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.

God is Established-what about you?

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The characteristic of God that I’m looked at today is God being established. Established from our English dictionary means something or someone who is accepted or recognized by many people, like customs or traditions, or successful for a long period of time and widely known, like an author, company or credentials of experts, or growing or flourishing successfully, like a plant, and it is used in connection with church or religion being established. As I look at these definitions, God being established actually fits each type of definition but in the ultimate sense. He is beyond acceptance by just a few as scripture tells us that even the rocks cry out proclaiming Him as God. He will not be denied being known. He is eternal and constantly causing us to grow in Him.

Psalm 93:1-2 “The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
    the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
    you are from everlasting.” Here we see both God’s eternal reign as established and its immovable quality!

Psalm 103:19 “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.” This psalm tells us where He reigns- the extent of His kingdom includes both heaven and earth as all are under His rule!

Isaiah 33:5-6 “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
    he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
6 and he will be the stability of your times,
    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.” Isaiah tells us that the Lord’s established kingdom is one where justice and righteousness reign, it is stable and there is salvation, wisdom and knowledge available in Him. What a wonderful place!

God’s kingdom is established and His reign is eternal, however, like other attribute or characteristics of God He desires to share some of it with us. David was called ‘a man after God’s own heart’ Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ God established his kingly lineage for all eternity. Jesus was to come from his line. 2 Samuel 7:15-17 “ but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.” Many of the later kings did not follow God, but God was faithful to his promise to David and Abraham that ‘all people’ will be blessed by them through the Messiah. Jesus’ lineage is recorded in Matthew 1. When God establishes something, it is done and we can count on it through eternity!

Besides David’s line, God also establishes each of us! When we know Jesus, we belong to Him and Psalm 37:23 will definitely apply to us. “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;” Are you striving to walk with Jesus each day and obey His ways? Then be encouraged as you are established by God and He is taking delight in you!! Paul and Peter go on to tell us that knowing Jesus allows us to be established in our faith and rooted and built up in Him! The result will be thanksgiving. 2 Corinthians 2:6-7 “ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Peter wants us to accept our place with Jesus and be secure in the knowledge that God has done this work in us and will continue to do it each day! 2 Peter 1:11-12 “For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.”

I rejoice in the idea that my faith in Jesus establishes me with God for eternity!!! Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am established by Him and with Him for all eternity. Rejoice with me today in this truth and seek to let His established light within you shine for others to see!

Linda

God is Strong

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One of the most wonderful characteristics of our Lord is His Strength. As I meditated upon this characteristic of God, I saw that His strength is His alone as Almighty, Sovereign God and also that like other characteristics He desires to give His strength to us who believe in Him.

His Alone- Job 36: 5 “Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding.” 1 Corinthians 1:25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” By His actions of Creation, judgment, and intervention in the plans of men over the generations we see His power and strength displayed.

His to pass on and share with us- this is preciously described in multiple ways in scripture. Moses proclaims his strength to lead the people comes from the Lord and He praises Him for it. Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

David proclaims his dependance upon God many times in the Psalms. Psalm 28:7-8 “The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:8 “The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 73:261 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” I love reading these passages as it reminds me that I am not doing what I’m doing in my own strength!

Nehemiah reminds the people as they desire to celebrate where their strength to accomplish God’s work came from. Nehemiah 8:10  Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Isaiah gives us a No Fear message in Isaiah 41:10. “Fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” We are not to rely upon our own strength but lean into God as His righteous right hand = Jesus will always be there for us and with us!

Micah also points us to Jesus who will be our shepherd and guide and give us His strength for living! Micah 5:4 “And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.”

In the New Testament, the apostles often point us to how God uses His strength to enable us to live and work for Him. Acts 14:22 “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” He strengthens our very souls!

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” He gives us a portion of His might to sustain us in the trials of life.

Peter who knew the strengthening and restoration of Jesus first hand tell us in 1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can depend upon the strength of the Lord to see me through the trials and temptations of daily living as He alone can restore, confirm and establish me!

May your day be filled with His strength and power!

Linda

God is Judge, NO Fear for the Believer

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One of the attributes of God that we don’t like to think about is that God is judge. When we think of judgement we often think of all the things we have done wrong- like being a criminal receives judgement. However, judgement is part of God’s plan and is ALWAYS fair and impartial as God is a just Judge. Psalm 9:7-8 “But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
    he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
    he judges the peoples with uprightness.” God as creator has to position of judge over all mankind. We are assured that He will judge with righteousness. Psalm 145:17 goes on to add that his judgement includes kindness. “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.”

We are also told by Isaiah and James that God is our king and savior. Isaiah 33:22 “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.” James 4:12 “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

How do we reconcile Judge with compassion and judgement? Isaiah 30:18 and Jeremiah 9:24 help us in our thinking. “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.” and Jeremiah 9:24 “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Unlike man, God is both compassionate and just as well a impartial. We cannot be those things but God can!

We know that God hates sin and will judge the sinner. 1 John 1:9 gives us a way back into God’s graces though faith in Jesus and His work on the cross. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession and repentance are essential to receiving God’s forgiveness of our sins. It is why Jesus came to reconcile us to God and provide a way. Romans 5:10 puts it this way, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

So what of judgement for the Christian believer who knows the forgiveness and reconciliation of Christ? We can lean on the grace and mercy of our impartial God. We will not be judged for our sins, as our sins are forgiven, but we will be held accountable for what we have done for Him in our lives. Romans 3:19 describes the judgment of the unbeliever as they are under the law of God.
“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” We who know Christ are under the law of grace!! Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Thank you Jesus for your provision of grace and mercy!

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am freed from God’s judgement and live under His grace and mercy! What a wonderful provision this is and lifts the burden of guilt and shame that we bear for our sins. Keep short accounts with God and daily ask His forgiveness for until we are in heaven with Him we live in a world filled with sin and its temptations. Look to Jesus and walk with Him each day!

Linda

Life- it comes from God in all ways!

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One of the attributes of God we don’t often think about is Life. God is ldfe and the source of all life. He created life as we know it along with the heavens and the earth. Remember the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve dwelt and communed with God? He created a tree of life within the garden. Genesis 2:9 “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam and Eve were instructed by God concerning these trees:  Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of good and evil they were banished from the garden so that they could not eat from the tree of life and then be condemned to live forever in their sinful state. God mercifully protected them as He had a plan for their return to Him.

Today we can partake of the tree of life though faith in Jesus, faith in His redeeming work on the cross. John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” God did not want to leave us helpless and lost. His plan of redemption restores us to the life, His life within us. John gives us several other passages that confirm this truth that life now comes through Jesus. John 1:3-4 “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 3:36 “ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” 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.” Jesus provides life and a pathway out of sin described in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Thank you Jesus!!

We can expand our thoughts of life to include each aspect of life and see it comes from Him. The pathways of life are in Him. Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 36:9 “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” David saw this aspect of God’s character and relied upon Him. Psalm 54:4 “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” David realized that all life comes from God and that God upholds us.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have life in God and with God while still here on earth- in this life He has given me. Praise God for His glorious provision and plan for you and me! I pray that the thought of God as life gives you hope and strength for what you are facing today.

Linda

God as Our Guide, YES!

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One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 58:11. A friend pointed me to this verse and it sooths my soul as it speaks of God as our constant Guide in life. “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” I love the image and truth that His guidance leads me to places where He will fulfill my needs in spite of my circumstances and that I will perceive my existence as that of a well-watered garden. A well watered garden is one that is loved and cared for, nurtured in and out of season. My God treats me like that! God being my guide in life is one of the most profound characteristics of God. He takes a personal interest in His creation = that is me and you!

Here are some other verses that speak of God’s guidance in our lives. Psalm 25:4-5 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” As our guide, God teaches us and gives salvation to which my response is to patiently wait on God’s timing. Sometimes, not so patiently, but we know that God’s ways are not our ways and that His timing is different than ours. He sees the whole picture and knows where things are headed and in what order things need to happen. Psalm 32:8 adds another perspective, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” We can be assured that God is watching and knows what is happening in our lives! Psalm 48:14 adds another assurance to God’s guidance. “that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.” We may not understand God’s timing but we can know that it is eternal and He will never stop being our guide.

Those verses were all from the Old Testament but God continues His role as guide in the New Testament. Jesus is our guide. He spoke of himself in the gospels and showed us ways to God that we could follow. He gave us 7 ‘I AM’s in the book of John, revealing aspects of himself that show His heart, love and guidance in our lives. 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.” 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.” 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.” John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 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,” 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.” 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.” In these 7 I AM statements Jesus revealed himself in direct ways to guide us to Him so that we can abide in Him in faith. Which of these is most meaningful to you?

God also revealed Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ return to heaven. Jesus told us about this in John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Guide is an extremely important character trait for us to see in God. He assures us of this in both the Old and New Testaments and lets us know that it will continue until the end of time. God is forever and all His character attributes endure forever. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be assured that God will guide me though His Word and Spirit until I come home to Him. I can rely upon Him and look to Him for guidance 24/7. Thanks be to God!

Linda

God’s Unending Grace

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Amazingly enough, during my 6 weeks of blogging during Lent I did not write about God’s grace. It touches so many aspects of His character and is so very precious to every believer. The Bible is filled with references to this phenomena known as God’s grace. There are many aspects to it and books have been written on it. Here is a brief glimpse into the importance and meaning of God’s Gracious character. By definition God’s grace is God’s kindness to those who do not deserve it. God is slow to anger and longs to forgive his people. His grace in salvation powerfully reaches out to us and makes us alive in Christ when we were dead in sin. God shows grace to all people- life, sunshine, rain, music, talents, etc. as good gifts even to people who do not love Him. God wants all mankind to have look at His grace and this is what is called common grace. All of us get to experience some of the goodness of our God.

How many times have good things happened you did not expect and were purely from the hand of God due to His grace? God owns his grace and can give it as He sees fit. Exodus 33:19 “And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” We can’t tell God- Hey! it is time for some grace. No, He give is as He sees fit, in His place and His time. I do believe that someday we will see how each piece of His grace He bestowed upon us fits perfectly with what we needed right then.

One of the most beautiful blessings is given in Numbers 6:22-25 “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Often pastors use this blessing to send people out for the week as it gives comfort, hope and assurance that God will be with us and will be gracious each and every day. We just need to look for it and He will show us His grace!

David often pleaded with God to bestow His grace upon him. When he was troubled, he sought God’s kindness, even though he knew he did not deserve it. Psalm 25:16-18 “Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.” We too can call upon God’s gracious character and see His grace upon our lives. God loves to hear from us and will listen and respond to those who are sincere. However, God is not a cosmic bell boy just waiting for us to call. God always responds to our cries but not always in the way we think He should. We have to trust Him on this.

The New Testament speaks of God’s grace being fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 “ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” That grace also bring us to Jesus and allows us to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We did nothing to deserve God’s rescue of us. We did not earn it at all. God saved us because of His great love for us as He tell us in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” His saving us through sending Jesus to redeem us was pure Grace on His part!

One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 12:9. It speaks to me of the great grace of God and how I can rely upon His grace to give me all that I need in every situation. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” God’s grace is unending, deep, fathomless and pure. He has more to give than I will ever need-hence sufficient. That means no matter what the circumstances we face, He alone is enough to meet our needs. I don’t need to worry that I might use up God’s grace as His grace, like His character is limitless. He can meet my needs if I lean into Him and look to Him for that sustaining power only He can provide through His grace

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know and receive God’s grace in my life that brings fullness and assurance to each and every day. May it be so for you too!

Linda

Elohim, Creator God

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Today’s name for God is Creator or Elohim. The Hebrew name carries with it the meaning of Creator God, all powerful and mighty not just one who is able to create. Creator God is seen throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. God created the world in the beginning and He continues to create within us as He transforms us through His Holy Spirit.

Let’s start at the beginning and all that was created was created by God. Genesis 1:1 “ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Later in Psalm 19:1 the psalmist describes this work of God. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Creation involved the physical world we see on earth and in the heavens above. Nehemiah also describes God’s creation in Nehemiah 9:6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” He reminds us of God’s power to not only create but to preserve and how those in heavens worship Him.

Paul goes a bit farther in Colossians 1:16 when he adds the dominions, rulers, thrones or authorities. God is creator of all the systems of earth and they are under his control, He is sovereign over all- creation man and beast. “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.” The sovereignty of God is important as God did not only create all things but they are under His direction and control. Consider Isaiah 45:7 “I form light and create darkness;  I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.” and Acts 17:26 “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,” All that is or was made or will be made are done at God’s directions. That means God can and does use any power on earth to accomplish His will.

Let’s get more specific about creation and direct it towards man. Psalm 139:13-16 makes it clear that we are known to God even before we are born and are created by Him. “For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.” It is humbling and comforting to know that God made me who I am and has a plan and a purpose for me. Jeremiah 29:11 always brings a smile to my face. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

One of the plans and purposes God has for each of us is to know Him and His Son, Jesus. When we accept Jesus as God’s son and the work of redemption He performed on the cross, we become a child of God and have His spirit within us. Both David and Ezekiel spoke of this transformation before Christ came. Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” Faith in Jesus leads us to Ephesians 1:13 “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,” Knowing Christ brings a permanent sealing by the Holy Spirit into a new life in Him. We are new creations, 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Praise God!

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have new life created within me, a new spirit from God. Thank you Jesus for making this possible. As Revelation 4:11 states, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.” Amen.

Linda

God Fulfills

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Another name or attribute of God on my list from The Bible Recap was one I knew but had never put a label on it. God fulfills or is the fulfiller of all. Whatever God say will happen will happen. There is great comfort in this as we know His will cannot be thwarted as stated in Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” He does not change his mind as stated in Numbers 23:9 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” We can count upon God to fulfill His promises!

There are various verses throughout scripture that confirm this fact that God fulfills his word. I love Joshua 21:45 “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” We can count upon all the promises of God to be true and to be fulfilled in His time. Often God’s timing is not our timing as related in Ezekiel 12:28 “Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel was to deliver God’s message and the consequences would be forthcoming.

David trusted God with his future and his life. He knew that God loved him, was eternal and would not leave him. He knew that God considered him- a work in progress. That surely should be said of all of us as God is not finished with us yet. Psalm 138:8 “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

God, the fulfiller, fulfills good things for us and those not so good as in this case. The nation of Israel had sinned against God and God was letting them know that consequences were coming their way. Lamentations 2:17 “The Lord has done what he purposed;
    he has carried out his word,
which he commanded long ago;
    he has thrown down without pity;
he has made the enemy rejoice over you
    and exalted the might of your foes.”

Moving to the New Testament, we see Mary’s faith in God’s power to fulfill. Luke 1:45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” She believed God had conceived in her a child to be called the son of the most high. Paul penned one of my favorite verses about fulfillment and God’s promise to each of us, to not leave our lives unfinished. Philippians 1:6  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Do you believe that God fulfills His promises and that His word is true? If you do, do you live like you believe Him? Walking in trust and clinging to God’s promises is necessary to survive in this world. He is an absolute that we can cling to in a world that is swirling and twirling around us. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can count on God to fulfill His promises to me in every way. His fulfillment is based on His character and that is unchanging from generation to generation. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” We pray in Jesus’ name because He is the fulfiller. Let the truth of Hebrews 13:8 sink in “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He is unchanging! He fulfills His promises! You can count on it!!

Linda

The God Who Restores, Adonai Meshiv

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Writing every day during Lent is exhausting and yet exhilarating too. God is so faithful and constantly gives me what He wants me to say. The list of for the names of God, from the Bible Recap program, that I was using as my springboard still has names remaining in addition to others that I’ve added. I plan to continue blogging on the names of God as I find it so reassuring and it brings hope and light to my life. I pray it does the same for you.

The name I’m going to start with this time is Adonai Meshiv or The God who Restores. There are so many passages in scripture where God promises restoration to the Israelites and to us as New Testaments believers. God can and does restore health like He did for Mariam in Numbers 12:10 “When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.” Moses and Aaron both pleaded with the Lord for her restoration and God relented in 12:13-15 “And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.”

God can and does restore fortunes and when the Israelites would humble themselves and walk in obedience God would bless them with restoration. Deuteronomy 30:2-4 “and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you.”

In Psalm 23:3 David reminds us that God can restore our sick, sad, lonely and longing souls. “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” In Psalm 51:12 David shows God’s power of restoration over our emotions and feelings as He can and will restore our joy and give us a willing spirit. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.“

In the New Testament, Jesus was a major restorer of sight, crippled limbs, and health both emotional and physical! Each miracle was a demonstration of God’s restorative powers. Mark 8:25 “Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”

1 Peter 5:10 speaks of the final glorious restoration we will all receive from our Lord and Savior. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

How has God restored you? Has He healed you physically or emotionally? Has He reversed your fortunes and blessed you with abundance? Has He restored your joy and given you a greater appreciation of your salvation? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can count of God’s restorative powers in my life if I humble myself and seek His restoration. He is faithful! He desires to restore each of us.

Linda

Happy Easter, SAVIOR

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The final name of God for today is Savior. It is the most precious of all to every believer. Without our Savior, Jesus, dying for our sins we would be lost and under condemnation of death. There is no way to be good enough to atone for our sins, it’s not possible. Jesus made the way by being the sacrifice on the cross for each of us so that we may be reconciled to God. When God looks down upon us, He does not see our sin but the blood of Jesus covering us. How precious and wonderful is that! Here are some precious verses about our Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 43:11 “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. God had a plan from the beginning to save us!

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. He arrived as our promised Savior, coming as a babe in a Bethlehem manger.

Titus 2:13-14  “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Precious Jesus not only saved us, but He purified and claimed us for His own. He has good works for us to do when we belong to Him.

1 John 4:13-15 “ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Our precious Savior gave us His Spirit to indwell us so we can stay in communion with Him and the Father.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am redeemed, rescued from sin’s penalty, claimed by Him and living with His Spirit within me. Thank you Jesus!

May the Spirit of our resurrected Lord live within you each and every day so that you feel His love and know the power of His redemption upon your life. In Him is Salvation for each of us! Happy Easter!

Linda