Tag: God

austin johnson 73osnyz133o unsplash

Our God is Creator- Isaiah- Week 8- Day 2

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

Isaiah 40:21-23

Explanation:
In these verses Isaiah contrasts God to the idols that he talked about. The idol is dead and must be set on a pedestal. The idol must be created. In these verses we see God is alive, and His pedestal is the earth itself. “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth”. God is not made of created materials. God is not created. God is the creator! He is the creator of the heavens. He is the founder of the earth, and pre-existed its creation. He is in control of the people in the earth. They are like grasshoppers. Even the most notable people, like princes and judges, are tiny by comparison. Our God should be praised for His creative work:

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

Psalms 33:6-7

Application:

Not only is our God alive, He is the one who started life itself.  By his word the heavens were formed.  He ought to be worshipped for the gift of creation.  We ought not to worship what He has created over and above the Creator Himself.  Consider what Paul said about those who are idolatrous:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened…Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  (Romans 1:21, 25)

By our thoughts and actions we must recognize and worship the Creator God over the created thing. 

Response:

  • Name something in your life that is a created thing that is at most risk of getting worship from you that God deserves.  What or who would that be?
  • Is that person or thing more important to you than God?
  • If it is, what should you do about it?

austin schmid hrdvsypffas unsplash

Our God is Alive! Isaiah- Week 8- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

Isaiah 40:18-20

Explanation:
The beginning of chapter 40 marks a transition in the book of Isaiah.

Here are 2 great questions making one great point. No metaphor you can use about God will fully explain who he is. No image you liken him to goes far enough in explaining what He is really like.

Here Isaiah questions the reader, saying, would you compare the God of Israel to an idol? What is an idol like?
• Someone must get a craftsman to make it.
• A poor person looks for a pedestal to sit it on that will last.
• He makes sure to ensure that the craftsman that makes the idol and the pedestal it sits on will not cause it to fall over.
• An idol is a dead, man-made, created thing.

Is that what God is like? Does the God of the universe have to be made by human hands? Does the God of the universe have to be taken care of so that he does not fall over? Is the God of the universe made by inanimate, dead materials?

The obvious answer is “no”. Our God is alive! Our God is an uncreated being. He is the “uncaused first cause”. He is self-existent. His existence does not depend on some outside source. He is alive unlike the idols of Isaiah’s day.

Application:
In the culture I live in our idols are not images on pedestals like the ones described here in Isaiah’s day. But many of the things that people worship are made by hand. People worship gadgets, cars, clothes, houses, tools, and much more. We live in a materialistic culture. This has always been a problem for mankind. Jesus warned of giving your life over to stuff in Luke 12 where he is quoted in this verse:

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15

God is incomparable to any created thing. He alone is worthy of our worship, and incomparably worthy of our allegiance. A living God reveals. A living God communicates. A living God responds. A living God is active.

When you pray to the living God of the universe He hears! He knows! He is personal.

Response:
• Take some time to talk to God today. Praise Him for being the living God of the universe!
Is there some dead, inanimate thing that you are living for more than God?

Galatians Day 8: Not more will power…More of God’s Power!

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional, Uncategorized1 Comment

1117398599_b86f47800aDoes anyone else have a problem with will power or am I the only one? Have you ever tried to not eat an oreo that was staring you down? Have you ever said, “I’m not going to do it this time. I’m not going to do it this time. I’m not going to do it this time” and then walk into the situation and do the thing that you said you wouldn’t. We all have this problem!

The judaizers who had lead the Galatians astray were telling them that Jesus plus the good work of keeping the law is the way that they could be right with God. If that is true then we are in serious trouble, because we have to do that on our own. We have to use our will power. Thankfully, Paul obliterates this arguement in todays text.

16    Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

This is the best news we can receive. If it were up to us to fully keep the rules to be right with God then none of us have a shot. But everyone exhibits faith in something. The person that fully leans into Christ’s death and ressurection to be right with God will be justified.

17    But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

This is an understandable question. Since we’re justified by faith, does that mean we stop sinning? No. Then does this justification make the one who justifies us an enabler of our sin? Paul says, “May it never be!”

Why not Paul?

18    For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

When we sin after we get saved it is us doing that and not God, so God is not the author of sin. In fact, God does something totally opposite after we have been justified. Look at verse 19…

19    For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.20    I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.21    I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:16–21)

When we are justified by Faith in Christ that is when Christ enables us to live in a way that glorifies Him. I’m crucified with Christ and I’m still alive. It’s not me that is alive by myself- Christ now lives in me and helps me to make right choices by changing my character from the inside.

If I could be saved, and if I could live rightly outside of Christ’s death and indwelling power then Christ’s death was for nothing.

Thankfully those who are in Christ have Christ helping us not only to be saved, but to also live to glorify God! Ask Him to help you live for Him today!