Author: nofearlinda

I am a retired public school teacher that has developed a love of writing. God has lead me to write after many years of study and a life full of experiences. God has shown Himself faithful as I desire to share His love and unlimited character with others. Besides writing, I love to quilt, cook, garden and travel. I enjoy spending time with my grandson, friends and family.

What is the Source of All Things?

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I find this name for God more of a concept, our Source. God is creator of all things and is in all things too. The dictionary defines source as: the point of origin, the initiator, supplier, the fountain head. All of these meanings can be related to God as He is the beginning of all as He existed before creation. He initiated the creation of the universe and all that we know. He supplies all needs and is the living spring from which all things flow.

Here are some scriptures that match these meanings in amazing ways! Point of origin and initiator, John 1:3 “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Colossians 1:16 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” All of these describe our Creator God as the one who started it all and made everything as we know it! The true Source!

We all know God as the ultimate supplier or source. Philippians 4:16 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” and another way of saying this is, John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Apart from Him we can do nothing. With Him we can claim all things are possible, Mark 10:26-27 “And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 

Lastly, the beginning of a river is called its source. Jesus is the Source of our life giving water from God. John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Revelation 7:17 speaks of this living water in heaven, “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Jesus is the lamb of God and will be the source of living water in heaven!

In my second book Promises for Dynamic Living, I used 2 Peter 1:13 as my guiding verse. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,” He has granted us divine power for living so we can glorify Him in our lives. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the Source of life, taste of His water, be under His care and know all things come through Him. He is the perfect source to provide for me both physically and spiritually. Is He your Source too? Know the Source by trusting in Jesus.

Linda

Promises for Dynamic Living is available on Amazon, Promises for Dynamics Living/LindaKnight or from my publisher, Certabooks.com

Who Can Make you Holy? Jesus

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Today’s name of God, Jehovah Mekoddishkem or The LORD Sanctifies is essential to our Christian theology. Since man’s sin in the garden we have been separated from God by our sin. God is holy and we are not because of our willfulness, rebellion and outright rejection of God. To make a way for man to be reconciled to Him, God provided the law to show the way of right living and the sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. The sacrifices were only a temporary fix to the problem and were a picture of Christ to come. Jesus was the perfect holy sacrifice that through faith in His work on the cross and resurrection, we can be restored to a relationships with God. The name- The LORD Sanctifies describes God’s part in this to bring us back to Him. Leviticus 20:7-8 “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” Only Holy God can restore us and make us pure, sanctified, so we may come before Him.

The writer of Hebrews explains this a bit more and helps us to see Jesus as the atonement provided by God. Hebrews 10:10-14 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Chris had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. What thousands of sacrifices had not been able to accomplish permanently, Jesus did on the cross. Once was enough and it was accomplished, the way of forgiveness and the pathway back to communion with God was opened to us. Thank you Jesus!

Paul talks about our sanctification, which is a process of becoming more and more like Jesus. We are clean before God through the cleansing blood of Jesus but we live in a sinful world. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.“ Walking with Jesus grows as we mature in our faith and are more able to cast off sin and temptations that surround us in this world and focus on Him. We will never be free of sin until we are with Him, but we can become more and more like Jesus as we walk with Him.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, Through faith in Jesus I can experience the process of sanctification by the Holy Spirit as I seek to live for Him. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 that we can rely upon God for this process and trust in His faithfulness. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.“

Linda

LORD and Master to Me

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One of the names for God that we are probably most familiar with is Adonai in Hebrew or Lord, Master in English. Generally, it was used to mean someone in charge or of greater station in the society. Those usages totally apply to God as He is indeed the Lord and Master of all. When it is written in all capitals, LORD, the name refers to Yahweh or Adonay referring to the God of the universe, creator of all things. It was a personal name to the Jews for their Lord God. The name Lord or LORD appears over 6,000 times in scripture and Master 179. At times the words can be used as a person performing or acting as say the lord of his estate or master of a slave, but most references refer to God or Jesus.

Psalm 123 offers us a beautiful look at our LORD and His merciful character throughout time towards His people.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned in heaven. God dwells in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, Others look to earthly masters
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till he shows us his mercy. We look to Lord our God for mercy.

3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt. Lord look on us with mercy as we are suffering,
4 We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant, We have suffered for you Lord at the hands of others.
    of contempt from the proud.

I particularly love the prophesy in Isaiah 40:3-5 about the coming of John the Baptist who would herald the coming of Jesus.

A voice of one calling: John the Baptist was that voice to come.
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord; The Lord Jesus was coming soon.
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, Jesus would reveal the Lord’s glory to us.
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

I find comfort in the Lord, as I know He is my comforter. Isaiah 49:16 “Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”

Jesus was referred as Lord and Master by his disciples. One night they had been out fishing and had caught nothing. Jesus came to meet them and told them to put their nets out again. Luke 5:4-8 “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  Peter recognized a divine power within Jesus. 10b continues, “Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” They knew immediately that Jesus was different, and a Lord and Master they could follow.

Paul uses the name Lord for Jesus when he speaks of salvation. Romans 8:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Jesus is our Lord and through faith in Him we can be made clean and pure- justified to stand before God! Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Without Jesus we would still be lost in our sins, thank you Jesus for the gift of enteral life and forgiveness. Philippians 2:10-12 tells us of a future time when all will know and bow before Jesus our Lord. “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father.”

How do you see your Lord and Master? I hope these scriptures have helped you to see the great depth of God’s love and devotion to us. The names Lord and Master show the great privilege that God is granting to us through His grace and mercy that we can call Him our master and Lord. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can call Jesus my Lord and Master. It is an honor to be loved and cared for by Him.

Linda

The Great I AM

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A name that God called himself is I AM (YHWH). The Israelites so revered the name of God that they used YHWH when referring to Him as it has no vowels and cannot be pronounced. They felt God’s name was so sacred that they should not utter it. God used the term I AM in reference to himself in Exodus 3:14. God was going to send Moses to confront Pharoah so the people would be released from slavery. Moses was hesitant and one of the problems he foresaw was that the people, the Israelite slaves, would not know him and not believe that he had come to be God’s instrument of release. Exodus 3:14 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God was proclaiming that He was the self-existent God, God Almighty, the God of their fathers.

Prior to this encounter, scripture refers calling upon the name of the Lord. The patriarchs knew God and worshipped Him and called on Him often. Genesis 4:26 “To Seth (the third son of Adam and Eve) also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.” From that time on, the believers called upon the name of the Lord. Genesis 12:8 Abraham called upon the name of the Lord, “From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.” Isaac called upon God, Genesis 26:25 “ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.” The Israelites were familiar with the patriarchs calling upon the name of the Lord and would have recognized God’s name.

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the “I AM” to let us know facets of His character. He tells us He is the bread of life in John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” The door, John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” The connection to the Father, John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” The source of God’s light to the world, John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The direction in which you can find God, John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. The caretaker of all believers, John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The source of resurrection power and life eternal, John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” Lastly, Jesus himself identifies with the name I AM from His heavenly Father in John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, our triune God, existed before the creation of the world and are eternal. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the great I AM personally and call upon His name in worship and prayer!

Linda

Immanuel, Not just at Christmas Time

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Do you only associate the name Immanuel (God is With Us) with Christmas story? The term God is with Us is used other places in the Bible and appears in one of my favorite verses. Deuteronomy 31:6 “ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” I find great comfort in knowing that now matter what God is with me!

The ones we are most familiar with are those prophesies in Isaiah about the coming Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” and in Matthew 1:23 when the angel appeared and spoke to Joseph in a dream, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” Joseph would have know of the prophecy of Isaiah and hearing it from the angel must have been an amazing affirmation of his faith and the truth of God’s Word. Knowing that the long awaited Messiah would be coming and that he would have a part in God’s story must have been humbling.

The term, God is with us, is used again in Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Looking at these passages, what does the term Immanuel or God is With Us mean to you? I see it as the physical Jesus that came to earth as our Savior and also the concept of Immanuel-God is with us. I can take both of them as truth. Jesus did come and thankfully will come again. In the meantime, we can know the God is with us. In the Old Testament times, Moses encouraged Joshua who was to lead the people after him, that God would be with him. No matter what he see or hears, he was to have courage and know that God would never leave him and definitely would not forsake him. The author of Hebrews want the early Christians to be encouraged but also to be aware of the snares and pitfalls that exist in the world. He did not want them consumed with worldly pursuits and pleasure but the focus on being content and relying upon God.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be assured of God’s continual presence and His indwelling Holy Spirit that will never leave me. By faith we are His and He is not going to relinquish us ever. Claim John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” and 2 Timothy 1:14 “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” Hold onto these eternal truths! God keeps His promises and will be with us always.

Linda

God is My Keeper

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The title or job of keeper is used frequently in scripture. It most often refers to someone watching sheep, doing house work, ones to look after the temple, fields, etc. It is someone tasked with watching out for someone or something of importance. Psalm 121 speaks of God as our keeper. The language and images of God doing this ‘job’-keeping us is beautiful.

 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, The Lord as our keeper helps us.
    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved; He keeps us steadfast.
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel He is on the job 24/7!
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, He keeps us safe.
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep All our life He watches over us protecting us from evil.
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore. His keeping is for eternity.

Which of these attributes of our Keeper are special to you? Today I resonated with the idea that God keeps me steadfast. Sometimes the world seems to be swirling around me, there are challenges right and left, and I take comfort in the fact that God is keeping me steadfast as I trust in Him. Perhaps you need to feel safe and protected or you need His help, be encouraged by knowing God is available 24/7 and will Keep you in perfect peace as God promises in Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know and trust that God, my keeper, is on duty eternally and wants the very best for me. Claim Jeremiah 29:11 as a promise from your Keeper. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future“. Keep your mind on Him and He will give you peace, help, protection, love, hope and a future just as He promises. Your heart and soul are in perfect hands with God.

Linda

3rd Sunday of Lent, Set aside Worry

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Has worry crept into your week? Are you frustrated by the state of the world and are things taking your focus off God? I totally understand how easy it is to get sidetracked and/or distracted. When I face times like that, I enjoy reading Psalm 37. In these first 6 verses we see the Lord’s answer to our worried and frustrated soul. As you read these verses, let your mind focus on what God is promising and telling you about the world. His truth is eternal and His will cannot be thwarted, trust in Him alone.

Psalm 37:1-6

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass God’s perspective- evil will soon be gone.
    and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, God’s perspective-trust, do good, immerse yourself in Him.
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act. God’s perspective-commit to Him and let Him be in control.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

Remember God is Sovereign and always in control. He wants us to trust Him and leave the troubles to Him. By focusing on Him and His power, might and love. This week we saw God as Truth, Jehovah Shalom- Peace, our Hiding Place, Jehovah Nissi-our Banner, our Abba Father and Jehovah Jireh -the Lord who will Provide. God is bigger than anything or anyone we will face and sovereign over all the happenings in the world. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can live worry free by focusing on Sovereign God, our Savior.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Linda

The Great Provider, Jehovah Jireh

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The name of God for today is one that has been very precious to me ever since I first encountered it, Jehovah Jireh in Hebrew and The Lord Will Provide or Provider in English. This name of God first appeared in Genesis and comes at the end of the story of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac was the only son of Abraham and Sarah, the son promised to them by God. At this point in the story Isaac is a young man and goes with his father to sacrifice to the Lord. God told Abraham to go to Mt Moriah and sacrifice his son. So they took everything they needed but a lamb. When questioned about this, Abraham told Isaac that the Lord would provide. Abraham laid Isaac on the altar and was preparing to sacrifice him when this happened. Genesis 22:13-14. “ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

For many years I did not like this story as I could not imagine God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son nor Abraham trusting God enough to go through with it. But, my thinking has changed as I grew to realize that Abraham trusted God completely and knew that Isaac was the son of promise. If Isaac was killed, God could surely bring him back to life as he provided his life when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was in her nineties. He was a miracle from the start. Abraham knew God was a promise keeper and did not go back on His Word. Next, I thought Abraham knew God and knew he did not condone human sacrifice so he trusted God to provide. Abraham’s faith was definitely greater than mine and as I’ve grown I’ve learned to trust in the Provider more and more.

We see repeatedly throughout scripture that God provides. God provided a son for barren Hannah as she prayed and asked God to favor her with a child. (1 Samuel 1) God provided for the widow and her son when Elijah came to live with them- the oil and flour did not run out. (1 Kings 17) He provided food and protection for David as he fled from King Saul for 14 years as he awaited to be king. Psalm 23, written by David, shows his dependance on the great Provider. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2     He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  3He restores my soul.”

God provided for Paul and those shipwrecked sailors on the way to Rome. Acts 27 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. …18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” …..

39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. God provided a place for them to land, a way to get ashore and the kindheartedness of the governing soldiers. He is the great provider.

Throughout the ages God has shown Himself to be Jehovah Jireh, The God who Provides. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the Lord Who Provides personally and walk each day trusting in His provision.

May He show Himself to you during this Lenten season and may your trust in Him grow.

Linda

The Wonders of Having an Abba, Father

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“Abba” is the precious name we have for our beloved heavenly Father. It is like daddy, familiar and endearing to both father and son/daughter. Jesus used the term when praying to God at his hour of deepest need in the garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Later in Romans and Galatian the Apostle Paul uses the term “Abba, Father” for God in reference to our relationship with Him. Because we are believers and adopted into His family through our faith in Jesus, we can claim God as our Abba Father. Romans 8:14-16 “ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” He also references this in Galatians 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

So what difference does this name of God make to you and me? It establishes a close family tie between us and our heavenly father. He is our loving, eternal father who has provided for us in Jesus a way to be reconciled and redeemed. He has indwelt us with His Holy Spirit and provided for us freedom from the slavery of sin and a perfect and protected inheritance kept in heaven for us. Ephesians 1:13 tells us we are sealed by His Holy Spirit, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” He has provided eternal protection for us and I claim the truth of John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” whenever I am in doubt about my salvation. He has me and won’t let me go!

Whatever you earthly father was like- good, bad, indifferent or even cruel, your heavenly father is totally, pure, holy, just, righteous, open, and filled with steadfast eternal love for you! Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can claim God as my Abba Father along with Jesus as we are family! Lean into God with Jesus and claim Him as your loving heavenly father, too!

Linda

All Hands on Deck!

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Jehovah Nissi means The Lord is My Banner. I came across this recently in my Bible reading in Exodus 17:15. Here is the scene: the Israelites were journeying from captivity in Egypt to the promised land, Canaan, and the Amalekites decided to attack them. Moses give directions to Joshua, Aaron and Hur. “ So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.“13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. They prevailed and won the battle with God’s help.

Then in verse 15 “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,”. God was their banner or standard for victory. When they upheld Moses’ hands as God had required- they prevailed. When Moses let his hands fall to rest- they succumbed to the enemy. So Moses enlisted some help. He knew that God would win the battle if they remained faithful to their part in the battle- hands up dependent upon God! He did not attempt to go it alone but had support so that the victory could be accomplished. There is a lesson for us in this. Doing God’s work is important but it needs not to be done alone. Keeping your eye on God, you can ask others to come alongside and help. We are meant to do things in community. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to this point. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” As we live and work for Jesus, we need to think of how to involve others in God’s work. How to encourage them in the work they are doing for God and ask if you can help. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can do God’s work with others and work in community. I do not have to be alone.

Consider that time is short and all hands need to be on deck. The work of the Lord needs to be done by everyone. There is no retirement for Christians, everyone is needed every day to spread the good news about Jesus! Whom can you tell, encourage, or support with your help today?

Linda