 Timothy 6:11 “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Romans 12:2“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Proverbs 1:7“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Micah 6:8“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Psalm 2:2-4“‘I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”
Ephesians 5:25-28“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
Who Were Some Men of God in the Bible?
It becomes clear through a diligent study of the Bible that an important part of what it means to be a man of God is pursuing righteousness, being familiar with God’s Word, being kind to others, knowing when, how to exert one’s strength, and being willing to worship God and sacrifice the same way the Lord Jesus did.
There are many examples of godly men in the Scriptures.
Men identified as men of God include:
King David: Literally called a man after God’s own heart.
He trusted the Lord as a shepherd, as a man fleeing a king’s wrath, and as a king himself. He was not close to perfect, and succumbed to lust with Bathsheba, but repented (Psalm 51). He loved God, wrote many Psalms about that relationship.
Abraham: The father of the Jewish nation, his faith in God was so great he was willing to obey God’s command to sacrifice his son, believing that God could bring Isaac back from the dead. He followed God from his homeland to another.
There were points in his life where his faith definitely lapsed and he acted out of fear, but he always tried to put his relationship with God above all else. He also advocated for his relatives with God, and humbly asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of just a few righteous, willing to see mercy extended.
Nehemiah: A Hebrew in exile who had high authority in Babylon, and he trusted God to leave the comfort of his post and go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall.
He rebuilt the walls, defended the borders of his city while maintaining a godly character that served to testify to God’s truest glory to the people around him.
He demonstrated leadership, sacrifice, wisdom, tactical skills, and wisdom.
Boaz: Certain men played roles in God’s plan that foreshadowed the role Christ would play for all of humanity.
Boaz served as a kinsman redeemer for Ruth, redeeming her and her deceased husband’s family from poverty.
Despite having a Gentile mother, he was known as a godly man who deeply loved the Lord. He was sacrificial, kind to people who were of lesser status than him in society, loved one woman, and displayed great generosity.
Noah – the only righteous man – steadfast and immovable, obedient to God,
Moses – the great leader, intercessor, law giver,
Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9, 24:15)
Job – Prayed for his children everyday. Refused to Curse God even when his whole world quite literally, quite suddenly, unexpected, collapsed around him.
Jesus: Called the Last Adam, Jesus lived the life intended for Adam, but without sin. The Lord came in the body of a man, clothing His divine nature in flesh.
He obeyed his earthly parents, worked hard as a carpenter, learned the Scriptures, and perfectly sacrificed, submitted self to the will of the Father.
In many ways, He is a model for manhood.
He displayed perfect righteousness, something every man should strive for, even if they fail.
How Can I Grow into More of a Man of God?
Becoming more of a man of God involves becoming Christ-like in character.
It is not something that can happen by force of will, but by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is the first step to growing into the person God intended.
Studying the Gospels and modelling Christ is also important.
Learning from the men of God in the Bible, from their successes and failures, is also a part of that journey.
Another way men grow in their character and their faith is through fellowship, being discipled and discipling one another.
Studying verses about good character and asking God to help grow those is another way.
The fruits of the Spirit are foundational to building a character like the Lord has;
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Ultimately, it will require a daily walk with the Lord and getting to know Him personally to experience the lifetime journey toward becoming a Man of God.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 New American Standard Bible 1995
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, [a]perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Paul is giving this encouragement to Timothy about what he should pursue.
Six things: Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
That’s a lot to think about.
In fact, these in themselves can truly keep one busy. But I can’t help but think that is the purpose.
To keep ourselves focused on Him.
Then verse 12 seems to stick out even more.
He said, “Fight the good fight of faith.” “Take hold of the eternal life.”
We’ve all heard people say “This is the life.” when referencing something they are truly enjoying. Meaning, they are truly taking hold of that moment.
The true question is, are we doing that with the eternal life He has given us?
Take some time today and reflect on your everyday life.
Are you pursuing these things given to us?
Are you fighting the good fight?
Are you taking hold of the life He has given us?
Let this be a focus in your time of meditation throughout the day.
Until next time, Shalom.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Holy Father,
Thank you for the life you have given me. As the Bible says, “you formed me in my mother’s womb,” making me the man I am today. Thank you for loving me enough to die for me on the cross, and that I will share in Your resurrection. I pray that you will take my life and use it for Your glory, for the expansion of Your Kingdom, and as the man You created me to be. Lord, take my life and guide it. Help me to pursue You sincerely and fully. You gave me life and salvation, so help me use that life to make a difference for eternity. Whether that is as a husband or a single man, as a father or a mentor, however You want to use me, I pray that my life will only glorify Your name.
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth, [e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol; Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are [a]sons of those who murdered the prophets.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Façade … a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect. (verse 28)
Façade … any face of a building given special architectural treatment. (verse 27)
The earliest meaning of the word Façade in English was in reference to the front portion of a building, its “face,” so to speak (and face itself is sometimes used to describe this part of a structure as well).
Somewhere along the highways of history the word façade took on a figurative sense, referring to a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation.
This is similar to the figurative use of veneer, which originally had the simple meaning of a thin layer of wood that was used to cover something, and now may also refer to a sort of deceptive behavior that masks one’s actual feelings (as in, “he had a thin veneer of politeness”).
Honesty is more than the words we say. It’s a posture of the heart.
We weren’t made to try and be something we’re not. God never asks us to keep up appearances. He longs for us to have the real courage to be vulnerable. He longs for us to be so founded in his unconditional love that we will live honestly.
Matthew 23:24-32 The Message
23-24 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?
25-26 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You buff the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.
27-28 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.
29-32 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You’re cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.
The greatest testimony you and I could possibly give to honor God, to give to the Kingdom of God and our neighbor is to have the audacity to live honestly.
It takes enormous courage to be yourself.
It takes genuine security in the unconditional love of your heavenly Father to acknowledge not just your strengths and successes, but also your weaknesses and failures.
But in doing so your life will proclaim the powerful, beautiful work of God.
And in doing so you will experience the peace and joy only freedom from building a façade can produce.
A façade is “an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.”
So often, to cover up what we know to be imperfect we devote ourselves to creating a false picture for others.
We even devote so much energy to building a façade that we try and deceive ourselves.
We muster up our pride and look only at what we’ve done well, all the while ignoring what we need help with.
As a result, we will spend all our time living a life apart from reality.
And to live apart from the reality of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is to live far apart from the grace and love of our ever-present, wholly real Father.
Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus passionately rebukes those who try and build facades:
27 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
God solely cares about the heart.
1 Samuel 16:6-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for [a] God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Next Jesse made [b]Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and [c]bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
He’s not worried about our perception.
He’s not worried about status or societal acceptance.
He cares about what is authentic.
He cares about what is genuine.
He cares about what is real.
He knows that any energy spent devoted to building a façade is energy you can’t devote to receiving help, healing, and grace for what’s real and important.
He knows that all your efforts to be accepted pf men aren’t of value because the opinions of others are nothing in comparison to his unconditional love for you.
And he knows that ultimately all facades will inevitably be torn down, and we will be publicly exposed, seen and known by him for who we really, truly are.
What does it mean to be whitewashed tombs?
To be whitewashed means to be cleaned so well that there is not a speck of dirt to diminish the shining brilliance of the tombs. In His example, the outside of the sepulcher tombs appears beautiful as it catches and reflects pure light. But inside they are full of rotting corpses—dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
God longs for you, me, the church to live fully alive, fully known and fully loved.
He longs for us to live in and to live outward from a revelation of his love and grace rather than striving for affection and acceptance by building up facades.
Take time to experience his love and grace today.
Assess your heart and tear down your walls. May freedom burst forth in your life today as you proclaim the glory of God’s grace by being who you really are.
Guided Prayer:
1. Reflect on the importance of living in reality.
Allow Jesus’ words to stir up your desire to tear down any façade you’ve built up.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27
2. Where are you striving for acceptance or affection by building up facades?
Where are you portraying yourself to be something you aren’t?
Why are you doing it?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to be yourself today.
James 5:14-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [a]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [b]offered in faith will [c]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [d]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [e]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed [f]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the [g]sky [h]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
Psalm 103:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.In the
Tell others of your weaknesses today.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself with all your strengths, successes, weaknesses, and failures.
May God’s grace and love empower you today as you live honestly.
May you stop devoting your energy to falsely manufactured appearances and give yourself and to God to what’s real. And in doing so may you genuinely encounter the unconditional acceptance and affection of your loving Father.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained; 4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the [g]beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [a] elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [b]over you in vain.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
This section speaks of the Galatians turning their backs to God.
Paul is feeling like he wasted his time and effort with them since they have reverted to how they were before they knew God.
Paul seems to not be able to understand how they could so easily go back.
When he was with them to bring them the gospel the first time, they were a blessing to him, but now, not so much as they are causing him great distress.
Paul even goes as far as to compare it to the pains of childbirth as he is waiting for Christ to be formed in them again.
As someone who went through it a few times last year with my heart surgery, my sarcastic side thinks “Really, Paul? What do you truly know about that?”
But my somewhat more logical side can recognize that he is using that language to convey the seriousness of his concern – both in how much he cares for them as if they were his own children, and also how very hurt he is by the turning of their backs on what he taught them.
I imagine that the Galatians were not intentionally turning away from God.
But by not being intentionally focused on God, that was the result.
I know I am guilty of this.
It takes incredible work to keep your mind and life exclusively set on God.
You may not be actively doing things that would displease Him, but by not actively doing things that do please Him, you are still going to be drifting further and further from Him.
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
Galatians 4:8-9 New International Version
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
While slavery still exists in parts of the world, for the most part slavery has been done away with. It is looked upon as a bad thing.
No one wants to be a slave to anyone for any reason.
Regardless of what the national rules and regulations are, the majority of people in this world are enslaved to sin.
They are bound up in sin that will keep them sinning more and more.
Selfish desires overcome them and causes them to sin.
This is a conscious choice of most people to live that way.
They see it as freedom of choice.
Every believer is taken out of that type of lifestyle.
They are removed from the bondage and slavery of sin when Jesus had died and rose from the dead.
He placed the powers of this world under His feet.
They are no longer a slave to those forces.
Yet, there are many believers who turn back to those weak and miserable forces and allow themselves to be enslaved again.
This is done when a believer turns back to an old way of living or begins to live like the world again.
He allows sin back into his life by choice on a regular basis.
He refuses to turn away from sin. Lying, stealing, cheating, cursing, hating, porn, violence, hatred all become a part of his life again, a way of living.
This is allowing the dark powers of this world to rule again in his life.
If you have accepted Jesus into your life and what He has done for you, you are known by God and also know God. He has set you free from the power of sin. He has pulled you out of that enslaved life of sin. Do not allow yourself to go back.
Take a look at your life on a regular basis and see you or what is enslaving you.
Who or what has control over your life?
God should be the only one who has control over your life. Do not allow the things and sin of this world to enslave you again and have control over you.
Turn away from the sin of this world and back to God.
“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.”
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 The Message
Freedom with Responsibility
8 1-3 The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.
While we absolutely serve an all-knowing, omnipotent, omnipresent God, there is a truly stark difference between God’s knowledge of everything and allowing ourselves to be known by him.
To be known by God is a two-way street.
It’s a conscious decision to open our hearts to this all-knowing God that we might experience him in even the deepest, most secret places of our lives.
Galatians 4:8-11 says,
Galatians 4:8-11 The Message
8-11 Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those tin gods? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!
Being known by God is the birthplace of freedom.
When we allow our Creator and Savior to truly know us he brings with him all his power, love, and deliverance.
Only when we allow him to know the wounds of our past do we truly position ourselves to receive his healing.
Only when we discover that he cries, mourns, laughs, and celebrates with us will our hearts be finally founded on the reality of true relationship with him.
Your God doesn’t just want to teach you, lead you, empower you, or use you—he wants to know you.
You don’t have to go through this life on your own.
You don’t have to process decisions, pains, relationships, doubts on your own.
You can be known by your Creator and know Him.
Unhindered relationship with your perfect, loving Father can be your source.
Psalm 139:23-24 The Message
23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
It is entirely possible to go through this life as a believer without letting God fully know you.
As tragic as it may be, many Christians do it every day.
We live as if God is distant from us.
We live as if we don’t have full access to his heart, will, love, and presence in the Holy Spirit.
We live as if all Christ came to do was give us a “get out of Hell free card” rather than restore us to right relationship with the Father.
And when you fully live fully known by God you will experience a love more sure, more real, and more transcendent than any love you’ve experienced.
Dear Reader; I pray today you will know what Jesus has done for you; that you will know the freedom you have in Jesus; that you will give to God full control of your life; and that you will fully choose to turn from sin to God every time.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Take time as you enter into guided prayer to truly let God know you.
Open up the secret places of your heart.
Tell him about your insecurities, fears, doubts, and wounds. May you find a deeper level of intimacy with your loving Father than you thought possible.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the importance of being known by God.
“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” Galatians 4:8-9
“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:3
2. Are you living your life known?
Or are you hiding pieces of your life from your heavenly Father?
3. Tell God about anything in your life that’s stayed in the dark.
Bring it to the light with him. Allow him to fully know you. And experience powerful freedom as he reveals the depths of his love for you.
“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27
Ephesians 5:8 says, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
You can live with confidence and joy today.
When you are fully known by God and still fully accepted and loved, your heart is unshakable.
God will not reject you.
He has loved you at your worst.
Trust in him today and experience life in the light of his presence.
Psalm 139 The Message
139 1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!
7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, You’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers—out of here!— all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies!
23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
22 Then Moses [a]led Israel from the [b]Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters [c]of Marah, for they were [d]bitter; therefore it was named [e]Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Yahweh Rapha: “the Lord Who Heals”
In the desert at Marah, we have another story of God’s provision and testing.
With empty water sacks, standing before a pool of bitter water, the people of Israel begin to grumble.
Although they complain bitterly against Moses, they are really complaining against God.
Their grumbling seems very shortsighted.
Only a few days earlier God had parted the Red Sea and saved them from Pharaoh’s army! (Please Read Exodus 14-15.)
But again, as we see in this story, God delivers his people, making the water fit to drink.
At Marah, the Israelites learn God is Yahweh Rapha, “the LORD who heals.”
This name comes from the Hebrew word raphe, meaning “to heal, to make healthy.”
The people also learn that God expects his people to trust him in all things, and he expects them to be devoted, obedient, holy, as he is holy.
Indeed, a few chapters (Ch. 20) later at Sinai, he lays out a code for holy living.
In the New Testament, however, we will discover an irony about Yahweh Rapha.
There we learn that “the LORD who heals” suffers to heal us and to forgive our sins.
In the words of Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.”
These words refer to Jesus, the Son of God. “By his wounds we are healed.”
” … for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
God progressively revealed the many facets of His eternal character throughout the pages of Scripture and it was to His Servant Moses that the Lord God has now just revealed Himself as Jehovah-Rapha – “I am the God Who heals you.”
God had already revealed Himself to Abraham as ‘the Lord God’ ‘the Almighty God’ and ‘the everlasting God’.
He also identified Himself as Abraham’s ‘Provider’, when He spoke those words, which are pregnant with meaning, “I will Provide Myself – a Lamb.”
Genesis 22:6-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will [a]provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
It was God Who saved His people Israel, after 400-years of bondage in Egypt, when they applied the shed blood of the Passover lambs onto the lintels of their doors – a striking picture of the true Passover Lamb,
Whose shed blood at Calvary would provide the means of healing the nation that was saving His people from slavery to sin and its terrible consequences.
And as the attributes of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continued to be revealed to His chosen people, as the years rolled by, so each of God’s revealed characteristics, was one more beautiful picture of the coming Messiah
– the Mighty God and Prince of Peace, Who would also be the one Who would heal His people Israel, the nation whom Isaiah described as being sick, ‘from the crown of their head to the sole of their foot’.
Isaiah 9:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995
Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace
9 [a]But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the [b]Gentiles.
2 [c]The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall [d]increase [e]their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness [f]of harvest, As [g]men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as [h]at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will [i]rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
He would come as the Horn of salvation for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
He would come to heal the nation from their spiritual sickness, awake them from their spiritual slumber, He will remove the blinkers from their spiritual blindness… for He said to them,
“If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your Healer.”
He would save His people from the hands of their enemies and rescue them from those that hated them.
He would come in holiness and righteousness to bind up their wounds and heal His people from the sin and the suffering that has plagued this world since the fall of Adam and Eve and their forceful expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
He would come as the Promised one, Who would fulfil the covenant God made with His people. He would come as God’s ‘perfect Lamb’ Sacrifice for their sin.
Jesus is the one Who heals the brokenhearted and Jesus is the one Who sets the captives free. Jesus is the one who made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dead to rise into newness of life
– for every attribute of the Almighty, Everlasting God, pointed towards the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, and perfect Man –
The Lord our Healer.
It was to Moses, in the nation’s infancy, that God revealed Himself to His people as Yahweh-Rapha – “I am the Lord that heals you.”
David expanded this glorious truth in so many of his psalms, for we read:
“He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” Psalm 103:1-5 –
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven – whose sin is covered.”Psalm 32
He is the one Who rights all wrongs, and He is the one who performs righteous deeds and judges the oppressed in righteousness.
And as with all of God’s good and perfect gifts, the healing He gives to all the redeemed is beyond our understanding and has an eternal perspective.
James 1:16-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
16 Do not be [a]deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [b]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be [c]a kind of first fruits [d]among His creatures.
God often heals the physical wounds and earthly diseases that trouble our mortal bodies, and play heavily on our minds and emotions.
But oft-times He whispers into our hearts, “My grace is sufficient, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness… in your sickness, in your hardship – in your loss, and your pain.”
But the incomprehensible truth of Jehovah-Rapha, is that His healing touch also spans the eternal sphere and the spiritual realm.
I am the Lord Who heals you SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY.
I am the one Who heals your spirit – when you were justified, through initial faith in Jesus as Savior – PAST salvation.
I am the one Who heals your soul – through the sanctification process, as you walk in faith and grow in grace – ONGOING salvation.
I am the one Who heals your body – at the Rapture of the church and resurrection of the dead-in-Christ – FUTURE salvation.
God’s gradual unveiling of His perfect character throughout the pages of Scripture, progressively reveals His eternal plan of redemption, which is perfected and completed in the Lord Jesus.
Let us always remember that our eternal healing took place at the cross – and if physical healing is withheld, there is a reason that God alone knows about – and His grace is and will always remain sufficient.
May you have peace today, knowing that all your sins have been forgiven.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. 17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him, And His [g]righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! 21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. 22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Heavenly Father, thank You, that You are the great healer. I am thankful I can lay my burdens at Your feet. I pray for Your healing touch in my life. You are my Jehovah-Rapha, and Your grace is sufficient. O God, you are the one who heals. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, Your Perfect Lamb, Your Perfect sacrifice, we have been healed and have been forgiven. Help us to live fully with this blessed assurance. In Jesus’ name.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 