Tag: God’s presence

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Exodus Devotions

Immanuel

Immanuel

“Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.”

And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

“If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here.” (Exodus 33:13-15)

I was thinking this morning, “How often do I have Moses’ heart?”

“Father, I don’t even want to leave this house unless you go with me. If I have found favor with you, walk with me. Teach me your ways and I will know you so that I may find favor with you.”

The amazing thing is that God says to us, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name. My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:17, 14)

Ultimately, that’s what Christmas is about.

Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

He not only walks with us and talks with us as he did with Moses, he reveals his glory to us, and we receive grace upon grace upon grace. (John 1:14, 16-18)

That’s awesome to ponder.

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors! (Luke 2:14)

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Genesis Devotions

Unseen, but present

Genesis

What was Joseph thinking when his brothers seized him at Dothan and sold him to the Ishamelites?

“Where is God?” would be the likely response.

Strangely enough, it was at Dothan hundreds of years later that another person was wondering, “Where is God?”

The prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the enemy’s army, and his servant was filled with fear. But Elisha reassured his servant,

Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them. (2 Kings 6:16)

Then Elisha prayed,

Lord, please open his eyes and let him see. (2 Kings 6:17)

Suddenly the servant saw that they were protected by the Lord’s army. God hadn’t abandoned them. He had been there all along.

So he was with Joseph.

And so he would be with Jesus thousands of years later even as Jesus cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”

And just as he used the evil of the brothers to save Jacob’s entire family including those brothers, he used the evil of the Jewish leaders to save us from our sin.

So whatever you’re going through remember: You may not be able to see God in your circumstances. But he is present. And he is working for your good. (Romans 8:28)

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Acts Devotionals

God’s man (or woman) in the storm

Acts

We are living in a time right now filled with much anger and fear.

What kind of people are we in this time? Are we ourselves controlled by anger and fear?

Paul himself was in such a situation. People saw the storm and were in a panic, thinking they were going to die.

Some people were probably angry at those in charge for not foreseeing the storm. As a result, there was probably utter chaos all over the boat.

And in the midst of it all stood Paul.

He brought wisdom to the situation. He brought peace. He brought encouragement.

Most importantly, he brought God’s presence.

Are we doing the same in this storm of Covid 19? Are we doing the same in the midst of political turmoil, police brutality, and riots?

What are we bringing into the storm?

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Our calling

Deuteronomy

The calling of the Levites as described in verse 8 really strikes me. Moses said,

At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to pronounce blessings in his name, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 10:8)

How does this apply to us in the modern day?

The ark of the covenant was a symbol of God’s presence. And just as the Levites carried with them the presence of God, we as Christians do the same.

But we have something even better than an ark. God the Holy Spirit actually dwells within us. And everywhere we go, people should see Him in us.

The Levites were to stand before the Lord to serve him. The picture there is of a servant standing at his master’s side, just waiting for his command.

That is the attitude we are to have every moment of every day. We are to have eyes and ears turned to our Lord, remembering that we are not doing mere ordinary work. We are serving the King, doing kingdom work.

Finally, we are to bless people in His name.

What does that mean? More than anything else, it means bringing people into the presence of God.

Again, God dwells in us. And our words and our actions as we interact with them should bring them into contact with the living God.

Do mine? I hope so.

But there are many times I fail in that. There are also times I fail to hear my Lord’s direction and commands.

Lord, you have set me apart for yourself. Forgive me for the times I have failed you. Thank you for your grace that picks me up.

Give me eyes to see what you’re doing around me, and ears to hear what you want me to do.

Let others see you in me, and may they too come to know the blessing that comes from being in your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Acts

The God who stands near us

Acts

Sometimes, we tend to think of the apostles and other people in the Bible as superheroes. That they always faced death courageously and without fear.

Certainly there were times they were like that. (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego certainly seemed that way, among others).

But I don’t know if that was always the case. They were human just like us, after all.

And as I read this passage in Acts 23, I wonder what was going on in Paul’s heart.

He had just been involved in a situation that had become so violent that the Roman commander got him out of there thinking Paul was going to get torn to pieces by his accusers.

As Paul lay in bed that night, what was he thinking? Was he experiencing doubt? Fear? Was he worrying about if he could accomplish the things he had thought God desired him to do.

Whatever he was thinking, it says in verse 11,

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)

A few things strike me here.

First, the Lord stood near Paul. And it’s a reminder to me that even through our darkest times, through our trials, and through our doubts and fears, the Lord is always standing by us.

Second, the Lord told Paul, “Take courage.”

Why would you tell someone to take courage if they already had it?

Perhaps because of all his circumstances, Paul was wavering a bit. But the Lord steadied him and said, “Take courage.”

Sometimes we too waver a bit in our faith. We waver concerning the path God has put us on. But God gives us the same message he gave Paul. “Take courage.”

Why should we take courage?

Because God will accomplish his will in our lives and no power on this earth can stop him. He told Paul,

As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.

In other words, “Don’t worry about all those opposing you. You will fulfill the purposes I have called you to. Just stand strong and keep trusting in me.”

How about you? Are you starting to lose faith because of your circumstances? Are you starting to give in to fear because of the opposition you’re facing?

Take courage. Know that the Lord is near. And keep trusting and following him, knowing that he will accomplish his will in your life.

Let us remember the words of Paul himself, who said,

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7)

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Matthew Matthew 28

The one who is always with us

Matthew

We are rapidly coming to the end of the gospels. It certainly took a lot longer than I expected. I thought harmonizing the gospels would make things go a lot faster.

Maybe it has, but it’s still taken nearly 11 months to get through them. But it’s been fun, and I’ve really enjoyed it.

I wanted to talk about this in the last blog, but it was getting long as it was. After giving all his instructions to his disciples, Jesus encouraged them saying,

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Jesus was soon going to heaven. And after he left, the disciples would have a great work to do, to spread the kingdom of God.

While there would be great joy in that, Jesus also knew they would suffer persecution and hardship as well. Most of his disciples would die for their faith.

But the one thing Jesus promised them was that though they would no longer be able to see him with their eyes, he nevertheless would be with them.

He would not leave them as orphans, but send his Spirit to dwell within them and be with them. (John 14:16-20)

He makes the same promise to us. No matter where we go, no matter what we do, no matter what joys or hardships we go through, he will never leave us lonely. He is with us. And always will be.

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Psalms

The God who understands suffering

Psalms

Our pastor was continuing his message series on suffering yesterday, and he made an interesting point.

“Just because God doesn’t ‘cooperate’ with us, doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.”

That is, just because God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want, doesn’t mean that he isn’t there.  Nor does it mean that he doesn’t care.

And that’s what I see in Psalm 22.  Here, David cries out,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.  (Psalm 22:1-2)

But despite God seeming silent and distant, the psalmist affirms,

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.

In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.  (3-5)

In other words, “I still believe you’re there.  And you are the same God that our ancestors trusted, and they were not put to shame.  So I’m going to keep trusting you, even though I can’t see you or what you’re doing right now.”

Still, David pours out his troubles before God, but in them, we see something else.  We see Jesus whom this psalm foretells.

It foretells his state on the cross (14-17).  It foretells his mocking, and the casting of lots for his clothes (7-8, 17-18).

And it foretells his ultimate triumph and the salvation and blessing that would come because of his sacrifice (22-31).

Jesus, himself, as he was dying on the cross, quoted this psalm and applied it to himself, when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

What can we get from this?

When we are suffering and God seems distant and uncaring, those feelings are just that.  Feelings.  And they are not true.  God is there.  And he does care.  David sings,

For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.  (24)

God doesn’t make light of our sufferings.  Nor does he ever hide his face from us.  Rather, he hears our every cry.  And he feels and understands our every pain.

How do I know?  Because Jesus himself suffered.  He too had feelings of abandonment by his Father.  He too knew what it meant to go through pain.

And just as God used all that Jesus went through for his glory, he will use all our sufferings for his glory too, if only we’ll keep trusting him.