I AM the God Almighty

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Gen 17 1God revealed himself to Abraham as the God Almighty, El Shaddai, in Genesis 17:1-2.  “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”   God has always desired a relationship with his creation, man.  He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden.  But after they had eaten of the tree of good and evil, they hid themselves from God because of their nakedness and fear at disobeying the Lord. (Genesis 3:8-10)  Due to sin, we were separated from God, but God in his infinite mercy and wisdom had a plan to restore us so we could commune with holy God.  This story of redemption began with choosing Abraham and his descendants to lead the way to the coming of Jesus, our Redeemer and Savior.  God established a covenant, agreement, with Abraham filled with promises of life, restoration, and future hope.  Revealing himself to Abraham as El Shaddai is significant as it begins a revelation that continues throughout the Bible.  God shows himself to Abraham, and us, as being a God that is real, personal, a promise-keeper and one who is capable of the impossible.  God revealed himself to David in Psalm 91:1-2 “He psalm 91 1who dwells in the shelter of the Most High  will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”   God is our secure refuge and will provide us a place of rest- now and in the future.  Then multiple times God reveals himself as God Almighty in Revelation the book of the Bible that shows us a glimpse of the end of story here on earth.  Revelation 11:17 speaks of His eternality and future reign, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,  who is and who was,  for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”

Do you know this God Almighty?   He is the all-powerful God of the Bible who is above all others, hates sin, loves righteousness, is holy, gives life and blessings to those who know Him, knows each one who believes in Him and knows the future.  He is indeed God Almighty, El Shaddai.  We can personally know God Almighty by knowing and believing in Jesus and being filled with His Holy Spirit.  Then we can walk with Him each day being in communion with Him.  He will enable us to walk with Him blameless in a relationship made possible through our faith in Jesus.  If you have time today, read 1 John 1 where John describe this relationship with God through Jesus and tells us how to begin this relationship.  1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Knowing God personally is as life changing for us today as it was for Abraham.

El ShaddaiStep out today with God Almighty by your side confident and assured that God Almighty, our all powerful God, is with you.  Have a blessed day!

Linda

I AM the God who Provides

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jehovah jirehThis revelation of God’s character appears in Genesis 22:14.  “Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”  Abraham was doing as God commanded on Mt Moriah, preparing to sacrifice his only son, when God provided the ram of sacrifice.  Abraham believed God’s promise that from him would come a great nation so he must have believed God could resurrect his only son if the need arose.  It is a picture of what God did in Jesus to save us all.   

God's wayThis name for God, Jehovah-Jireh, is one of my personal favorites.  Think back in your life and recall a time when God provided exactly what you needed when you needed it and it seemed impossible for that to have happened.  That was the type of moment Abraham experienced on Mt Moriah.  He trusted God, and God answered in a miraculous way.  It seems that God always answers ‘outside the box’.  I think of ways God could answer my prayers, and it is always beyond my imagining.  Isaiah 55:8  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”   reminds us that God’s ways and thinking are not human, not like us.  His solutions or answers are always perfect in context and timing!

We can be encouraged today, as we serve a God who provides.  Claim Philippians 4:19 in your life and let the stress and pressures of life rest in His hands.  “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Step out today with the faith of Abraham and trust God to provide exactly what you need when you note-to-self-may-24thneed it.

Learning to walk in trust,

Linda

I AM your Righteousness

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Lord RighteousnessOne of the most important Messianic prophesies in the Bible appears in Jeremiah 23.  Jeremiah wrote about the King who would come to reign in wisdom and justice with the power to save.  “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”  This prophecy was partially fulfilled when Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and died on the cross and rose from the dead.  There is also a future portion yet to be realized where Jesus will reign with wisdom and justice here in the land.  In the meantime, He is here reigning in our hearts with love, wisdom and justice indwelling us with His Holy Spirit.  His return and reign are still future to us.

God desires for us to be righteous in character through His Son, Jesus.   “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”  Romans 3:21-24   The Lord can be our righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead imputed His righteousness into our account and gave us life and victory over death when we believe in Him.  Titus 2:13-14 reminds us of our wait for Jesus’ return and what He accomplished when He came, Titus 2 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.”   We are a people He saved for Himself to do His good works and spread the good news of redemption that is available through faith in Jesus.  Jesus is our Righteousness now and forever.  He covers our sins and makes us righteous before our Holy God.  

I am praising and thanking God that He is my Righteousness today.

Linda

 

I AM the God who makes you Holy

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Holiness is an attribute of God that he desires that we emulate.  In Leviticus 11:44 “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”   We can only do this through His power.  In the Old Testament, Moses was instructed by God on Mt. Sinai to have the Israelites observe the Sabbaths and worship Him regularly.  In Exodus Lord who santifies31:13 God tells Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”   God alone has the power to make us holy.  During Old Testament times they performed sacrifices and brought offerings that all pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.  Jesus was the great High Priest and brought the need for sacrifices to an end.  Hebrew 7:27 “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”   Our pathway to righteous and holy living is through Jesus alone.

So how does one ‘be holy’?  When we believe in Jesus we need to continually seek His forgiveness for the sins we commit daily.  1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”   Coming to God often to seek His cleansing is very important.  Then we need to fill ourselves and our thoughts with good things.  Philippians 4:8 “ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”   We need to stay in God’s Word, Psalm 119:9 and 11  “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”   “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”   Fellowship with believers, worship and serving others are all ways to immerse oneself in activities that point towards personal holiness in Jesus.  Lastly, 1 Thessalonians 5:22 admonishes us “ Abstain from every form of evil.”   

possibleBeing holy is a life-time growing process that can only be achieved through faith in Jesus.  It is not an option as God commands us “be holy because I am holy.”  We can take heart in Jesus’ words, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Striving to be more and more like Jesus,

Linda

I AM your Peace

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This name for God comes out of Gideon’s mouth after his encounter with Sovereign God.  The Midianites had been ravaging the land and the Israelites were living in fear.  They had been worshiping other gods and God was not pleased.  God appeared to Gideon and called him to lead the people.  Gideon asked for a sign that the LORD was really calling him.  So the angel said he would wait while Gideon prepared a meal offering for him.  When Gideon brought the food, the angel instructed him to take the meat and unleavened bread and place it on a rock and pour out the broth.  Gideon did as the LORD asked.  Then the angel touched the food with his staff and fire flared from the rock and consumed the food.  “22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And shalomGideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is  Peace.  Judges 6:22-24

Is the Lord your peace?  Gideon discovered that God could bring him peace in the oppressed and fearful situation in which he found himself.  God could replace his fear with peace.  God encouraged Gideon  to trust him for life and turn away from fear.  God did it for Gideon those centuries ago and He can do it for you and me today.  Claim God peaceas your peace.  Jesus promised in John 14:27 “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  Take Him at His Word and step out in faith today leaving your fears at His feet.

Courage comes from knowing Jesus,

Linda

 

I AM your Healer

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The children of Israel were fresh out of Egypt and had just come through the parted Red Sea.  Moses was leading them through the desert towards Mt Sinai in Exodus 15.  They had been three days without fresh water and the water they found was bitter. They began grumbling to Moses and accused him of bringing them out into the desert to die.  Moses cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a piece of wood and instructed him to throw it into the bitter water.   The water miraculously became sweet and they could quench their thirst.   The Lord took this opportunity to remind the Israelites of His Covenant with them.  “There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Exodus 15:25-26   God promised to be their healer if they would listen and obey.  Later in Deuteronomy Moses reminded the Israelites of God’s promises to them after the 40 years in the wilderness.  “14 You shall be blessed above all peoples.  15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. ” exodus-15-vs-26 (1)Deuteronomy 7:14-15   They were following God’s pathway into a desert and God promised to keep them well.  Through obedience they would not suffer diseases they had had while in Egypt nor would the be sick on the journey.  I AM your Healer.  The Hebrew is Jehovah Rapha- the God who heals.

Where do you need God to be your healer today?  Do you have relationships that have fallen apart, are you ill in mind or body, are you lonely or heart broken?   God promises to be our healer if we turn to Him in faith.  Here are some verses to encourage you today to greater faith in our Healing God.

healing promisePsalm 103:2-3 “Bless the Lord, O my soul,  and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,  who heals all your diseases,”

Psalm 147:3  “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Let the Lord be your healer today- He alone is the God who Heals.

Linda

 

 

I AM your Banner

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This curious statement comes in Exodus 17:15. “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,”  Moses and the children of Israel were still wandering in the desert when this event occurred.  They were camped at Rephidim and were attacked by the Amalekites who lived in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula.   Moses ordered Joshua to take fighting men and go out and confront them in battle.  Moses along with Aaron and Hur would view the battle from the top of a hill.  Moses told Joshua he would stand on the hill with the staff of God in his hands, which was the staff that God had used through Moses to perform many miracles.   The battle began and as long as Moses’ hands with the staff were uplifted they were winning but if his hand and staff dropped they began losing.  So Aaron and Hur sat Moses on a rock and held up his hand banneruntil the battle was won.   When the victory was complete, Moses built and altar to the Lord and called it “The Lord is my Banner.”  “saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! 16a

What is a banner?  By definition a banner is:  a piece of cloth bearing a design, motto or slogan sometimes attached to a staff and used as a battle standard,  a flag (like the Star-Spangled Banner) or a headline in a newspaper.  The meaning that seems to fit this event would really be all 3- the battle standard or flag declaring who God is and the announcement that God is the Banner for the those who believe.  Moses wanted all to remember that God was the reason they won the battle with the Amalekites, and they were God’s people waving His Banner over their lives.  What about you?  Do you wave God’s banner over your life?  Are your ‘battles’ in life solved with the Lord’s power and direction?  A couple of promises come to mind promises keptwhere God promises to be with us in and through things for our good and His glory.  “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.” Deuteronomy 31:6,  “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 and “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”   2 Timothy 1:7.   Where do you need God to be your Banner today?  Look to Him for courage, power and love to overcome the obstacles you face today. Claim His promises and fly His Banner in victory.

Flying the Banner of God is a life-time privilege and honor,

Linda

I AM the God who Provides

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I have always been fascinated by the I AM statements God makes about Himself in the Bible.  They convey the power, majesty and greatness of God and increase my trust in who God is.  The second I AM proclamation I’m going to look at is in Genesis 22 and was made before God’s revelation of I AM Who I AM in Exodus.  This was made to Abraham on Mt Moriah where he went to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, by God’s direction.  Isaac Gen-221asked where the sacrifice was going to come from and Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”  Genesis 22:8    Then they proceeded up the mountain together.  This story has always troubled me as God had asked Abraham to do the unthinkable, sacrifice his only son.  It is a picture to us of the anguish God must have felt in sending Jesus to die for our sins.  He provides for us the ultimate sacrifice to remove our sins forever through His only Son’s sacrifice in Jesus’ death on the cross.  I have thought that Abraham knew  and trusted God’s promise of becoming a great nation, children as numerous as the stars and blessing the whole world which God had given him in Genesis 12 and 15.  He trusted God to provide whatever was needed and even to the point of resurrecting Isaac if needed.     Genesis 22:13-14 tells us what happened.  “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.”   God showed himself as the provider of life, of sacrifice, of hope, of the future and of faith to Abraham.  He had great faith in his God who would provide.

Do you see God as the I AM who will provide?  One of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”   God promises to provide what I need just like He did for Abraham on that mountain.  It is a matter of trusting God to provide.  Claiming and reciting this verse makes me focus and remember that God can and will provide for me even when it seems that the odds of that happening are very much against it.  I believe Abraham would have said the same as he trudged up the mountain with the wood and his son.  Take a step of faith closer to God today.  Trust Him instead of worrying.  Let the anxiety go and place it his-provisionin God’s hands.  “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:7

Loving Jesus requires a walk of trust in His great provision.

Linda

Who is God? I AM

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Moses fled out of Egypt for killing a Hebrew slave, Exodus 2, and ended up in Midian.  He married a Midianite woman and settled there as a shepherd.   He was out in the wilderness when God appeared to him in a ‘burning bush’ that was not consumed.  God told Moses he was to return to Egypt and bring the Israelite people out of Egypt to freedom in Promised Land of Canaan.  Moses was reluctant to say the least and posed many questions to God as excuses as to why he could not possibly go and do this for Him.   He objected with why me? Then what if they don’t believe me?  I’m not eloquent enough.  God patiently responded to each of his objections.   In Exodus 3:13-14 Moses I amquestioned who God is, His name.  Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  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.’” 

Why is this answer of who God is important?  It reveals God’s name YHWH, Yahweh or His divine name.  It was written without vowels as they did not even speak the name of God because it was so holy.   It tells us that God is who He is –self-existent and not dependent upon anyone for His existence.  It tell us that God is the creator and sustainer of all that exists.  It tells us that God is- unchanging and immutable, has been and always will be.  It tell us that God is eternal, He always existed and will always exist.  It assured Moses that God in His sovereign power can do all things and will be with him on this journey back to Egypt and beyond.

2017-07-09-The-Great-I-AM-600x600We too can be assured by the great I AM.  He is immutable and we can depend upon Him.  Hebrews 13:8  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”   He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Knowing God is eternal and dependent upon nothing else gives us security and assurance of our future with Him. John 14:1-2 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” 

Have a blessed day as you cling to the promises of the great I AM.

Linda

Do you desire to be a man or woman after God’s Own Heart?

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What does it mean when scripture refers to David as ‘a man after God’s own heart’? “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.’” Acts 13:22   What did David do that pleased God?   I have concluded that God’s answer was also given here- “he will do everything I want him to do”.   David was willing to submit to God’s will and do as He commanded.  In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel was speaking to Saul about God’s heart’s desire.   But Samuel replied:  “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”   God commanded the Israelites to do various sacrifice rituals to atone for their sins.  It was a temporary fix to the issue of sin but showed their obedience to God’s laws and their devotion to Him.  However, Samuel was telling Saul that following God and pleasing him was about more than following His laws.  It was about following God with your heart in obedience.  Obedience seems to be the key to God’s heart and our being willing to do submit to God’s will for our lives.  If you look at David’s life, you quickly see that he did not do everything right and did not follow God’s laws all the time.  He sinned big time with the intentional killing of Uriah and the lusting after Bathsheba.  However, David accepted his discipline from God and was repentant.  He was obedient in following the Lord and his faith never wavered.  He trust God 100% and submitted to God’s will in his life.

Acts-13-22-After-Gods-HeartWhat does that mean for you and me?  Obedience in faith and worship = putting God first above all else and believing in His Son.  Obedience in our daily walk = seeking to please God by loving Him and others.  That means spending time with Him daily in prayer and in His Word.  It also means having Jesus’ attitude of compassion and love for those around us.  Obedience in service = working by ourselves and/or with other Christians to show the world Jesus by reflecting Him in our words and deeds.  God wants all of our heart transformed to work for Him with joy, love, obedience, in purity, devotion, kindness, compassion, with forgiveness for ourselves and others, in peace, faith and humility.  There is so much God wants for us and striving through the power of the Holy Spirit to live for God makes us a people after God’s heart.  Those things are reflected in a heart of obedience, submission and love.  It is a life-long process that brings and bears much fruit and blessings to us from God.

obedienceStriving to walk each day in obedience to God with heart that is pleasing to Him,

Linda