Tag: Jesus

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

Redeemer is His Name to Me!

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Do you know God as your Redeemer?  In the Old Testament God refers to himself as Redeemer in Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,  who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things,  who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,”   Because God is creator of all things, only He has the power to redeem, buy back or save His creation.   If you know God as your Savior and Redeemer you are in the know just like Job, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zachariah and Paul who referred to God as their Redeemer.  Read their powerful words and claim them for yourself.

i-know-my-redeemer-lives

Job 19:25-26 “For I know that my Redeemer lives,      
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God,”      Job knew the eternal God as his Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”     David knew God was his Redeemer and desired to be humble before Him.

Isaiah 47:4 “Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.”    Isaiah knew God as his Redeemer and revered His name.

Luke 1:68 ““Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.”    Zachariah prophesied the coming of Jesus as our Redeemer.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”   Paul knew that Jesus’ death on the cross redeemed us from the curse of sin.

What about you?  Can you say that God is your Redeemer?   We like to save money by using coupons as we shop.  They help us to redeem more for our money than we deserve.  Jesus did that for us by paying the full price for our sin on the cross.  We are able to be redeemed as we put our trust and faith in Him knowing He is always faithful to carry out His work within us.  Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know Jesus as my Redeemer and depend upon the power of His blood to redeem me before Almighty God.

Linda

My Man of Sorrows, Thank You Jesus

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There is only one place where God in the person of Jesus the Christ was referred to as a man of sorrows. It was written of Him in Isaiah 53, when Isaiah was describing the suffering servant of God that was to come. He told where he came from and what would happen to him. Isaiah 53:2-4

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground; He grew up as a regular man.
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.


3 He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces He knew the hard things of life and was rejected.
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, He took the punishment for our sins.
    smitten by God, and afflicted.

These verses describe Jesus as the suffering servant. In Matthew 20:17-19 Jesus describes what is about to take place. “Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Many references call Jesus the cornerstone of our faith. Acts 4:11 speaks of how he was rejected, “Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” We see the sorrow Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:37-39 “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Going to the cross caused Jesus great anguish, but He was obedient to the will of the Father, regardless of this personal cost. The attitude of the crowd shows their ‘we don’t care’ feelings towards Jesus and his innocence. Matthew 27:21-23 gives the scene as it unfolds;  “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

How do you identify with Jesus and the sorrow He felt by dying on the cross? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know freedom from the sorrow and death my sins deserve. He was the man of my sorrow as He bore my sins on the cross. Thank you Jesus!

Linda

The Way, Thank you Jesus

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This name of God was spoken to Jesus’ disciples to give them hope and clarity as He was going away and He knew they would be confused and even bewildered. He wanted them to know that He was The Way. Given time all would become clear, but Jesus spoke these words in comfort to the disciples as He was preparing them for His death and departure.  Jesus said in John 14:1-4 “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? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”   Jesus wanted them to know He was leaving but for them not to fear and know He was going to get a place in heaven ready for them.  Thomas did not understand and questioned Jesus in verse 5, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus’ answer is profound and complete.  “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6    He went on to tell Thomas and the others how He and the Father were one and if they had seen Him then they also had see God the Father and knew Him to be true.

What did Jesus mean with His I AM statements?   I am the way– the way to heaven and eternal life,  the way to a relationship with God.   I am the truth– He is the truth of God, the gospel.  He is the Life-He is the giver of life-both physical and spiritual, the one who brings eternal life through faith in Him, the one who provides fullness of life here and now.   The way to God is only through faith in Jesus.   Jesus was God and knew that men would doubt, men would seek to earn their way to heaven, that men would claim they knew another way to get to heaven through faith in another person or things.  Jesus knew what was coming and His answer leaves no room for those thoughts.  He is the only way to God and He knows that way perfectly.   He is the truth of God, the Life giver for now and eternity and the pathway to reach full relationship with God is through Him alone.   Martin Luther had it right in His 5 Solices- Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, Grace Alone and Glory to God Alone.  Our faith in Jesus rests on His Word, His person and His Work on the Cross on our behalf. 

Paul wanted believers to know Jesus was the only way to God and spoke in Acts 4:12 about this truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” One can only be saved by the only one who can save us = Jesus. He was the perfect sacrifice acceptable to God and His blood atones for our sin through our faith in Him. In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” Jesus is the the one who cleanses us and presents us able to stand before God. The only way that can happen is found in Jesus.

5 solices

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the way of salvation and relationship with God, experience the fullness of the life He has for me and know as much truth about God as I can absorb. Thank you Jesus for providing a way for all of us to be with God, see His truth and promises of a life worth living now and in the future!

Linda

A Personal Name for God, Friend

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friend-template-960x250

One of the more personal names for God is friend. Jesus told his disciples He was their friend and that applies to each of us as we embrace Jesus by faith. We too become His friends. I love the old hymn, “What a friend I have in Jesus”.  The lyrics speak of our friend Jesus bearing all our sins and griefs and our privilege of taking our problems to Him in prayer.   Jesus called us His friends in John 15:14-15 “ You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”   

Being called a friend of Jesus means we follow His Word and walk beside and with Him in our daily life.  He is right there to help us when we stumble, give a word of comfort or be our companion.  By following His pathway we are no longer just like a hired servants or one who receives orders to go along with him, but a friend to be confided in, helped and taught.   He also promises to reveal what He knows about God the Father to us.  A few verses later in John 15:18 Jesus warns us that being called His friend will put us in a position to be hated by others.  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”   He also speaks of this in Matthew 10:22 “and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”   I love the promise Jesus gives at the end of the Matthew verse.  Standing with Jesus and enduring the derision and persecution that the unbelieving world places upon us because we proclaim Him, will bring a great reward. 

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have a friend in Jesus who will never leave me nor forsake me. Where do you need such a friend today? Reach out to Him in prayer and let Him know of your thoughts, hopes and struggles. He will be there for you as no one has ever been before!

Linda

Suggestion:  Spend some time with your friend Jesus today.  Go for a prayer, praise walk with Jesus.  Talk with Him as you walk along and praise Him for His provision and the glory you see along the way.  Can’t get out?  Just gaze out a window and spend time journeying with Jesus in prayer.

Our Shepherd, Jehovah Raah

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This name for God, Jehovah Raah, The Lord is my Shepherd is a bit different from God is the Good Shepherd. There the emphasis is on the goodness of God and His role as shepherd in our lives. The Lord is my Shepherd involves a declaration by the Sayer, that God is the Lord and Shepherd of their life.

We see this used by David in Psalm 23 as he declares that God is his shepherd. In this beloved psalm, David tells us of the qualities of his Lord and how He shepherds his life as no one else can.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures. God provides and guides David.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul. God restores.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; God protects and comforts, even in the scariest of times.
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies; God is with him and watches over him.
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. God blesses now and into eternity.

David, the shepherd boy who became king, remembered how he cared for his sheep and sees that quality of care and tenderness, protection and comfort in His God. David realizes that God is his protector and blesses him now and into eternity.

Jesus also spoke of himself as the good shepherd and as He is also Lord and Savior, He fits this description too. In John 10 Jesus describes his role as shepherd and Lord. He speaks of himself as the gatekeeper in John 10:3 and the door in John 10:9 which are both images of protection and care. In verse 11, He speaks of being the one who will lay his life down for his sheep, “ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” His precious promise in John 10:28-29 could only be made by the Lord himself, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the Lord Jesus as my shepherd and entrust my life now and in the future to Him! Thank you Jesus!

Linda