You might want to grab a cup of tea or some other tasty beverage. This post grew a bit. lol
As usual, I've got a lot kicking around in my brain. It's also Saturday, so there is always a good chance that I am mulling over this afternoon's Bible study- which I am. Granted- it is worth noting that I submerge myself in some aspect of God's presence every day. I don't just wait until Saturday to have an epiphany. 😉 Some days it is deep or continual prayer. Sometimes it is through worship and praise. I might also be in Bible study or scripture writing some days. Whatever it is, I am, usually, trying to keep that connection to Him open. Nobody is perfect, though. There are also days when I have plugged my ears or buried my head in the sand. Can I get an Amen? The thing is to keep plugging away and doing our best. He will help us through everything this crazy life entails.
However, I also have the opportunity to gather together with fellow believers who challenge me to go a little deeper and often God uses them to shine light on a perception or angle that I may have otherwise missed. I am part of a few groups that do this. Likewise, I have also been the same for some of them. Iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17)
(If you don't have a Bible study group, you should find one. They are everywhere. They are even found online. Well, right now, there are a LOT online because of social distancing. Even without that, they can be found on Facebook or on message boards, there are video conferences, YouTube videos, and, I'm sure, other places.)
Don't be afraid to ask yourself questions about God or of God- ask a lot of them. It deepens your faith. Questions beg answers. Answers need to be found. To find those answers, you are seeking and searching. When you seek, oh what you will find!! The answers sometimes will take your breath away. Other times, they may just about blow your mind. The first thing that we need to find is God.
"5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways." ~ James 1:5-8 (HCSB)
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"11For 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.
12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
13You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." ~ Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)
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"9 “So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” " ~ Luke 11:9-13 (HCSB)
There is also something to be said for being still. One of my favorite places to go when I get the chance, is to the lakefront. I love being near the water and watching the waves and the birds. I love listening to the sounds the water makes as dances, washes, and ripples. Can't you just see and hear it right now?
Both of those things have something in common- God. We are created in the image of One who holds all knowledge. He also is the maker of heaven and earth. Everything we think, everything we do, every breath we take in, and everything we see is made possible by Him.
"20 May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21 He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. 22 He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 23 I offer thanks and praise to You, God of my fathers, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have let me know what we asked of You, for You have let us know the king's mystery." ~ Daniel 2:20-23 (HCSB)
Even if you had never picked up a Bible or heard that there was a God so powerful and mighty, you would yet be able to believe. We have talked about this in our Bible study group. A question that has come up a few times is: "What are the two books of God?" Obviously, the first one is the Bible. The second is this: nature.
"18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. 21 For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles." ~ Romans 1:18-23 (AMP)
How can a person look out in the vast expanse and not see that there must be a Creator? When you consider the intricacies of living organisms alone, it is astounding. How difficult to give order to the human body and how it is woven delicately together to function in perfect harmony, all parts in symbiotic unison with each other, unless it were intelligently designed. It cannot "accidentally" fall together the same way each time an organism, be it a human or a plant, is replicated.
The funny thing about our Bible study today is that we didn't actually study the Bible. lol Well, not formally. We finished up the book of Luke last week and were discussing which book to tackle next. In the midst of that, a previous question by one person was brought up to be answered. That led to a discussion and Genesis and that to a question by someone else. That person's question led me to question myself why God, being omniscient (all knowing), would create the earth, that He knew the consequences of, with all its hardship and heartache?
In other words, let us say that I thought about creating a tower made out of Legos or playing cards. I conceived an idea so developed it would take great skill and time to craft it into something to behold. But what if I knew that when I did that someone was indeed certainly going to swoop in and destroy it? Why bother? What if God had said that about our world? Yet....he didn't. If He knows all, then He had to have foreseen what would happen with Lucifer and sin, pain, death, and all the tragedy. His perfect earth would be demolished in an idealistic sense.
However, He created it anyway. Why? Good question. The immediate response in my spirit was because we were worth it to Him. The cost of the damage to the world (the created thing) was more bearable than living an existence without the fellowship of the living beings that He also created. He created us to have a relationship with us. He loves us. We are not "worthy" in a sense of being equal to God but that God, saw us as lovable and of value (worth) to Himself. Beauty was in the eyes of the Beholder. We are the apple of His eye.
"9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape."~ Deuteronomy 32:9-14
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"1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. 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; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." ~ Psalm 23 (ESV)
He loved us so much that was not a great enough sacrifice. In order to be fully redeemed and justified
to dwell in Heaven, a blood sacrifice needed to be given.
"For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16 (AMP)
Wow, God. Wow to You for giving this insight to me. An even bigger wow to the astonishing and breathtaking affirmation of Your love for us. It was worth creating what would be destroyed. It was worth the time and the effort. WE were worth the time and effort to You, O God, because of that great love.
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💗 Thank You, God, for the ability to not only seek such knowledge but also to be able to obtain and retain it. It is such a truly wonderful gift, especially when we are able to use it to draw closer to You. You give us SO, SO, SO much. Sadly, we take it all for granted entirely too often. 💗Thank You, Father, that You love us enough to give us so many things even to have such beautiful creatures and scenery. Thank You that our bodies were designed to perform many fascinating and brilliant things from our brains to our toes. Thank You, Oh God, that we are mighty in Your name. You are the Creator and the Vine. We are but mere branches and tiny reflections of a mighty God; as ripples in an ocean.
Be with us this day. Help us to receive You today in whatever way we can, even if it is a small crack of light peeping into our worried or wearied souls. Seep into our hearts and let our souls be saturated with a desire to seek You. You know what goes on inside of us each and every day, Father. You know exactly what hurts there are to heal and how to apply the balm. Help us to be ever conscious, ever mindful, and thankful of not just how you designed and created us but also how we fit into this fabulous and beautiful world that You have placed us into. Help us to live out a life of purpose as close to Your perfect will as we can and to prosper first in our understanding and gratitude. All else will follow. May we delight ourselves in You, heavenly Father. We love you, we praise and thank You. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.
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👀Wow. I hadn't planned on saying so much. Thank You, Holy Spirit for redirection. What a blessing to be able to approach the Throne of Grace with confidence! We have truly NO idea exactly what a beautifully miraculous thing that is! Thank You God for choosing us and loving us first before we even had a chance to love You. Thank You for speaking to my heart, as You speak to the hearts of all of Your children each every day. There is no one like You.
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