Tag: Awesome God

Thus Says the Lord

New Testament Reading:  Mark 12

Psalms Reading:  81

*Old Testament Reading:  Isaiah 45-46

“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”  –Isaiah 45:18 (ESV)

Isaiah 45 begins, “Thus says the LORD…”.  This is repeated in verses 11, 14, & 18.  This phrase speaks of confidence and certainty; God has spoken and He only says what is true.  In verses 6, 18, 21, & 22 God says, “I am the LORD, and there is no other”.  In this chapter of Isaiah God speaks and He tells us how all-powerful He is and that there is none like Him. 

In chapter 46, verse 5 God asks the question, “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?  He speaks of the worthlessness of idols and then says, in verses 8-11, Remember this and stand firm… for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me… declaring the end from the beginning… My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose… I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. 

There just aren’t words big enough to describe our awe of God.  I checked the thesaurus:  awesome, incredible, spectacular, astonishing, stunning, amazing, magnificent, wondrous, majestic.  Our God, my God, your God, speaks to us and will accomplish what He says he will do.  He has a purpose and He will complete it.  We can rely on that without doubt.  I encourage you to take some time and read some of God’s promises and bask in the fact that each one already has or will happen.  You can start with Isaiah 45:22-23 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other.  By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance”

These chapters fill me with hope and confidence in our almighty God.  Let me leave you with a beautiful image from Isaiah 45:8 “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.” 

Amy Blanchard

  1. Since there aren’t any words that can adequately describe God – His power, His supremeness, how absolutely we can trust him – sit for a minute (preferably longer) and feel.  I know that sounds odd, but try it. 
  2. God speaking for two chapters on how He is the greatest and only perfect One and how He WILL succeed gives me chills.  I like action movies – you know, the ones where the good guys win (American movies).  There is always a specific moment, whether it’s a line, a visual cue, or the background music changes when you know “it’s done”, the good guys are going to win.  Picture the “cavalry coming over the hill” scene in so many movies.  One is in Avengers:  Endgame (spoiler alert).  Just when Captain America is about to be defeated and overtaken by a huge army The Avengers assemble.  They rescue him and save the world. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pFUP0HZwWM)  When these scenes happen, you feel something – relief, power, joy.  What do you feel when you read some of the passages from today’s chapters in Isaiah?   (And just for fun – what are some of the differences between the Avengers scene and this passage in Isaiah?)
  3. God created all of our emotions.  Thank Him for them.  What are you feeling today?
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Deserving of Our Praise

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 16-18

*Poetry: Psalm 145

New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Intro – see below

Yesterday we looked at David dancing and worshiping God as the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem and placed in the Tabernacle. Today we are looking at a song of praise, written by the very same man, King David. 

This Psalm speaks of different aspects of who God is, and David tells us that he meditates on those attributes and tells everyone about them. I think that in this he also invites us to do the same. Last week in his class at Family Camp about the Bible, Steve Mattison spoke to us one day about meditating on the word of God, and on God’s goodness and on all His attributes, and how scripture calls for us to do this day and night. It simply means to keep reminding yourself of these truths and thinking about them all the time. That is what David speaks of himself doing in this Psalm. He says, “I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” (Psalm 145:5 NLT)

Then the rest of the Psalm just speaks of how awesome God is. He speaks of how the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love, how He always keeps His promises, and how He helps the fallen and the hungry and thirsty. David speaks of how God’s Kingdom with last forever and how God’s eyes are close to those who call on Him. There are many more that David speaks of here and all these attributes are amazing and worthy of all of our praise. 

So the question is, what can you praise God for today? I’m sure there are things that He has done for you that are deserving of your praise. But you may right now be in a difficult place, where you may be struggling and feel far from God. If you are, then something that would be a good practice for you at this time is to meditate on what God has done for you in the past, and praise Him for those things and praise Him for what He has promised to do in the future. It may seem difficult to do in the middle of the storm you may be going through, but remember Paul and Silas who were beaten and thrown into prison, or David when he was being hunted down by Saul, who wanted to outright kill him. They and others in the Bible and throughout church history, when they found themselves in a dark place chose to focus on God’s goodness, rather than their storm and to praise Him, because no matter what He is worthy of our praise.

So let me leave you with David’s words that he ends this Psalm with, “I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:23 NLT)

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. Is God deserving of your praise? Why or why not (answer in more than a couple words)?
  2. What are some of the best ways for you to show your praise to God? How often do you do them?
  3. Do you meditate on God’s words and on His goodness/wonderful works? Would there be benefit in doing this more? If so, what benefits?
  4. Is God still deserving of your praise when you are in a difficult place and time? Why or why not (answer in more than a couple words)?

1 & 2 Thessalonians Introduction

Scholars believe Paul wrote the first letter to the Church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey, while in Corinth – just a few months after he left Thessalonica, between 49 and 51 AD.  

The main theme of 1 Thessalonians is Jesus’ Second Coming.  Since Jesus is going to return, Christians are called to live lives worthy of God – blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father.  When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will rise first, then the living will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.  Paul tells the Thessalonians to encourage each other with these words.

While unbelievers will suffer God’s wrath, “…God has not appointed us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians to correct the misunderstanding that the “Day of the Lord” had already come.   More details are given of Jesus’s return – when “he will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:8.  Paul gives details of the rebellion that will take place before the return of Christ, and the rise of the “man of lawlessness” (the antiChrist).  Paul warns in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.  They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

May we take to heart Paul’s encouragement and his warning in these two books, and fervently seek the truth.  I’ll close with 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”

-Steve Mattison

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Try Again

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 13-15

Poetry: Psalm 144

New Testament: Colossians 4

This story from I Chronicles is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. (It Can also be found in II Samuel.) David has just gone through years of being hunted down by a man who wanted to kill him out of jealousy. David never retaliated against Saul, and never sought to take the throne (which was rightfully his) from Saul by force. In fact the day that David learned of Saul’s death, he didn’t celebrate, but instead mourned his death.

Now where we are in the story, David has been made king over all of Israel, he has conquered the city of Jerusalem, and made it the new capitol of Israel, and the first thing he wants to do is get the Ark of the Covenant (the golden box that represents God’s presence among His people) returned to its rightful place in the Tabernacle.

The Ark of the Covenant has been away from the Tabernacle for many years at this point. It had been lost when the sons of Eli took it into battle against the Philistines, back when Samuel was a child, and it was captured by the Philistines and placed in the temple of their god. The Ark didn’t stay in Philistia for very long. (It is a pretty cool story that you should really check out in I Samuel 5-7.) Long story short, the Ark ended up in the town of Kiriath-Jearim for many years. 

The Bible says that the people of Israel felt like God had abandoned them during this time. So David decided that the Ark needed to be returned to the Tabernacle. The first attempt to move the Ark did not go so well. They didn’t move it in the way that was required for it to be moved, to show the respect and honor that was needed. They basically took the symbol that represented God’s very presence and put it on a farm cart, pulled by an ox to carry it. In the end a man died, and David and the others took a step back to rethink what they were doing. 

The second attempt to move the Ark went much better. This time we see that David got together the Levites (those whom God had chosen to handle and move all the articles of the Tabernacle and the holy elements). He had some of them carry the Ark with the specialized poles that were prescribed by the law, and others were appointed to sing songs of praise to God as they went along. We are also told that David dressed himself, that day, in the garments of a priest rather than kingly garments, humbling himself before the ark. We are also told that there were proper sacrifices made to God, because God Himself helped them move the Ark. This time the Ark was carried into Jerusalem and up into the Tabernacle without incident, with David dancing before the Ark the whole way. 

So what does this story teach us? I think it teaches us to not take our time with God for granted. Our God is a loving father, who wants to spend time with us, and that is awesome! But sometimes we forget how special that really is. I’m talking about us getting the chance to be in the presence of Almighty God, and have his complete and full attention. Do you realize how amazing that is? I’m not saying that we need to go through any certain rituals or ceremonies, or need to jump through any hoops to spend time with God. He is waiting eagerly for time with us. I’m just saying that we should treat our time with the Almighty with a healthy dose of awe and respect. As the Psalmist wrote, we should “enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and enter His courts with praise.” Our God is an awesome God, and we should do well not to forget it.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. What does it mean to you that God wants you to be in His presence? What has He done through the ages to make it possible for people to spend time in His presence?
  2. How do you spend time in His presence? Do you take it for granted? What can you do to increase the quality and quantity of your time in His presence?
  3. The first time they tried moving the ark it failed because they had not asked God how they should do it. Is there something God might want you to do – but you have not been doing it in the WAY He wants so it has not worked well? What can you do to try again?
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Our God is an Awesome God

Isaiah 41-42 and 1 Timothy 2

Good morning! (Or afternoon, or evening…)

Our God is an awesome God, and He has no problem telling us that!  Isaiah 41 is all about God telling the nations who is in charge.  In certain places, it can seem a little harsh… calling the Israelites weak worms, putting them in their place knowing that their work is worthless compared to God, etc.  HOWEVER, there are also multiple verses where God’s comforting love shows through as he reminds the Israelites not to fear, and that He is there to help and strengthen them (v. 10, 13, 17).  While the passage can be blunt at times, it ultimately is God simply speaking truth to a group of individuals that He cares deeply about.  He wants them to understand how great He is, and how much He cares for them!

In chapter 42 God provides a little more reasoning behind his passionate words towards the Israelites, He reminds them that they are a chosen people dedicated to being a light to the nations (v. 6).  Isaiah has been tasked with sending this message to the Israelites despite the way they continue to reject God.  I can almost feel his exasperation as he does his best to help them understand that they have a purpose, that God has a plan, and that they keep ignoring it! (v. 20) Do you ever feel like Isaiah trying to convince people that God has the best plan for their life?  It can be difficult to speak truth into the lives of others who are not receptive, and it can be hard to see them ignore the need for God in their life.  We must know that it is not our job to convince individuals they need God, He can do that all His own!  Our job is to share the information, model how God can change a life, and continue to pray for their eyes, ears, and hearts to be opened to the truth.

In reality, I think we end up being most like the Israelites ourselves!  We continue to disobey, ignore, or rebel against the purpose God has for us even though we may know exactly what God wants from us.  We all have sin in our lives.  It looks different in everyone!  That is why it is so incredible that God still includes us in His chosen people, and that we all have the same opportunity for salvation and an eternal life with Him in the Kingdom. 

Unlike Isaiah, we are fortunate to live in the time that we don’t have to just tell people salvation is yet to come; we get to share that a Savior has already come, already been put to death for our sins, and has already rose from the grave with a promise of eternal salvation!  We are told in 1 Timothy 2 that God wants everyone to be saved, to come to the knowledge of the truth (v. 4) and that Jesus was a human who gave himself as a ransom for all (v.5-6).  Who can you share some knowledge with today?

-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Isaiah 41-42 and 1 Timothy 2

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Love and a Consuming Fire

 

Deut 4 24

John 4:24 does say that God is a spirit. But let’s not assume that he is only a spirit. 1 John 4:8 says God is love and we all love that aspect of God. Deuteronomy 4:24 also says that God is a consuming fire. That’s because he is an awesome God. So awesome that when he was on Mount Sinai the Israelites were sure they were going to die from the sound of his voice but when Elijah was at the same mountain God spoke to him in a still small voice. But still the same God.

Therefore its no wonder that he is both LOVE and a CONSUMING FIRE even at the same time and all in righteousness. This is why he is a spirit. We must use other verses to help us understand the physical nature of God. Spirit is not a description of physical resistance in any form. The GOD of the Bible is awesome and he does have a voice.

-Larry Rankin

Awesome God!

Isaiah 54-57

isaiah-55

Wednesday, February 22

Today’s chapters make it pretty clear that our God is an Awesome God! He is all powerful and reigns over the whole universe, yet he loves you and me, and every person individually. That is just amazing to me. These chapters also highlight some of God’s promises again, and how merciful he is. Since I mentioned his promises a couple days ago, I want to talk a little bit about what is asked of us in these chapters. (His promises are still going to be mentioned, because they are pretty amazing.)

Chapter 54 talks specifically about the promises that God has made, and because he is perfect in all of his ways, and is true to those promises, we should know that he will keep them. At the very end of chapter 54 in verse 17 God says, “…This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their righteousness which is of Me..” All God is asking is that we be his servants, and that we listen to him and follow him and dedicate our lives to him. If we do this, then God will have “mercy on us with everlasting loving kindness” (verse 8 paraphrased). He also says in verse 10 “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed.” God is saying that if we will be his servant, he will FOREVER be merciful to us with everlasting loving kindness. After everything that God has given us, it’s pretty small thing to ask of us.

Chapter 55 goes a little bit deeper into God’s mercy. God reminds us in verse 8 That, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, My ways, says Yahweh. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. “ God knows that we mess up sometimes, he acknowledges that we can’t think exactly like him and we don’t do things like he would, but we need to trust that his ways are better, because they are. His is merciful and great and loves each of us so much, that he takes care in instructing us to recognize that we are not him and that his ways are different and better than our own.

Chapter 56 – This chapter again talks about how accepting God is. God is telling us that even “Faithful Gentiles” will be accepted. We are Gentiles, because we are not Jews. God says in this chapter that his house of prayer is for ALL peoples. Our faith, and trust in God is not just for us, it is for everyone. God’s love and mercy is not just for us, it is for everyone! (We should share it, because this is an awesome gift!)

Chapter 57 is all about idols again. We should not let idols distract us from our walk with God- and idols are not just little figurines of some mythological creature. Idols are anything that can be a major distraction. This might a “friend” group that you have that maybe isn’t the greatest for you to have influence you. This might be technology-maybe it is distracting you from being in the moment and letting God speak to you. ( I am not saying that all technology is bad, sometimes it can actually be really helpful in connecting with other believers, finding resources, Christian music and the Bible) These are just some examples. I encourage you to examine your own lives and see if there are any idols hiding in the corner that are a distraction. This chapter finishes out with a hope of how to overcome these idols. It says in verse 14 “He will say, Cast up, cast up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.” God doesn’t want you to stumble and he does want to help you! It might be difficult, but asking God for help might be a life changing step. If this is you in any way and you want to to talk to someone about it, I encourage you to reach out to a parent, or a friend, or a pastor because they will want to help you as well.

Some songs for today:

Always by: Kristian Stanfill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ltcijkLKs

Dancing Generation by: Matt Redman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P2A1VUZYss

Unchanging by: Chris Tomlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS2Z4Aa8mNM

Devotion by Jana Swanson
(Photo credit: http://w3ace.com/stardust/scripture/book/Isaiah/37)

Our Doubts & Fears in the Light of an Awesome God (Judges 6-8)

Sunday, October 2 – Start of Week 11

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Shelby Upton

In Judges 6-8 we see the Israelites in a place where they had turned from God and had been handed over to the Midianites. Gideon, being the judge and spiritual leader, is working to bring Israel back into God’s favor. Throughout these chapters we see a theme of doubt and fear. Not too different from the feelings and struggles we all face today. But the amazing thing we see from Gideon is the way he lays it all down to God. And God shows up! Over and over again proving his awesome power and doing it in the face of even more amazing odds. Whether it was defeating the Midianites with a fraction of the Israelite army or the miracles performed with Gideon’s fleece. In the face of our doubts and fears we serve an awesome, loving God who comes through for us time and time again when we lay it all at His feet.

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