Do you think of God as your hiding place? God’s Word describes God as our hiding place. It is a name of comfort for us as we strive to exist in this hostile world filled with sin and all its temptations. When does one need a hiding place? It is not a place where you bury your head in the sand and ignore the world. It is not a place to dwell constantly as if secreting yourself away from the world and its temptations. No, a hiding place in my mind is a place of refuge where I can go in times of need or trouble. God does not want me living there permanently, but He is there if and whenever I need it. Someday we will be with him always and His hiding place will be our home residence in heaven.
Psalm 32:7 describes the hiding place of God when in troubled times “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.” What a comfort to know we have this place with God available 24/7.
Psalm 119:114 describes the hiding place God provides in His Word, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” We can always go to God’s Word for encouragement and solace and He will provide us with cover, compassion, grace and mercy.
Isaiah 32:1-2 speaks of a time in the future that Jesus will be reign. “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. 2 Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. This assures us that being with Jesus in His kingdom will be the perfect hiding place for eternity!
Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be assured of a hiding place with God that is available to me 24/7, is filled with His grace and mercy and awaiting me as my final home in heaven.
Be sure to encourage someone else today with the knowledge of God as our hiding place! There is Hope in Him always.
Peace is something we all strive for as we think, if we achieve it all will be good and calm. However, the only one who can truly grant us peace is God. Gideon was called of God to rescue the Israelites during the time of the Judges. Judges 6:22-24a “Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon 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,” Jehovah Shalom in Hebrew was Gideon’s name for God, The Lord of Peace, and describes how he felt after this encounter with God. Many other writers in scripture use God’s name, Lord of Peace, as a form of blessing or to describe the quality of peace that God can bestow upon the believer! Gideon felt God’s peace and was ready to move into action. God’s peace motivates us to live for Him and surrounds us with His comfort too.
Paul used the name, Lord of Peace, as a sign off in Romans and 1 Thessalonians. Romans 15:33 “May the Godofpeace be with you all. Amen.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the Godofpeace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When they were departing by ship, walking or with a letter, they wanted the receiver to know that God was with them always and that He is the granter of peace in our lives. Paul wanted them to look to Jesus for their peace.
Another aspect of God’s peace is action oriented and we can depend upon this peace to produce action or results in our lives. In Romans 16:19-20 Paul wants his readers to know that the God who gives peace also will take care of evil. He will crush Satan as he has promised. “For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Action also involves focus on Him. You can’t get peace without keeping your mind on Him as we are told in Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” I love this action as it is a promise that we are assured peace if we remain focused upon God.
Jesus told us in John 14:27 that He was leaving peace for us, from God, and it will keep your troubles from becoming overwhelming and keep away fear! “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.” Paul expanded on how to access this peace of God in Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Do you want to know the peace of God or the Lord of Peace? Scripture tells us it is ours as a gift from God. Nothing is required other than faith in Jesus and trusting Him. He will give us the peace that passes all understanding, and He will see that our hearts and minds are guarded in Him. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know, feel and live in God’s peace as the Lord of Peace is always with me! Be assured that God is the God of peace, but Jesus himself is known as the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince ofPeace.” Jesus is our prince always bringing us peace! Thank you Jesus.
We have seen such wonderful names of God this first full week of Lent. Rewarder, Forgiver, Promise Keeper, Light, Righteousness and Everlasting, each of these give us hope, thoughts to bring to God in prayer and repentance. Here is a continuation of the Psalm we started last Sunday, 103:11-19.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; How big is your God’s love? 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Do you trust Him to thoroughly remove your sins? 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. Do you allow God to show you compassion? 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.Do you trust Him to number your days justly?
15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, God knows were are fleeting. and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, God covers us with his Love and righteousness. 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, God wins and has an eternal home for us. and his kingdom rules over all.
Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know all things are Yes in Jesus and I can trust Him with all my questions. May your prayers be rich today and lead you to a deeper relationship with Him.
The New Testament gives us several names of God from the words of Jesus. Today I want to focus on God as the Light of the World. John 1:4-5 speaks of Jesus, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”The properties of this light from God brings life, enlightenment, hope, clarity from darkness both physical and spiritual and a promise that no darkness- no matter how evil- will not overcome it. I find incredible hope in that promise.
In John 8:12 Jesus specifically calls himself the light of the world, “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.” This verse continues the promise of light meant for all the world and His light brings life without fear.
Light has been a beacon for mankind and a symbol of hope from God throughout the ages. He used a pillar of fire to lead the Israelites as described in Exodus 13:21 “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” God was going to provide for them in the night, times of darkness. David saw God’s light in his life so many times. Psalm 18:28 “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.” Psalm 27:1“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” He also saw light in God’s Word, Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Daniel’s prayer of praise in Daniel 2:22-23, names God as light. “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.“
In Ephesian 5:7-9 Paul encourages us to emulate Jesus and walk in His light as His children. “Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),” 1 John 1:5 tells us the God is light, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” John also gives us reason to follow Jesus in 1 John 5:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
We can trust that God is light and that His light was shown to all the world without reservations when Jesus came as our Savior. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know God’s light in my life, walk with Him and have no fear of darkness. God promised to overcome the world through Jesus. John 16:33b ” I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Take heart in His light as you walk with Him today!
When God promises something He often uses the words “I will”. I can equate that to the name Promise Keeper which was made popular in the late 20th century. God promises many things to those who love and follow Him. God uses Zechariah to reassure the Israelites upon the return to Jerusalem. This was the first group that returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Things had not been going well and the returnees had gotten discouraged and stopped working on the rebuilding of the temple as they listened to the threats of the opposition. God sent Zechariah to give them His messages of encouragement and to motivate them to continue with construction. They did and the temple was finished in 515 B.C.
These “I will” statements from God show His heart for the people. We can take and apply them to our lives today as God cares for us. Some have already happened and some are future to us still.
Zechariah 8:7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, Iwill save my people from the east country and from the west country,”
8:8 “and Iwill bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and Iwill be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”
8:13b “so willI save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
9:8 “Then Iwill encamp at my house as a guard,
9:12 “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that Iwill restore to you double.
10:14 “Iwill make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the Lord.
Which of these “I will” statements by God caught your attention? Actually there are many more that I did not include, look at Zechariah Chapters 7-11 to get a fuller picture. God loves us and wants to care for us now and in the future. The one that jumped out to me was 9:8. God promises to encamp at my house as a guard. Often I feel I need a guard watching over me providing me with divine protection. It goes along with the promise in Isaiah 49:16“Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” Where do you need God’s protection, healing or restoration today?
Scripture is filled with God’s promises. Here are a few more: promise of wisdom, James 1:5, promise to make us fisher of men if we follow Him Matthew 4:19, promise of eternal life John 4:4, and freedom from sin John 8:36.
Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, so we will know how much the Father loves us and that He keeps His promises always! Remember 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.” God sent Jesus because He loves us. God is a Promise Keeper, always. You can totally depend upon Him.
When one thinks of Lent, one of the main things that comes to mind is repentance. Being sorry or sorrowing over your sins is not all that is involved on our part. It is not enough to be sorry, you must move forward away from the sin diligently turning in a new direction with a new attitude. Just as your mother would not let you get away with saying, “I’m sorry” in a snarky or sarcastic tone, so too God demands that our repentance be genuine and lead to a transformative walk with Him. This describes our part- our attitude, but God’s part is different. He is the forgiver of sins. He promises to forgiveness in 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.” We do not have the power to forgive sin and clean ourselves- that is all God! Forgiveness is a part of His nature or character. Here are some key verses for you to meditate upon about God being the Forgiver:
Micah 7:18-19 I love this image of what God does with our sins. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Isaiah 43:25 God is unlike humans who seem to never forget wrongs done to them or are slow to forgive. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. God will not hold our past sins against us! Praise God!
Psalm 103:12- how far does God take our sins? “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Colossians 1:13-14 These verses remind us of the heart of God and where forgiveness comes from, Jesus. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
What should be our response after receiving forgiveness from God though Jesus? Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Forgiveness begins with God’s Holy Spirit working in our hearts to convict us of our sin, showing us where we are falling short and leading us to our own realization and sorrow over our sin. Then God begins the repairing of our souls with His wonderful forgiveness though our faith in Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can experience God’s forgiveness in full which leads to a changed life. In that transformed life, 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.” New life comes through faith from a heart of repentance. In that new life, our love for Jesus leads us to act differently towards others being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving of each other.
Never underestimate the power of God’s forgiveness which leads to transformation! With God all things are possible, keep on praying for those loved ones and friends to come to know the great Forgiver!
Have you ever thought of God as a rewarder? Genesis 15:1 describes him this way, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” This was just prior to Abraham questioning God. He wanted to know how this could be as he did not even have a descendent. God had promised Abraham countless descendants in Genesis 12. Here God reiterates his promises to Abraham in verses 5-6, “And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Abraham believed God totally. His faith had been counted to him as right ness before God.
Hebrews 11:6, one of my verses for the year, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Here we see that without faith in who He is, we cannot please God and that faith in Him we will be rewarded.
What kind of reward is implied here? God was promising Abraham a line of descendants when he physically did not have children. Amazingly, Abraham believed God! His faith was rewarded as he continued to seek God and walk with him. He did indeed have Isaac the child of promise in his old age. How else was Abraham rewarded by God? He was provided righteousness through his faith. We too can experience this righteousness when we believe in Jesus. Through faith, believing in Jesus, God provides us with eternal life, hope in the future and salvation. God desires to shower us with blessings both material and spiritual as we walk with Him each day. How often do we only look at what God provides or does not provide in the big things? How about the sunset, sunrise, growth of plants in our yard, a smile from a neighbor all of these can be counted as God’s provision too. God is in the details of life. Looking for Him in the ordinary will show you extraordinary things about God and His provision.
Here are a few more verses about God’s rewards:
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Being steadfast during those everyday trials will bring rewards now and assuredly in the future. Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”
Paul’s idea of God’s reward to him, 1 Corinthians 9:18“What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” Being able to tell others about Jesus Paul considered a privilege and a reward! Do we?
Colossians 3:22-23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Knowing that God is watching over us and seeing what we do for Him reminds us that He deems it important enough to reward us for it.
Acts 4:12– salvation given by Christ is definitely a great reward. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among menby which we must be saved.”
John 17:3, eternal life, “And this is eternallife, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.“
Having the fruits of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, Galatians 5:23“But thefruitoftheSpirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
John 14:26“But the Helper, the HolySpirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
As you can see, scriptures is rich in descriptions of the benefits and rewards provided through faith in Jesus. I will leave you with one of my favorites Romans 6:23“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God is indeed generous with His reward towards those who believe! Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be the recipient of the many blessings and rewards my Father God has provided though faith in His son. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice for me.
Since the names of God appeared in the Bible which was written in Hebrew and later translated to English and many other languages, I will often use the Hebrew name for God as it would have appeared and speak of its English translation. Today’s name Jehovah Rapha is one I hold most dear. It means The Lord who heals or is the healer. This first appears in Exodus 15 right after they had come through the parted Red Sea and seen the destruction of the army of Egypt that was chasing them. They had journeyed a bit further and were very thirst and cried out to God. God showed Moses a log to put into the water to make it sweet. God speaks in Exodus 15:26“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.” Not only will God be their protector, provider and defender but here He adds He will be their healer.
In Psalm 103:1-3 David extols the Lord and what He can do. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
The psalmist from Psalm 147: 1-5 praises God for His many powers among them dealing with Israel, healing broken hearts, binding wounds, numbering and naming the starts with His power, which is beyond measure. Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. 2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
How have you experienced God as your healer? Has He seen you though illnesses, injuries of both body and soul? Not only does God heal but he binds up our wounds. He is the ultimate bandage that truly heals. I know times when I have been wounded in the heart by relationships or in the hardships of life, God has sent someone to pray for me, hold me and uplift me so I can remain focused upon Him. When my wounds have been caused by my own sin, He has forgiven and restored me as I repented. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know His healing personally and seek His healing whenever I am in need. Thank you Jesus!
Linda
P.S. I came learn a long time ago that just because God can heal all things He does not. Some illnesses are healed only in death and I can trust God that my friend or loved one is whole and cured in heaven. It is best to pray God’s will be done, not ours. Paul prayed to be able to visit the Romans in Romans 15:33 “so that by God’swill I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.” He wanted to go but was leaving it up to God, holding his going with an open hand not demanding of God but requesting. James 4:13 puts it this way, saying this or that will happen,“Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” The ultimate decision is up to God and He knows what needs to happen and when for His will to be perfectly complete. We need to pray and trust Him. Knowing that the healing will happen-whether it be not or later- it will happen as God promises to be our healer!
I love today’s name for God as the early Christians called him their blessed hope. If you had to name your best hope, would it be Christ? Paul writes to young Titus who he sent to Crete to minister to the Christians there in Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” I love this portion of scripture as Paul reminds Titus, and us too, that Jesus brought salvation for all people. Jesus trains us through the Holy Spirit that lives with us to renounce or turn away from evil and the things of the world that would tempt us to sin. God desires that we live holy godly lives characterized by self-control and rightness. Thankfully, our rightness comes from Jesus and when we accept Jesus as our savior He covers us with His rightousness so that we can stand before God pure and holy. What a blessed gift to us! Paul wanted Titus to look forward to Christ’s return and live a godly life until He does return. That is our desire too, that we many glorify God in our lives. Jesus is our blessed hope as our future with Him is secure and upheld by God’s promises.
David speaks also of our blessed hope in Psalm 71:5 “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” Do you see the hope the Lord provides in Jesus? He gives us hope as we place our trust in Him! David had trusted God since his days as a shepherd boy as he faced the lion and the bear protecting his father’s sheep. He knew God personally and trusted Him and placed his trust and hope in Him.
Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am assured of His blessed hope for my salvation, my future and my walk with Him- day by day-fearlessly! Today focus on the blessed hope we have in Jesus and see if it does not motivate and lighten your heart and your steps.
Lent is fast approaching and I have been praying and asking God what HE wants me to use as my guide this year during Lent. I was surprised that my answer came from an unexpected pdf that was provided on the names of God by the Bible Recap group. After I printed it out, I realized that it could very well guide me through the Lenten season and reinforce the blogs I did at Advent where I looked for God in all of the Christmas story. I love blogging about God, his names and his attributes as they give me insight into the depth of God’s love and care for me.
Take the challenge with me and join me each day for a short plug-in to God’s character and see if it does not enrich your Lenten journey. Since I did not grow up observing Lent, I have taken it on as an add to my life and not what I can give up. How can I add something meaningful that costs me personally so I can identify more fully with the Lord Jesus.
I welcome your company in this journey and pray it will be beneficial to you each and every day until we reach Easter Sunday!
