Draw Near to God

“It is good for me to draw NEAR to God” (Psalm 73:28)

Our grandsons LOVE their grandpa, and they affectionately call him “Lolo George”. They love to spend time with him in his garage, checking out all the tools and learning to use them, roasting marshmallows with him in the wood burner and just being with their Lolo George. They follow him wherever he goes. Over dinner, they listen, wide-eyed, to stories grandpa tells of when he was a little boy, (usually with a moral application tucked in…) and enjoy every minute they spend together. So it was no surprise when we were watching TV with the boys after dinner a few weeks ago, to see 3-year old Milos suddenly jump off the sofa without a word and run straight over to the recliner where Lolo George was sitting. There he hopped up onto the recliner, squeezed right in beside Lolo George and had a look of total satisfaction on his little face as he experienced Lolo George’s embrace. And there he stayed, with  Lolo George enjoying it just as much as little Milos!

That act immediately brought to mind the fact that as God’s children, we bring joy and satisfaction to our Father God’s heart when we “draw near to Him”; when we chose to be close to the One who loves us and we make that move to be in His presence…just because we want to be with Him!

Please take a few minutes to listen to this beautiful song titled “I Just Want to Be Where You Are”

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Isn’t it interesting how children observe their dads and imitate them? Toddlers, school aged kids, and even teens watch their fathers and – consciously or unconsciously – copy their gestures, expressions or even phrases. Some interesting characteristics are passed on from generation to generation as a result of the closeness they share, and observing a son, you can “see” his dad. For example, anyone who knew my father-in-law can see a lot of him in Jorge! No doubt, there are father-child similarities in your family, too, and they’re probably popping into your head right now.

Observing and imitating our dads reminds me of what the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:18. He said that we, “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”  Paul is explaining that, in the measure that we seek the Lord, meditate on His greatness and splendor, the more like Him we become, through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. If we want to become more and more like Christ, the secret lies in “beholding His glory”; spending time with Him in His word and in prayer, and letting the Holy Spirit mold His character traits in us: compassion, forgiveness, gentleness, mercy. So I wonder….how much of our Heavenly Father can others see in us? Is “Like Father, like son (daughter) a reality in our lives?

 

BEAUTY FOR ASHES – In God’s Time

 The prophet Isaiah wrote that Jesus came to give beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3), and in Ecclesiastes we read that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecc. 3:11)

It takes time for a squiggly, crawly caterpillar to be transformed into a dainty butterfly with fragile wings.
It takes time for a miniscule seed to grow into a healthy plant and produce a plethora of vibrant colors.
It takes time for seemingly dead branches to burst into a lush shade tree or a flowering shrub.
How does that beauty happen? God takes the unattractive and makes it beautiful…in His time.

We look at Joseph, Job, Esther, Peter and see that they, along with many others throughout history, experienced seasons of “ashes” in their lives. We marvel that God transformed their unpleasant circumstances into something beautiful…in His time.

How about us? Maybe we don’t see anything beautiful about what we’re living. We may be in a season of confusion, change, uncertainty or loss, and it seems as though we are camping out on top of an ash heap. We wonder if things will ever be different. They will be…in His time.

Let’s trust in the One who came to give beauty for ashes. Our Father God specializes in making everything beautiful in His time. We just have to wait. He will do it! He promised! One day our ashes will be a thing of the distant past and we will rejoice in the beauty that replaces them…in His time.

ARE YOU FORGETFUL? GOD ISN’T!

“Oh, yeah, I think I remember that….”
“Where’s my cell phone? I can’t remember where I put it…”
“Oh NO! I completely forgot…!”
Too often we say or hear similar expressions. Some of us are too busy to remember important things; some are distracted, and others are naturally scatterbrained. Factor in aging and we’re doomed to forgetfulness. It’s very reassuring to know that God isn’t forgetful. Here are some things He never forgets:

GOD DOES NOT FORGET THE SPARROWS – OR ME! I am valued and loved by our heavenly Father. In Luke 12:6,7, Jesus taught that “…not one of them is forgotten (sparrows)…do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Centuries before that, the prophet Isaiah penned these comforting words from God to His people: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15) Isn’t that comforting?

GOD DOES NOT FORGET MY PRAYERS! Every prayer I’ve ever prayed is stored in His infinite, limitless memory. The Psalmist assures me of that in Psalm 9:12: “He does not forget the cry of the humble.” Even if the answer didn’t come yet, He didn’t forget about it. Isn’t that reassuring?

GOD DOES NOT FORGET THE WORK I’VE DONE / DO IN HIS NAME! “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name…” (Hebrews 6:10) Everything I’ve ever done for the Lord is forever recorded in His memory: the times I’ve witnessed of Christ’s love, all those small sacrifices I’ve made to help others know Him, the offerings and contributions to missions…God will never forget that! Isn’t that encouraging?

GOD DOES NOT FORGET HIS PROMISES! “(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” (Deuteronomy 4:31) God remembers every promise He ever made to the fathers of the faith. He will not forget the promises Christ made to us, either. The most precious promise of all is probably the most well-known: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Isn’t that something to celebrate?

Let’s not forget to praise God today…because He’s not forgetful!

WEEKLY BIBLE READING PLAN – Sept. 20-25: Knowing God Better (2)

MONDAY: Nehemiah 9:31. Reading this verse, we praise God because He is a God of _________ and ______________.

TUESDAY: Psalm 62:7. It’s reassuring to know that God is a _________________ for us!

WEDNESDAY: 2 Peter 3:9. Thankfully, our God is __________________ towards us!

THURSDAY: Jude 25. God alone is ________________________.

FRIDAY: John 3:16. Besides showing us His love for us in this verse, we understand that He is also a _____________________ God.

SATURDAY: 2 Corinthians 1:3. God is the Father of _______________ and the God of all ____________ .

BONUS: Revelation 4:8. Reading this verse carefully, we can find 3 important characteristics of God. He is _______________,  ______________________, and ________________________.

WEEKLY READING PLAN Sept 6 – 11 ….. Feeling Alone?

Here we have another series of verses to read. They are precious promises that we can lean on when we feel alone. Read them, meditate on them, praise God for them, write them down, memorize them! If you don’t have your Bible handy, look them up on www.biblegateway.com. It’s a wonderful resource to find any passage, in any translation. Have a wonderful week, Trusting in God’s great precious promises!

MONDAY: Isaiah 41:10. Besides the promise that God is with us, what other promises does He give us in this verse? See if you can find three of them. _______________________________________________

TUESDAY: Deuteronomy 31:6. Besides this promise that God will be with us, what other promise can we claim in this verse? _____________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY: Joshua 1:9. A reason not to live in fear: God is ____________________________________

THURSDAY: Psalm 139:7-12. Where can I go? The Lord will be with me even ________________________

FRIDAY: John 14:15-18. Jesus promised that we will not be _____________________________________

SATURDAY: Hebrews 13:5. We can have contentment knowing that ______________________________

BONUS!! Genesis 39:2,3,21,23. What did Joseph experience even in this horrible time in his life because God was with him? ____________________________________________________________________

WEEKLY BIBLE READING PLAN – August 23-28, 2010 “MY FATHER GOD”

For the past month or so, I’ve been providing a simple Bible Reading Plan for our Sunday School class. I’d like to share those with you, so you can get daily encouragement from God’s Word. If you don’t have a Bible by your computer as you read these blogs, go to www.biblegateway.com where you can look up any verse in the Bible in any translation at the click of your mouse! If I get positive feedback from my readers, you can look for these Reading Plans every Monday morning. God bless you in this new week with new blessings!

Monday: John 1:12. If this verse is a reality in my life, then God is my __________________________.

Tuesday: James 1:17: My Father God never _____________.  He always gives me ___________________________.

Wednesday: Isaiah 49:15,16. My Father God will never ______________________________________.

Thursday: Matthew 6:14. My Father God will ______________ me when I ________________others.

Friday: Matthew 6:25-30. My father God knows ________________ and promised to________________________.

Saturday: Isaiah 9:6. My Father God is my ____________________________ Father.

BONUS!!! Read 1^st John 3:1,2 and praise God for the truth of what we will experience one day. We will be __________________________ our Father God!!

The Grocery Cart Was Full

“Just be happy!!”

The pouting teenager immediately responded to her mom’s harsh rebuke with two words emphatically whined loud enough for everyone in the check-out line to hear: “I aaaaaAAAAAAAAMMMmmm!” Just seconds earlier, as I was approaching the check-out line, I noticed the disgruntled teen, and observing the expression on her face, I thought “Uh-oh…looks like she’s not getting her way…” Her squinted eyes and lower lip stuck out, betraying the fact that all was not well. It looked like she was with her mom and grandma, and no doubt they were doing the weekly grocery shopping. The grocery cart was full. The teen would probably eat from what was in it.

Not being able to resist, I peeked out of the corner of my eye after the explosion. The young girl had turned her back to her mom defiantly crossed her arms, heaved a long sigh, and stuck her lower lip out farther than before. “That must be how she expresses her happiness”, I mused. Mom conversed with Grandma in a normal tone; for her, life was back to normal. The grocery cart was full.

It took only a few seconds to realize that I am often guilty of the same behavior as the teen. I saw a reflection of myself. My grocery cart is full, too. My Heavenly Father fills it every day. Not only with groceries, but of a myriad of incredibly beautiful gifts that He has for me, yet I whine and fuss when I don’t get my way. Sometimes I complain and heave that long sigh, too. Sometimes I just don’t get it right, and I’m not always rejoicing. ..and to my shame, even when the grocery cart is full.

I never thought that God would teach me such a valuable lesson at Wal-Mart. But, thankfully, He did. I hope I never forget that HE is the One who filled my grocery cart, and will always fill it. But most of all, I hope my expression of happiness shows Him just how grateful I am. My grocery cart is full!

“Blessed be the LORD, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation.” Psalm 68:19

THE FATHER’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

 2^ND Samuel chapters 13-19

Thinking of fathers throughout history, we can learn from their lives. King David as a father is an example of unconditional love towards a rebellious son.  One of the consequences of David’s shameful sin with Bathseba was that God would raise up adversity against him from his own house. (2 Sam. 12:11). Being warned that someone from his own family would turn against him, that severe adversity came through his son, Absalom. 

Absalom grew to be a cunning, vengeful man. Because of his evil lifestyle, David “wept very bitterly” (13:36) and “he mourned for his son every day…” (13:39). Finally after several years, they were reconciled. Absalom “bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom”. (14:33). It seemed to be the end of a long, dreadful chapter, but the seeds of hate and bitterness below the surface of Absalom’s heart were about to bring even more anguish to David.

Absalom was working behind the scenes, scheming another plot. This time he “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” We know that Absalom had a plan, but he wasn’t going to rush into it. He waited another forty years before he got enough followers to rise up against his Father, the king, and attempt to overtake the throne. He enlisted conspirators and spies to join him in the uprising. His followers increased. (15:12) Realizing that Absalom was after him, David and all of his followers fled from Jerusalem to the wilderness. David wept as he left; some of his trusted friends turned against him. During the time of this upheaval, David wrote Psalm 3 in which he laments, confesses his trust in God, commits to continued trust, and keeps crying out to God.

David, having his troops organized for the battle against his own son, did the unthinkable: within earshot of all the people, he commanded his military leaders to “deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” Confusion must have overtaken them all: deal gently with the enemy?…deal gently with the sinister being who wants to overthrow your throne?…deal gently with the person who is plotting your death?…what are we fighting for?…deal gently…what are you thinking???

Despite David’s request for mercy on his rebellious son, God, who is always  in control, executed His perfect judgment on Absalom, allowing his hair to get tangled in a tree, leaving him hanging as his mule continued on. David’s warriors then killed and buried Absalom.

How did David react in all of this national turmoil, rebellion and wicked scheming by his own son? When word reached David that he had been delivered from: “the men who raised their hand against my lord the king” (18:28), David’s first reaction was: “Is the young man Absalom safe?” (18:29) The second messenger brought news of the victory, and again David inquired: “Is the young man Absalom safe?” (18:32) We see the deep love that David had for his rebellious son who intended such evil against him. Realizing that Absalom had died, David was very, very deeply sorrowed, and “went up to the chamber over the gate and wept…o my son Absalom – my son, my son Absalom – if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son.” (18:33) Setting aside the fact that David was king of Israel, and seeing him in his role as father, we see how deeply he loved his son Absalom in spite of a lifetime of scheming rebellion. That father love was evident although the son didn’t realize it, and didn’t even care that he was causing his father unspeakable distress and pain.

There is a strong parallel between this story of David’s love for his son and God’s love for us. I’m reminded of how much God the Father loves each one of us His children, even though we turn from Him, cause Him pain and rebel against Him. David himself often wrote about God’s mercy and everlasting love. Perhaps David understood that love because he experienced it, and that’s what motivated him to love Absalom to the end.

God doesn’t give up on us. He loves us, and will love us “to the end”. God’s love doesn’t hinge on what we do or don’t do. It is rooted in the very nature of His love, which is unconditional and unchangeable! He will always love His children!

How do these truths affect my life? They give me a greater appreciation for His everlasting love to me, while also showing me that I must love others the way He loves me: unconditionally. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God…In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.” (1^st John 4:7,10)…Yes, my Father God loved me first, He loves me no matter what, and I can live with the assurance that He always will love me! THAT’S the Father’s unconditional love!

HAS GOD CHANGED?

In the past few days, I heard of very difficult situations some friends and family are facing: serious medical issues, rebellious children, an elderly mother’s dementia, a marriage that is going through extremely trying times, a mom concerned about her adult children’s bad choices, a friend caring for her mom who is undergoing treatment for cancer, and the list goes on…and on…and on…

I’m reminded of what God told Moses at the burning bush, when His chosen people were suffering under Egyptian bondage. He said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people…I have heard their cry…I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them…and to bring them up to a good and large land…” (Exodus 3:7-10). God saw. God heard their cry. God knew their sorrows, and came down to deliver them. The prophet Isaiah confirmed that by writing: “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:9)

Has God changed? ABSOLUTELY NOT! He is the very same God! We can look at it this way:

• If He was afflicted in all the affliction of His people thousands of years ago, He’s afflicted in all of our afflictions, too!

• If He redeemed them in His love and Mercy, His renewed compassion redeems us, too!

• If He bore them and carried them all of their days, then He can carry us every day, too!

• If He heard their groaning and every time they cried out to Him, He hears us every time we cry out to Him, too!

• If he saw their oppression, He is very much aware of our situation, too!

• If He knew their sorrows and came down to deliver them, He will come down to deliver us, too!

God assures us through the prophet Malachi that “I am the Lord, I do not change.” (Mal. 3:6) His compassions never change! His faithfulness never changes! His promises never change! His love for us never changes! His strength does not change! Praise God, we can trust in Him today, and know that we can trust Him tomorrow, too, because….

GOD HAS NOT CHANGED!