Moments With God

God's Grace!

General — Posted by sharaug @ July 31, 2006 19:15
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Romans 3:10-31

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood."

We can not truly be thankful for the wonder of our salvation until we begin to understand the depth of our sin. We often tend to compare our lives with others. We can so easily imagine ourselves better than say a hardened criminal who has perhaps killed people. The truth of the matter is, however, that outside of Christ we are all sinners. If we would commit only one sin our entire lives, we would deserve God's eternal punishment. That is how horrific sin is in the eyes of God. The fact remains, however, that we commit many sins against our Lord every day.

Romans 3:10-11 tells us, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." Not one of us is righteous before God in ourselves. Only if we are washed in the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God; can we have a right standing before God. In our natural sinful state we have no understanding about God and about what is right and holy. Romans 3:12b goes on to say "there is no one who does good, not even one." Our natural minds, hearts, and wills are turned against God. In our natural state outside of Christ there is only deceit and corruption. Hence, outside of Christ there is no peace, humility, or reverence for God and the will of God found in our lives. Romans 3:17-18 says, "and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes."

But praise God, Jesus Christ has provided us a remedy for this horrid sin condition in which we find ourselves! Jesus Christ came to this earth to first live the sinless life that we fail to live and then to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. If we have accepted Christ's awesome gift of salvation, we now stand righteous before God because of Christ's atoning sacrifice! "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood." (Romans 3:22-25a)

What grace and what love was shown to us by our Lord and Savior! It is only when we recognize the depth of our sins that we can truly be thankful for and delight in our salvation. As we begin to more and more realize the depth of our sins from which we were redeemed, we begin to more passionately seek to live our lives in gratitude and service to the Lord. It is only then that we begin to passionately desire to make the Lord Jesus not only our Savior but also the Lord of every area of our lives. Some of us have heard the story of salvation so often that we may be in danger of beginning to become complacent in our awareness of the depth of our sins and the awesomeness of our salvation. Let us spend time today thinking about the wonder of our salvation! More importantly, let us live our lives today and every day in gratitude for God's grace to us!

 (Romans 3:22-25a) Romans 3:10-11

Trust Not Despair

General — Posted by sharaug @ July 25, 2006 14:05
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I Kings 19:1-18

In our Scripture passage today, Elijah had just gone through a spiritual mountain top experience. In chapter eighteen of I Kings Elijah had been used of God in a powerful way. God had used Elijah to demonstrate to the people of Israel that the Lord is the only true God and the only one who can hear our prayers. God had shown decisively that Baal, the god the people were serving, was a false god. In spite of this tremendous recent spiritual mountain top experience Elijah now found himself in the depths of discouragement, depression and fear. The wicked queen Jezebel was seeking to kill Elijah, and he was fleeing for his life. Elijah had just seen a wonderful demonstration of God’s faithfulness and power on Mount Carmel in I Kings 18. In chapter eighteen Elijah had also demonstrated great faith and trust in God’s power. But now when a new crisis had arisen in his life, Elijah was afraid and discouraged. Elijah was not trusting the Lord to once again lead and protect him. Elijah was looking at his difficult circumstances and looking away from God.

God has also been so faithful to us. He has answered so many prayers in our lives and has been with us each step of the way. In spite of this, however, it is easy for us also to become afraid and not trust in the Lord when a new crisis arises in our lives. We need to cling to God’s precious promises, and we need to trust that He will always be with us. There is great joy and peace in trusting in the Lord! Elijah found himself so discouraged and depressed that he asked God to take his life. Elijah felt that his work had been fruitless. Hence, he felt his life was not worth living. He had temporarily lost his confidence in the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom. We too must remember that God is always in control. We must also remember that anything we do in our lives for God’s kingdom is worthwhile. This is true even when we do not always understand the workings of God in our lives.

In the midst of Elijah's depression and fatigue an angel touched him and ministered to his needs. Some believe this angel may actually have been a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ! The Lord also gives us strength for each new day. The Lord provides for our needs, and He gives us exactly what we need at the moment we need it. We too might become discouraged by our circumstances at times. This happens when we look at our circumstances and fail to focus on the Lord. God is always there to refresh and revive us, however.

In our Biblical narrative Elijah retreated to a cave. In I Kings 19:9b God approached Elijah and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" God repeated that question in verse thirteen. Groveling in self-pity in a cave was not where God wanted Elijah to be. Elijah was not where he was supposed to be, and he was not in the center of God’s will. Elijah was following his own misguided plan of action instead of God’s will for his life. Both times Elijah answered God’s question, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" with complaints and lack of submission to God’s will. God wants us to trust Him in all of life’s circumstances, and He wants us to be submissive to His will in all areas of our lives.

God then spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper. Elijah had to learn the lesson of being quiet and calm in his spirit, so he would be able to hear the Lord’s voice. We too have to be still and listen for God’s voice speaking to us. When you and I read a Scripture passage, we are not to rush through the passage. Instead we need to quietly think about what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us personally in our lives through that Scripture passage. Our hearts and souls need to be tuned to God, so we can hear His voice. Then we must respond in obedience and submission to the Lord’s will for our lives!


Guide Me, Lord!

General — Posted by sharaug @ July 17, 2006 16:41
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Psalm 25

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in You I trust, O my God."

"Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long."

In Psalm 25 David prayed to the Lord for relief. David was going through a crisis in his life, and he needed the Lord's help. Psalm 25 is a prayer for God's help in David's time of illness, distress, or attacks from his enemies. David said to the Lord in Psalm 25:1, "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in You I trust, O my God." David lived in a deep personal love relationship with the Lord. Hence, in his moment of crisis and need, David could immediately and confidently go to the Lord in prayer for help. David approached the Lord in prayer with a humble heart. David recognized his own unworthiness and the Lord's great power and love. In this way, David experienced the power of prayer and of the Lord's presence and love in his life. When our lives are saturated with God's Word and with prayer we too can experience the power of prayer and of the Lord's presence in our lives. We too can then be used by the Lord in powerful ways.

David needed the Lord's direction and guidance in his time of crisis. David said in Psalm 25:4-5, "Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." This must be our prayer also both in times of crisis and in times of relative calm in our lives. God has a plan for our lives. Psalm 33:11 tells us, "the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations." Since the Lord already has a plan for our lives, we need to only ask the Lord to direct our steps. We need only to pray, "Show me your ways, O Lord." The Lord already knows the way that He wants us to go. We often wish that we could see ahead into the future. Peace, however, comes by simply letting the Lord take care of our future and by trusting Him to lead us step by step. We must simply patiently trust in the Lord's guidance and not seek to run ahead of Him.

David asked the Lord to teach him the Lord's paths and ways. This must be our prayer also. Who could be a better teacher and guide for us in this life than the Lord? He is the One who made us and takes care of us in love. The Lord is the One who knows the beginning from the end, and He is the One who has planned our lives. We simply need to trust that the Lord will guide us along the way. The Holy Spirit will use Scripture, prayer, and circumstances to guide us step by step through this life. Psalm 25:9-10 tells us that the Lord "guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant." In spite of our weaknesses and sins, Psalm 25:12b promises the child of God that the Lord "will instruct him in the way chosen for him." Hence, we can face the future unafraid. We simply need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and not on our circumstances and on the unknowns in our lives. Even though we may not know what our future holds the Lord does, and we can trust Him. We can say with confidence along with David, "My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare." (Psalm 25:15) The Lord will remove any obstacle from our paths in our journey through this life. We simply need to bring our needs and our desires for His guidance before the Lord. He will guide us. We can trust the Lord and say to the Lord with David of old, "my hope is in You." (Psalm 25:21b) The Lord is our source of certainty for our salvation and for eternity. The Lord is also our trustworthy and faithful guide through each step of our lives! Praise His name!

Psalm 25:4-5 Psalm 25:1

Do I Love Him First?

General — Posted by sharaug @ July 12, 2006 04:56
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John 21

The disciples had just witnessed the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus. They had also heard about the resurrection appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, and the Lord Jesus had appeared twice to the disciples themselves. The disciples were now together at the Sea of Galilee or also known as the Sea of Tiberias. The disciples perhaps did not fully comprehend what had happened in the last few days. Peter impulsively said, "I'm going out to fish." (John 21:3a ) The other disciples decided to join Peter. Peter was not only forgetting his call to follow Jesus and to be a fisher of men, but he was also causing the other disciples to forget their spiritual calling also.

The disciples eagerly cast their nets, but they did not even catch one fish that night. Early the next morning Jesus was standing on the shore. Jesus called out to the disciples, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" ( John 21:5a) Jesus Christ is God Himself, and He knows all things. He knew they had not caught any fish the night before. Jesus was asking them this question to point out their own insufficiency. Their efforts at fishing had not been directed by the Lord. Lack of success and disappointment had followed their self-willed and self-directed efforts.

Then the Lord said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat." (John 21:6a) When the disciples followed the Lord's directions in obedience, "they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish." (John 21:6b) Obedience brought blessing for the disciples. Obedience to the Lord will always bring us blessings also. These blessings may not always be physical blessings, but when we obey we will always experience the blessings of the Lord on our lives. When we try to live our lives in our own strength we will fail. When we allow our lives to be directed by the Lord we experience God's best for our lives, and our lives will only then be productive for God's Kingdom.

After the disciples landed on shore, the disciples saw that the Lord Jesus already had a fire going with some fish cooking. Jesus said to the disciples, "Come and have breakfast." (John 21:12a) Jesus was providing for the disciples’ physical needs. The Lord had also provided for their spiritual needs by dying on the cross for their sins. The Lord would further provide for them spiritually by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts and lives, so that they could live abundant and productive lives for the Lord. The Lord Jesus also daily provides for our physical needs. What is more important the Lord also provides for our spiritual needs. We must continue to feed our souls with the spiritual food of His Holy Word. We must continue to nourish our personal love relationship with the Lord. The Lord wants us to be diligent about nourishing our spiritual lives as well as our physical lives. The Lord wants us to grow and flourish spiritually.

After finishing their meal which Jesus had prepared for them, Jesus said to Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" (John 21:15a) Jesus was asking Peter whether he loved the Lord more than anyone or anything else in his life. The Lord asks the same of us today. Does our love and passion for Christ eclipse our love for earthly things, earthly security, and earthly relationships? Does our love and passion for Christ eclipse our own lives? Our love and passion for Christ must involve our whole being. Peter would not go back to his old life. Peter's new life was now centered in Christ and in service to Him. So we too must live radically changed lives in service to the Lord. The Lord died for us and purchased our salvation. How can we do anything less than live our lives in service and gratitude to Him? How can we do anything less than passionately offer our "bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God"

(Romans 12:1)


Life In His Name

General — Posted by sharaug @ July 07, 2006 10:33
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John 20

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."

Jesus is alive! We serve a risen Savior! Jesus conquered sin and death for us! When Peter and John ran to the empty tomb on that wonderful resurrection day they found undeniable physical evidence that Jesus had indeed risen from the grave! John said about himself in John 20:8b, "He saw and believed." As a result John's life was changed forever. The apostle John then went on to write the Gospel of John; the Epistles of I John, II John, and III John; and the book of Revelation. As we also truly behold the Lord Jesus in all of His glory and in all of His mercy and love, we too are changed forever!

Because of Jesus Christ's resurrection and death our hopelessness is removed. When Mary Magdalene was standing in the garden she was crying tears of hopelessness. Mary thought that Jesus was still dead and that someone had stolen His body. Jesus appeared to Mary and said, "Why are you crying? (John 20:15a) Mary's hopeless crying was needless. The Lord was and is alive! Those who do not know or accept the Lord in their lives have no hope or true purpose in their lives. As children of God, however, we have Jesus Christ's hope and peace in our lives "as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:19a) When Jesus appeared to His disciples He said to them, "Peace be with you!" (John 20:19b) Jesus then showed His disciples His hands with their nail prints and His side which had been pierced. John 20:20b tells us, "The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." Jesus Christ, our resurrected Lord, is also our source of joy and peace!

Because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection doubt and fear are removed. The apostle Thomas was not present the first time that Jesus appeared to the disciples, and he did not believe the other disciples' report of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it." (John 20:25b) Because of Jesus Christ's love for Thomas He revealed Himself to Thomas about a week later. When Thomas saw Jesus face to face all doubt was removed; and he said to the Lord Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28b) Jesus Christ removes our doubt and fears also. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29b) We have not physically touched or seen the Lord Jesus. We are blessed and joyful, however, because we have believed in Him. The Lord has removed our doubt, and He has blessed us with His joyful presence in our lives. We know with absolute certainty that He will lead us through this life into eternity!

Because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, God's children have His life in them. All the wonderful things recorded in the Gospels about our Lord and Savior were written down for a purpose. The apostle John says in John 20:31, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." Jesus Christ is our certainty for eternal life. Jesus Christ is our only purpose for living. He is our joy, hope, and peace. He removes our fears and doubts, and He is our sure foundation. The Lord Jesus changes our lives for time and eternity! Praise His holy and awesome name!

 John 20:31

His Higher Thoughts

General — Posted by sharaug @ July 02, 2006 06:19
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Isaiah 55

Recently my husband was diagnosed with neurological disease. Hence, this has been very difficult couple of months for us. This along with a number of other events in our lives has made this summer a very stressful summer. A few days ago I was reading Isaiah 55 again and found some very comforting words. Jesus says to you and me in times of trial and fear, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters." (Isaiah 55:1a) The Lord wants to pour His love and grace on us in abundance. Isaiah goes on to say in Isaiah 55:2-3, "Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy. Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David." The Lord in effect is saying to you and me, "Why spend your energies and attention on the things of this earth which do not satisfy? Why depend on the resources of this world for your protection and help?" The Lord goes on to tell us to revel and delight in His blessings. He wants us to do this, because He promises" the richest of fare." (Isaiah 55:2b) This is because His covenant with us is everlasting, and His love to us is unconditionally faithful!

My response to the Lord's grace must be to seek Him with all my heart. I must seek Him with a repentant heart and a passionate heart. I must also seek Him with a heart that is submissive to His will and with a heart that trusts Him. I must not question Him as to the reason for the trials in my life. He sees the big picture. I do not. The Lord says to you and I, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) The Lord goes on to say to you and me in Isaiah 55:11b, "I will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God's purpose will prevail in this world. God's purpose will prevail in my life. God's purpose will prevail in all His people's lives.

It is difficult sometimes when going through deep trials to see God's purpose and plan, but His promise to you and me is "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.-----Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers they myrtle will grow." (Isaiah 55:12-13)

When we submit to His will in all things he promises to bring us His victory, and His name is glorified. Help me Lord. I am weak. Help me, Lord, to rest in You and trust in You.


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