Paul’s Motto

Friday, August 30, 2024

Paul’s Motto – Colossians 1:28-29 

Paul was very single minded. I am sure we all know people who just get so focused on something that nothing distracts them, some of you may be that way. You get so engrossed in a project that the noise around you just don’t penetrate your mind, you just don’t hear it. Maybe ‘laser focused’ is a good description. I believe Paul may have had that characteristic. You remember him as Saul the persecutor of the Way. He was sure that those who followed the Way were wrong, Jesus wasn’t God’s Son, the promised Messiah. The best solution was to stop them from spreading the hearsay of this group of followers. He went after them with all his energy and resources. And now that he has been changed by and encounter with resurrected Jesus he has become just as devoted to spreading the gospel, increasing the number of Christ followers, and ensuring they knew and understood the truth. 

One source labeled Colossians 1:28-29 as Paul’s Motto for his ministry.  

28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me. 

Proclaim HIM – Paul has only one message throughout all his letters. We find in Galatians 1:11-12 11 
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.  Paul was as well educated in the scripture as anyone could be. He is assuring those he wrote to that the message was not made up by him. The believers in Galatia had started listening to other teachers who were sharing false gospel. He admonished them for believing anything different from what he had taught. He wasn’t doing anything to get approval of man. In other words, Paul didn’t preach a sermon to ‘tickle their ears’. He stated, in vs 9, strongly If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Paul didn’t care who he upset as he only wanted to be true to the One who he served. Does that cause you to wonder, as I do, if I am that committed/steadfast, to my calling from God. Are we ever guilty of listening to, maybe believing in, false teachings?  

He wrote to the church at Corinth and declared in 1 Corinthians 2:2 In fact, while I was with you, I made up my mind to speak only about Jesus Christ, who had been nailed to a cross. One message, one topic. Paul told them there is only One Christ who was crucified for them. Earlier in that chapter he confessed that he didn’t speak with brilliant speech or wisdom but only by the power of the Holy Spirit in him. He was teaching them not to follow any earthly leader but to make them understand there is only one Church, the Church that is the body of Jesus Christ the Lord. We should never become followers of man regardless how handsome, charismatic, or enticing he may look and sound. There is only One worthy to be our Master and Savior to whom we should give or allegiance. Paul was laser focused on only one message, only one truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Wisdom – Paul is teaching Jesus, admonishing us, teaching us with ALL wisdom. Wow, not just some or a little bit but all wisdom. When you hear someone speak of wisdom what comes to mind? Does a picture of your favorite grandparent pop into your mind. Have you somehow gotten the impression that one must be old to be wise? I’m here to tell you age doesn’t necessarily cause someone to be wise. So, what is wisdom? Paul is teaching with it. And we can all agree being a teacher doesn’t always equate to wisdom either. The Amplified version had this to say about Paul’s wisdom is with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God. Paul wishes to impart God’s wisdom to all, each of us, in his writings. Let’s take another look at 1 Corinthians 2, this time it’s verses 6-7 We do, however, speak a swho are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. I believe that verse 6 truly could have been written today and be true – The wisdom of the rulers of this age is coming to nothing! But, instead, it is God’s wisdom, the full understanding of the gospel and that it is for everyone, that is wisdom. Paul teaches everyone, that means all, the wisdom of God, His promises, His purpose, and His plan.  

 Mature or Perfect – Lastly in verse 28 Paul’s desire is to present everyone as mature in Christ. Some versions say perfect or complete. What does that mean? Again, from the Amplified Version I found that mature means fully trained and perfect in Him the Anointed. Ephesians 6:27 is found in the message Paul was teaching about husbands and wives. He first tells both to submit to one another in obedience to Christ. He addresses the submission of wives to their husbands in one verse. So, the hierarchy is first to Christ then wives to husbands, but Paul takes ten verses telling husbands how they should align their love for their wife with Christ’s love for the church. He makes these points to husbands; Christ loved her so much He gave Himself up for her making her holy and He washed her in living water from the Word, then verse 27 says and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. We can be without blemish, perfect or mature because Christ loved us, died for us, washed us in the living water of His Word. Then we can stand before Him mature in Christ. We cannot be mature or perfect in His sight without Christ in our lives. Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus is teaching the sermon on the mount and had just told them how not to be, like the pagans or unbelievers. But instead, be like God our Father and love your enemies. We can be complete/mature/perfect by living aligned with the standards of our Father, by emulating Jesus in our day to day lives. 

Paul confesses that he is striving for or those who hear to believe the gospel. He can only do anything by the power of Christ working through him. We must have one God, one gospel, and be fully trained in Him to have wisdom and be mature in Christ.   

What Does God Want From Us?

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" Matthew 28:19-20

What Does God Want From Us?

God created us all for some very specific reasons. He did create us to do all His work for Him, but He created us for relationship with Him. He wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to himself so we can fulfill five purposes: 

To love him, (Worship)

To be a part of his family, (Relationship)

To become like him, (Transformed into the image of His Son)

To serve him, (Ministry)

To tell others about him. (Missions)

Once we know God and have a relationship with Him, then we can then carry these five purposes on to others in the world. We can go out and spread His love to the world. Will they believe us? Will they be open to what we have to say? We are faced with the challenge of taking His message to others without even knowing we will be received. Until we are sharing the Gospel and changing lives, we will never be really fulfilled, because this is our God given purpose. 

What Will Really Fulfill Us? 

Feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, ministering to the sick, are all very worthwhile things to do, but the only way we will ever know true satisfaction is when we are leading people to salvation in Christ Jesus. Our true purpose is to know Him and make Him known. The only real reason we are here on this earth is to make disciples. It is very easy for us to stray from this purpose. Joshua brought the people repeatedly back to the Gilgal, the place of commitment and purpose to keep them focused on God’s purpose.  

God calls us to him, but then sends us out for Him. We are representatives of God and His kingdom in everything we do. It is a great responsibility and privilege to be entrusted with this important honor of reaching the ones still living and keeping the message of the gospel going from one generation to the next. If just one generation fails to pass the gospel message on to the children, a whole legacy of faith

When we are on MISSION, we are committed for God’s purpose for our lives, devoid of selfish ambition. When we are committed for God’s purpose we are committed to the Church – the body of believers. Individually and together as the body of Christ our purpose is one. A unified body with a unified purpose – reaching the lost world for Christ – through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and mall were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

A Real Enemy

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident. I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. For he will conceal me in his shelter  in the day of adversity; he will hide me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord. Psalm 27:3-6

A Real Enemy

As Christians, we go to battle every single day. It may not be the exact kind of battle David is talking about here as he references an army and a war in verse 3.  Psalm 27 was used by David in preparation for battle. We especially need to prepare for a battle every day in a different way as our battle is with an unseen enemy. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12

We can be strong and confident in the power of the Lord as we go to battle just as David did. We may feel fear and anxiety some days, but we have a Lord who has gone before us and has won the victory! We can find peace in Him for our hearts knowing He is victorious. We can rest in that knowledge. Whatever we face, He has already faced it for us. We can lean on Him. Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident. v3

Our enemy is real and dangerous, and he is on the prowl every day. We have to keep our head in the game and trust in the One who will shelter us in our day of adversity. He hides us away and lifts us up. He is worthy of our praise. "Shouts of joy" comes from the Hebrew word teru’ah and was often used as a military victory shout.

Sometimes we are at the edge of the battlefield waiting. Sometimes we  are in the thick of a battle for what seems like forever. Waiting on God makes us strong for battle. We will be obedient to His command to wait when we know we cannot fight the battle in our own power.  We NEED the Lord. The strength and courage we require comes  only from Him, and His plans are good and worth waiting for.

We don’t have to be afraid. God is our fortress. When David said, “He will set me high on a rock.”, he was thinking of a high, rocky fortress which offered maximum protection against an enemy. Our God who protects us and lifts us up is above all and over all. He is more powerful than any foe we will ever meet. 

Have you prepared for the battle before you?  To prepare you need to do three things: 

Be vigilant – know your enemy is real and on the prowl. 
Be knowledgeable – know God’s word and trust Him. 
Be confident – in the knowledge that God has already won the victory, and we can lean into Him and rest in Him. We can trust Him because He holds the victory in His hands. 

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 1 Peter 5:8 

Open Your Bible

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word. I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let me wander from your commands.  I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you. Lord, may you be blessed; teach me your statutes. With my lips I proclaim all the judgments from your mouth. I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways.  I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:9-16 CSB

Open Your Bible 

Do you seek God with all your heart? When is the last time you can remember treasuring His words? Meditated on His precepts, thought about His ways, or delighted in His statutes? The Bible is such a gift from God and a wealth of all the knowledge we will need for how to live this life as a follower of Christ. It gives us answers to life’s hardest questions. It gives us examples of how to be a disciple and make disciples. It brings peace and hope. It tells of God’s greatness from the beginning of time and of His character and promises we can trust in. 

The only way we can keep our way pure is to keep His word. We cannot keep His word if we do not know it. When we seek Him with all our heart, we will learn His word. We will read it and study and continue to learn as much as we can. We will treasure it in our hearts so that we know it well. Remembering His word will help to keep us from sin. We still have a choice, but without knowing His word we have little chance to stay away from sin. 

If we are in a relationship with God, knowing what He says will be very important to us – a treasure in our hearts. We will want to follow His word in our every thought, action, and word we speak. We will delight in His statutes and meditate on His precepts. Memorization is not just the repeating of words in order of recollection.  It is planting truth in our minds from which we draw our wisdom for living. Keeping His word on our minds and in our hearts at all times will help us walk The Jesus Way. It will help us to live out the Gospel in every way with our whole lives. 

Knowing the Bible and what God says is where new believers start. New believers are like baby Christians who need to learn all the things. It is important to know what God says about how we are to live our lives as His children. It is foundational to our faith.  As we grow and apply it to our lives, we grow in our faith and relationship with God. When we are stronger, we can begin to help others grow more in their faith as well by helping them understand the Bible. 

Do you need to spend some time in the word? If you want to grow deeper in your knowledge and understanding, there are tools to use and Bible studies you can join to help you. A discipleship partner or a small discipleship group is a great thing to be a part of to grow in understanding and wisdom from the Bible. A mentor, or one person you can meet with to study and discuss scripture from time to time is also another great option. You can open your Bible and read on your own, using online resources to help with understanding and research if needed.

Two good sources are: 

Enduring Word Commentary:

https://enduringword.com  

Got Questions: 

https://www.gotquestions.org

Worthy of Our Trust

Monday, August 26, 2024

Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live. Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save. When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die. Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah! Psalm 146:1-10

Worthy of Our Trust

Psalm 146, begins with praise to God and ends with praise, the first and last words being “Hallelujah.” Every word is praise to God and how He is worthy of our trust. Sometimes we are a little too free with our trust - except when it comes to God. We trust in all sorts of things we shouldn’t. We trust in people, or we trust in idols. We trust in social media posts or celebrities. Some of them may not be wrong, but do we trust in them more than we trust God?  Anyone and anything that can be an idol to us if we put them above God. 

What does this psalm teach us about God’s character and how we can trust Him above all?

We say we trust God. We like and share social media posts that encourage others to trust God.  Yet do we really trust Him in our own lives? With our own families? With our own bank accounts? With our days? With our future? We take Him off the throne of our lives when love and trust other things and people over Him. We also take Him off the throne when we take control or when we give into fear, anxiety, or worry, giving them a seat on the throne. 

If we want a God we can trust above all, we have to let Him be God above all. He is the only One worthy of our praise, and the only One worthy of all our trust – for all the reasons that another person or thing could ever fulfill. 

The Lord is Maker and sustainer of all things.  (vs. 6a)
The Lord is the One who “… remains faithful forever…” (vs. 6b)
The Lord is actively working on behalf of His people to set them free.  (vs. 7-9a)
The Lord “…frustrates the ways of the wicked.” 

All of these attributes of God that the Psalmist listed, God still does our lives today. If we believe we can trust Him, we will surrender all to Him. There is no person and no thing that would ever care for us like God always has and always will. We can trust Him with every need, desire, lament, loved one, or problem. When we trust Him, we will fully obey Him. 

When we are fully focused on Him, giving thanks to Him in all things, how can we not trust Him? Is there an area of your life that you need to release and surrender to Him today? Let go and give it to Him. Let Him be the God on the throne of your life where He belongs. Give Him the praise and thanksgiving that He deserves today. 

Summer in the Psalms “Learning to Trust”

 

Summer in the Psalms
“Learning to Trust”
Psalm 146:1-10 (CSB)

Key Truth: “God is deserving of our worship in every circumstance of life.”

Main Question: What does this psalm teach us about God’s character and how we can trust Him above all? 

1.    Trust the Lord for life. (Ps. 146:1-2)

- Worship for the people of God was not an event but a lifestyle.

2.    Do not trust in man. (Ps. 146:3-4)

 

3.    The Lord is worthy of trust.  (Ps.146:5-10)

 

a.    The Lord is Maker and sustainer of all things. 
(vs. 6a)

b.    The Lord is the One who “… remains faithful forever…” (vs. 6b)

c.     The Lord is actively working on behalf of His people to set them free.  (vs. 7-9a)

d.    The Lord “…frustrates the ways of the wicked” 
(vs. 9b) 

After the Message: Read Psalm 146:1-10. What areas of your life do you find hard to surrender to the Lord? Why? Will you trust Him with every area of your life this week?  

Reconciled

 Friday, August 23, 2024

Reconciled – Colossians 1:17-23  Submitted by Kay Crumley

What comes to mind when you hear reconciled or reconciliation? I think about a relationship that was broken or hurt that has been mended. When friends have had an argument and have come to a resolution and now have peace. Sometimes things can be fully restored, and the relationship is like it was or even stronger. But more often the relationship is different, not as intimate as before the disagreement. The passage for today addresses reconciliation through Jesus.  

Verses 17-19 establish the position of Jesus. He is from the beginning, meaning and God are one. He was before all things, so He is the creator of the universe. He is the head of the church, the body of believers or Christ followers. He is the first to be resurrected from death never to die again, He is immortal. He has supremacy or power over everything. He is superior to all others; He is in control of everything. The fullness, all of, God lives in Jesus. He is fully God and fully man. 

I hope you’re able to comprehend that. It’s a lot to understand. I must go on faith in Him as my human mind has trouble grasping all the implications of that concept. Holy God walked this earth, in the form of a human with all the limitations that body has. Yet He had a single purpose, to reconcile Himself to all things. Reconcile is defined this way, cause to coexist in harmony. Verse 20 tells us that Jesus came to earth to bring harmony between God and all things. He brought peace by shedding His blood on the cross. Shalom is a Hebrew word used in the Psalms that I always thought of as being an affirmation, like saying amen. The full meaning of shalom is wholeness, harmony, flourishing, and delight. “Shalom is the way things ought to be” according to Cornelius Plantinga Jr. Reconciliation is shalom, bringing the relationship between God and man into what it should be.  

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 

We might ask, why do we need our relationship with God restored? That is because of the sin in the Garden of Eden, the perfect relationship with God in the garden was broken by man when he chose to disobey God’s rules to live by. Verse 21 tells us that we are alienated from God, becoming enemies in our thinking because of our behavior. If we stop there, we might feel hopeless, defeated, and in despair.  

You must keep reading! ‘But now’ is a great transition in scripture. We see how things would have been if God had not intervened. But now that He has turned things around, we have hope again. He has brought harmony, shalom into our lives because of His death on the cross that pays the penalty of our sin. We can be presented before God as perfect, free from blemish or guilt (accusation). That takes more than just believing that these promises are true. We cannot work for our salvation, but we do have to change our way of behaving and believing. We must live a life in obedience by continuing in our newfound faith in Him. We have turned from our sinful behaviors. We must grow into a mature believer who, like a deeply rooted tree, cannot be moved from our belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. 

Paul has made clear to us that we are separated from God. We don’t have to remain separated because Jesus has made a way for us to live in peace, harmony, and wholeness with God. That is a place of delight in which we flourish in His presence and eternal love. Perhaps 2 Corinthians is a good summation of the reconciliation we have in Christ. 

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 

As those living in shalom with God through Christ Jesus, we are His ambassadors sharing the good news of restoration and hope to those we meet. Telling the Good News so others can be reconciled to Him.  

Where Does My Help Come From

Thursday, August  22, 2024

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.  Psalms 121:1-8

Where Does My Help Come From

The  Psalmist asks the question … “Where does my help come from?” And in the same breath he answers his own question … “my help comes from the Lord.”

We tend to look in every direction but up when trouble comes our way.  We try to solve our problems with our bank account or other personal resources.  We may ask friends or family members for help or seek counseling from professionals.  It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of chaos that we don’t know which way is up!

God is there ready to help when we finally get around to asking Him.  He is there all the while we are searching for help in all the wrong places.  God watches over our going to bed and our getting out of bed.  He knows the very word that is on the tip of our tongues about to spill out of our mouths.  And He understands His children! His watchfulness over your life and mine causes Him to hedge us in from the front and the back.  In other words His hand is upon me to guide me to bring me into His stronghold.  And like so many of us parents I believe He is grieved when His children will not heed His guidance.  He loves us too much to take his eyes off of us.  God is watching us! 

This blessing is one of my favorite passages of scripture.  I often say this to my son as I tuck him in at night, and even though he is not a little child, he still finds this comforting.  What could be more assuring than to know that God never turns his face from you?  He never falls asleep or looks away.  How often do we as parents sleep never knowing what our children are doing?  God never quits watching our every step.  Like the parent who walks before and behind the toddler to catch them as they stumble, so is God in our lives to guard over us.  

The strength of God's watchfulness should bring comfort, assurance and honesty into our relationship with Him.  The Psalmist associates God's watchful guard with "He who keeps you."  Keep: to protect, attend to, to retain in one's control.  Jesus prayed that the Father would keep us from the evil one. (John 17:15)  His eyes are upon us to keep and protect us from the evil one who comes to steal, kill and destroy us.

                                                                                      
Find strength in God's watchful protection and rest in it. God is watching us!

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  Psalms 46:1

Tell the Future Generations

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth. I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past — things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us. We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed. Psalm 78:1-4

Tell the Future Generations

Psalm 78 is a Messianic Psalm on the  goodness and kindness of God to His stubborn and rebellious people. It was written by  Asaph, a great musician and singer, as well as a prophet. He began by asking for the attention of God’s people so they would hear the wisdom in what he was saying. Asaph urged the people to never again be unbelieving of God and His faithfulness. In that attempt to remember always was a charge to tell the future generations of God’s praiseworthy acts, His might, and the wondrous works He has performed. Asaph’s message to them is one for us as well: Keep remembering God’s story and keep telling God’s story. 

Asaph reminded them of experiences from Moses to David (Psalm 78:1-10), to the Israelites wandering through the wilderness (Psalm 78:9-41). He wanted them to look back and remember what they went through. In Psalm 78:35 it says They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer. They remembered that he was their rock, and they remembered that when they were rebellious, He had compassion on them.  But they deceived him with their mouths, they lied to him with their tongues, their hearts were insincere toward him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant. Yet he was compassionate; he atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often turned his anger aside and did not unleash all his wrath. v36-38

Now more than ever it is so hard to know who to listen to. It doesn’t seem we can trust the news and sadly many young people are getting wrong information from social media platforms. They trust Tik-Tok more than they do the Bible. The believe people on social media they don’t know or know anything about over their parents or teachers at school or church. It is so important that we teach our children the truth about God before they start listening to others. We may not be able to stop them from listening to the wrong sources when they get older, but we can make sure that we put the truth of God and His story in their hearts and minds first. 

We have a responsibility to make sure we pass the faith on to the next generation – to teach them the truth and about God’s faithfulness. Even if you don’t have children, you may have nieces or nephews, etc. Maybe you teach a class. Maybe your children are grown, and you have grandchildren. You have an influence in their lives. By hearing our own true-life experiences of how God worked in our lives, they will recognize His work in their own lives one day. His story is ongoing and made up of remembering what He has done for us and for others in the past, what He is doing right now, and what He will do in the future. 

 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Exodus 6:6-7

The Attributes of Our Great God

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

The Attributes of Our Great God

In Psalm 145 one of the reasons that David gives for celebrating the greatness of God is that His attributes demonstrate His greatness. God is great and we see His greatness in so many ways. The attributes of God are the character traits of God that He has revealed to us through the Bible. They tell us what God is like. When we have a relationship with Him we can know Him and see His greatness all around us.

David begins with God’s attributes in verse 8 and 9 when He says The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love.  The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made. The compassion God has for His creation is beyond more than we could ever comprehend. He loves us with a tender love and mercy and doesn’t turn His back on us when we make a mistake. He is gracious with us and His goodness is for everyone.

In verses 10-13a he highlights the greatness of God as King. All you have made will thank you, Lord; the faithful will bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom and will declare your might, informing all people of your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations. God’s Kingdom will reign forever, and His great and mighty acts of splendor is for all generations in all times. His greatness spans forever. 

David speaks of the greatness of God as provider in verses 13b – 20: 
The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions. 
He Lord helps all who fall; 
He raises up all who are oppressed.  
All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 
You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 
The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all his acts. 
The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
He hears their cry for help and saves them.
The Lord guards all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked.
He provides for us in so many ways - even ways we don’t even realize sometimes. He provides help for the helpless. He provides food for His whole creation. He provides answers to those who pray. He provides protection for those who belong to Him. 

God is faithful and trustworthy, and we can lean into Him. He never changes even when our world is changing all the time. We can find peace, comfort, and strength in knowing that we have a God that we can always count on. He is always worthy of our praise in every circumstance, in every season. Every day. 

How has God proven Himself to be your compassionate, providing King? How have you praised Him because of this? How will you pass on the story of the greatness of our God to those around you?

Finding Peace in an Unpredictable and Uncertain World

 Monday, August 19, 2024

Finding Peace in an Unpredictable and Uncertain World

In Psalm 145, David celebrates the greatness and goodness of God. When we know God as one of His children, we understand the greatness of God – as far as our human understanding can take us. But God is so much greater than we can ever comprehend! We cannot possibly understand completely the incomprehensible greatness of our Heavenly Father but knowing Him is the first step, and the key to understanding His greatness. If do not know Him personally, we can still see His greatness in the world around us. But when we know Him personally, we see His greatness at work in our lives and the lives of others as well.   

Yesterday, Pastor Jim gave us three points that speak into the greatness of God: He is worthy of our praise, His greatness applies to all generations, and His attributes demonstrate His greatness. 

He is Worthy of our Praise – I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is great and is highly praised;
his greatness is unsearchable. v 1-3
David is the King of Israel, yet he knows there is a King greater than he – his King, the King of Kings. He is worthy of our praise because He is the King of Kings, the King of all the universe – of every living creature. David says he will praise Him forever and ever. Pastor Jim told us yesterday that praise here means to kneel before Him every day. His unsearchable greatness is worthy of our unending praise, in every circumstance of our lives.

His greatness applies to all generations - One generation will declare your works to the next
and will proclaim your mighty acts. v 4
God’s greatness was not only for the generations of people who lived in the Bible times. His greatness is for us today and for the generations to come. It is for all people in all times and never runs out or ends. We need to make sure that we pass on the news of His greatness to the next generations. We need to teach them about His greatness and show them His greatness through our lives. 

God’s attributes demonstrate His greatness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made. v 8-9
The attributes of God are the character traits of God that He has revealed to us through the Bible. They tell us what God is like. David only barely touches on the many attributes of God. David says He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and faithful. He is good to everyone. Even in our worst times He has compassion on us and His faithful love never ends. He cherishes us. When we are faithless, He is faithful - If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

How does God’s greatness help us as we deal with the uncertainty and unpredictability of life? 

Life is uncertain and unpredictable, but God is not. He is never unpredictable or uncertain and He is never surprised by anything that happens. We know we can trust in the sovereign King of Kings. He created all things and is in control even when the world spins out of control. He is faithful and true and His faithful love endures forever. He is the same great God yesterday, today, and forever more. 

God’s greatness is big enough to handle anything that comes our way in this life. He has already been in our tomorrows and fought and won the battles for us. One of His attributes is that He gives us everything we need, so we can trust Him to know and give us what is best in every circumstance. When we walk the Jesus Way, our focus is on Him, not the circumstances of our lives. Others will see the greatness of God through our lives when we walk the Jesus Way, especially in trials. They will see us resting in Him and finding peace in Him. They will see us leaning into Him and trusting. Our lives, walking in The Jesus Way, is a living testament to His greatness. 

The next time you are thrown a curve ball in life, remember His faithful love that endures forever. Remember His greatness and sovereignty. Rest in Him. Find Peace in Him. Trust Him. 

Summer in the Psalms “The Greatness of God”

Summer in the Psalms
“The Greatness of God”
Psalm 145:1-21 (CSB)

Key Truth: “God is deserving of our worship in every circumstance of life.”

Main Question: How does God’s greatness help us as we deal with the uncertainty and unpredictability of life? 

 

1.    God is worthy of praise. (Ps. 145:1-3)

2.    God’s greatness applies to all generations. 
(Ps. 145:4-7)

 

3.    God’s attributes demonstrate His greatness.
(Ps.145:8-21)

 

a.    God is compassionate. (vs. 8-9)

b.    God is King. (vs. 10-13a)

c.     God is provider. (vs. 13b-20)
He provides help for the helpless. (vs. 14)
He provides food for His whole creation. (vs. 15-16)
He provides answers to those who pray. (vs. 17-19)
He provides protection for those who belong to Him. (vs. 20)

After the Message: Read Psalm 145:1-21. How has God proven Himself to be your compassionate, providing King? How have you praised Him because of this? How will you pass on the story of the greatness of our God to those around you?