Archive for Devotional

Made Holy or Becoming Holy?

2015-03-31 Devotional, Pictures of God, Uncategorized No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Deuteronomy 7

At times, God told Israel that they were a people holy to the Lord. They were holy because He had chosen them and made them so. For example:

You are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6, NASB)

At other times, they were commanded to be a people holy to the Lord. Being holy was their own responsibility.

I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44, NASB)

How can we reconcile these approaches to being God’s holy people? Were they holy because God had made them holy, or were they to be holy by their own decision and effort? What makes God’s people holy?

  • First, they were holy by God’s decision and God’s doing. God had separated them to Himself. He had chosen them as His own (v.6). Why?
    –Not because they deserved it, but because of His great love (vv.7-8);
    –Not because they had been faithful, but because He was faithful to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (v.9).
    They were holy because God is holy. Whatever is God’s, whatever is separated to His service, is holy.
  • In response to God choosing them and separating them to Himself, they were called to live as His holy people. They had to obey and separate themselves from the ways of the people around them (vv.2-3). They must not serve their gods (vv.4-5). They must obey God (v.11) and trust Him in times of need (vv.17-23).

God is holy, and He is the only source of holiness, so holiness is always His choice and His doing. But we must respond in faith and obedience. Those who did enjoyed all the continuing blessings of being God’s people (vv.12-15). Those who disobeyed were judged and buried in the wilderness. They never received God’s promised blessings (Hebrews 3:12 – 4:3).

Holiness is a living relationship with the holy God. Only He can initiate the relationship, but we must allow God to be our God in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Beyond All Images

2015-03-26 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Exodus 20:1-6; Deuteronomy 4:15-20

Understanding God’s transcendence sheds light on the second of the Ten Commandments:

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water under the earth. (Exodus 20:4, NASB)

This strong prohibition not only applies to images of false gods, but to images of the true God as well. Why would God absolutely forbid His people to make any likeness of Him?

  • Because God is transcendent, any image of Him would diminish Him. It would make Him far less and far other than He is, bringing more misunderstanding than understanding. He is Creator, not anything created. Worshiping any image, even an image intended to represent Him, is inherently worshiping a god other than the infinite, unseeable God. Such worship is inevitably idolatrous, regardless of its intent. The entire universe in all its vastness and wonder is only a tiny, partial revelation of all He is.

Death is naked before God…
he suspends the earth over nothing…
The pillars of the heaven quake,
aghast at his rebuke.
By his power he churned up the sea…
And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power? (Job 26:6-14, NIV)

  • Any image of God is static, whereas God is a God of action. He reveals Himself through His actions, not through some static image.
  • Once we reduce the infinite, almighty God to anything local and material, our tendency is to try to control and manipulate Him. Think of the way the Ark of the Covenant has been pictured as having magical powers. That is the way any image of God would be used. Almighty God would become a mere tool to be wielded for selfish human ends.

God is great and marvelous beyond our full comprehension. And in Exodus 3:12, God says, “I AM with you”, using the exact word that He uses for His name in 3:14. Transcendent, Almighty God is with us always, in the full force of all He is.

Our understanding of the transcendent God deepens the mystery and wonder of Jesus Christ, a Galilean peasant, Who comes as the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15, NASB) and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3, NASB).

Keep God’s Name Holy

2015-03-19 Devotional, Pictures of God One comment

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:11-12; Ezekiel 36:22-28

The third of the Ten Commandments says,

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7, NASB)

What is God telling us when He says not to take His name in vain? I believe He is saying this:

My name is My identity.
It is Who I am.
Only say it if you mean it.
Don’t use it
as an expletive,
as a magic charm in an attempt to manipulate Me, or
as an empty vow to cover your lies.
Only say my name with the reverence and fear that my Being demands.
Keep My name holy.

But keeping God’s name holy affects far more than what we say. The Old Testament repeatedly warns God’s people against living in ways that would profane His holy name. God has a burning desire that all people everywhere would know Him. When we break His commandments and ignore His laws, we dishonor Him before those who need to see and know and trust Him. Sinful lives profane His holy name.

“I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.” (Ezekiel 36:23, NASB)

How can we keep God’s name holy? By living lives of love, honesty, consistency, and purity that show the world Who God is – that He is love, wisdom, peace, justice, and righteousness.

God’s Name Is Holy

2015-03-17 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Exodus 3:13-15; 20:7; Leviticus 22:32-33

In Exodus 3, God is calling Moses to a huge task, and Moses is hesitant. He asks, “If the Israelites ask me the name of the God who sent me, what should I say?” Moses would be coming to them making an immense, unbelievable promise: to free an entire race of powerless slaves from one of the most powerful, most ruthless rulers on earth. So what Moses wants to know is, “What God can make such an outlandish promise and actually fulfill it? What name will make them believe me?”

God’s immediate response: “I AM WHO I AM…Tell them ‘I AM’ sent you.”

Names are significant in the Bible. A name is more than just a verbal handle. Names represent who the person truly is – their nature, their character, and their destiny. In God’s case, He is incomprehensible, far above anything we could discover on our own. But each of His many names reveals something about Him. Here, “I AM WHO I AM”, or simply “I AM”, are versions of the name God chose for Himself: Yahweh (sometimes rendered “Jehovah”).

So what does this name – I AM WHO I AM, I AM, or Yahweh – suggest about God? How do they reveal an Almighty God who can deliver on any promise He makes, no matter how outlandish it seems?

  • “I AM” says that God is self-existent. All existence, all being, flows from Him.
  • All other names are derivative: “Light,” “Healing,” “Wisdom,” “Sun,” or whatever. They all take their meaning from some object or some human context.
  • God is not derivative. He does not derive from or depend on anything or anyone else. He is before all things. He conceived and created all that is. Everything is less than Him and derives from Him, not the reverse.

God is holy…separate…transcendent. Therefore His name, His identity, is holy as well.

Our First Lesson in Holiness

2015-03-12 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Exodus 3

Question: What is the first occurrence of the word “holy” in the Bible? (Big hint: “holy” does not occur in Genesis.)

Answer: Exodus 3:5. Moses was born in Egypt into the home of Hebrew slaves. As an infant, he was miraculously saved from death by his parents’ bold faith. Though raised in the royal palace, his sympathy for the Hebrew people got him in trouble, and he had to flee to the far side of the desert. This prince was now a shepherd, pasturing flocks near Mt. Sinai.

Through the sight of a bush that was burning but not consumed, God lured Moses into their first of many personal encounters. He called out to Moses by name, “Moses, Moses!” (Exodus 3:4). As Moses began to come near, God gave him his very first lesson in knowing Him:

“Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5, NASB)

The first thing God taught Moses about Himself was that He was holy. What would Moses have understood about God through this warning?

  • God was “above” him. He was unworthy of God. He couldn’t trifle with Him or assume familiarities.
  • The very fact that God revealed Himself through a miraculous sign, rather than through a bodily appearance, communicated that He was separate. He was holy. He was completely above and beyond our human limits.
  • Moses would have been filled with a sense of awe and mystery regarding this transcendent God who had come near and reached out to him.

But as their conversation unfolds in Exodus chapters 3 and 4, a remarkable relationship begins to take form. Moses is honest about his fears regarding God’s assignment—even stubborn. How does this holy God respond? With amazing patience. He responds to Moses’ candor with candor of His own. He teaches. He prods. He challenges. He even grows angry and scolds. But He doesn’t give up on Moses or push him away. He takes steps to meet each of Moses’ concerns, even when they’re unreasonable. Here is a holy God who is gentle and patient with His weak and fearful creatures.

Jesus the Word

2015-02-26 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

John 1:1-3

Do the opening verses of John remind you of any other passage of scripture?

John opens the story of Jesus with a retelling of the creation account from Genesis 1. He makes the parallels obvious:

  • In the beginning
  • “The Word” reminds us of God speaking the world into existence.
  • Darkness…emptiness…light

But John writes to give Jesus His proper place in the creation account. When all things were created, Jesus was at the very heart of the process.

What does John mean by referring to Jesus as “the Word”? What is a word? It is a means of self-expression, of conveying one’s will, intent, heart, and mind. So when John refers to Jesus as the Word of God, he is saying that Jesus is God’s expression of His own will, intent, heart, and mind.

But remember from Genesis 1 that God’s Word is more than just an expression of intent. God’s Word carries the full authority of our Sovereign Creator. He speaks, and it happens.

Jesus is that sovereign, active, powerful, creative Word of God. Jesus is not just an expression of God’s will. He is God’s will in action, bringing into reality all that the Father desires and commands.

All things came into being through Him [through Jesus], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:3, NASB)

By Him [Jesus] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17, NASB)

Since the very beginning, Jesus has been God’s Word, bringing to reality all the Father’s will. It was true when God spoke worlds into existence. It is true today. Think of all our loving Creator wants for us and for His creation. Jesus Christ is His sovereign, creative Word, bringing about all the Father’s will. He is God’s sovereign, creative Word in you, fully accomplishing all your Creator wants for you.

Reassurances

2015-02-24 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Isaiah 42:13-17; 43:14-21

When you need reassurance, picture these truths from Isaiah:

  • When you are threatened, your Creator charges out like a mighty warrior, raising a war cry, doing battle on your behalf. (42:13)
  • In His deep passion for you, your Maker is like a woman in labor, groaning, gasping, panting, crying out for your best. (42:14)
  • Your weaknesses and limitations do not limit God. He can do things for you that you could never do for yourself, things you could never imagine. (42:15-16)
  • When the situation looks the darkest, remember that you have not yet heard the end of the story. (43:14-15)
  • The God who parted the Red Sea to let His people through can move any difficulties out of your path. (43:16-17)
  • Your God did all these mighty deeds in the past, but He is not limited to the past. When His people are in need, the Creator delights to create something brand new. He is not done creating! (43:18-19)

Our Creator God is not bound
by the past or the present,
by our weaknesses or limitations,
by obstacles or roadblocks,
by norms or impossibilities.
Nothing can restrain His passionate love for His people.

Whom or What Are You Worshiping?

2015-02-12 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Jeremiah 10:1-16

God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah about 600 B.C. But if God were to raise him up and speak to our society today, what would he say?

“People, your gods are what you seek, what you trust and live for, what you look to for ultimate meaning. They are what define you. So look logically at who or what you are worshiping. Your gods are no gods at all!

“Material goods are too temporary and shallow to fulfill the dreams and desires your Creator has planted in you. They can’t change who you are inside, and you can’t take them with you when your body dies. Look at them, for heaven’s sake! They’re only wood and stone, metal and plastic!

“Money is simply a medium of human exchange, with no intrinsic value. It can only bring what human beings have to give, and no human being can give you what you truly need.

“Comforts and pleasures are fleeting sensations. Don’t spend so much effort trying to temporarily FEEL better. You can BE better from the inside out, and forever!

“No matter how you take care of your health and appearance, age, sickness, and death will overtake you. You are spending too much of your life trying to keep what you are sure to lose.

“All these things are promising you a meaningful and satisfying life. Whose promises do you believe? If you want life, go to the only Source of life, the One Who made you.”

The LORD is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King…
It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens…
The Maker of all is He. (Jeremiah 10:10, 12, 16, NASB)

Why Natural Disasters?

2015-02-10 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Genesis 3:1-19 

If God commands all nature, why are there natural disasters? It seems logical that either God causes natural disasters, or He doesn’t control nature, right?

We can’t always say why God does this or that. His thoughts and ways are far beyond our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). We only know what He tells us:

  1. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. (Psalm 145:17, NASB) 
  1. In His sovereignty, God has chosen to give us the privilege and responsibility of making meaningful decisions, within certain broad limits. We decide our actions, then He allows us to experience the results of those decisions.
  1. God appointed us stewards of this world, and sometimes natural disasters are caused by our own greed, neglect, or mismanagement.
  1. In a general sense, all natural disasters are apparently the result of our original decision to disobey God and go our own way. When we corrupted ourselves, we also corrupted the natural world over which God placed us as rulers.

The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility…in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Romans 8:19-22, NASB)

But even though God allows us to suffer the results of our decisions, He is still sovereign, and love is still His pledge. A few verses later in the same chapter Paul assures us:

We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, NASB)

God’s purposes for His people extend far beyond this world. We can never understand God and His ways if we focus only on this present world and think of physical death as the ultimate end. God’s love and purposes do not stop when this body dies.

Psalm 104: Immerse Your Senses in God

2015-02-05 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Psalm 104:1; Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-23 

Most of us moderns are fundamentally different than people of earlier generations in one important respect: we spend so little time outdoors. When you spend time out in nature, you start to notice things: the majesty of the sky and the vastness of the world above and beyond; the beauty of the landscape; the movements of the wind and clouds; the birds, with their colors, calls, flying patterns, and habits; and so much more.

The writer of Psalm 104 is outdoors, and he sees God. He looks around him, and he sees the greatness, the splendor, the majesty of God. Creation helps him imagine and know the unseen God.

If you were absolutely intent on communicating a vital message to every human being on earth, to every person of every nation, every age, every ability, every personality, throughout all time, how would you do it? There are thousands of languages in the world today, and each is constantly changing. Levels of education vary. Technologies come and go. How would you communicate with each and every individual?

God wanted us to know Him, so He painted a vivid picture of Himself in creation itself. He wrote all the essential truths about Himself into the world around us. Creation speaks about Him in a way that is above and beyond all human language.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4, NASB)

Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20, NASB)

Do you want a living picture of God, one that will engulf all your senses? Go out for a walk in nature, and keep your eyes and your heart open.

« Older Entries   Recent Entries »