Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Knowing God
Romans 11:22
Know the kindness and severity of God. Why is it that I do not mind knowing His kindness, but don't want to consider His severity. If you read the Bible, you will see so much of His severity. But that doesn't preach well, and I don't want to hear it. Jesus understood both the kindness and severity of God. He knew it from the start and everything he did was predicated by both of these. I believe that is why Jesus was like He was, compassionate for men while able to confront and preach and teach the difficult things of God. That is why He was able to let the rich young ruler walk away and not chase him down and change His stance because the man rejected His message. The Scriptures teach that Jesus looked at him and him and loved him, but that did not change the truth or the way that Jesus dealt with the truth.
I believe one of the keys to understanding and worshipping is seeing the severity of our sin from God's eyes. But how can we see that if we do not know the severity of God? How does a child learn if never exposed to the rod of discipline? How many of us have heard the words. "Wait until your father gets home!" Now I am fortunate to have had a good father and I know that he loved me. But my behavior was also based on the severity of his response if I did not do as I should.
The severity of God's response is not based on me, but on the sin that is in me. That is why I am so thankful that Jesus came to remove that from me forever. And that brings our the worship in me.
Know the kindness and severity of God. Why is it that I do not mind knowing His kindness, but don't want to consider His severity. If you read the Bible, you will see so much of His severity. But that doesn't preach well, and I don't want to hear it. Jesus understood both the kindness and severity of God. He knew it from the start and everything he did was predicated by both of these. I believe that is why Jesus was like He was, compassionate for men while able to confront and preach and teach the difficult things of God. That is why He was able to let the rich young ruler walk away and not chase him down and change His stance because the man rejected His message. The Scriptures teach that Jesus looked at him and him and loved him, but that did not change the truth or the way that Jesus dealt with the truth.
I believe one of the keys to understanding and worshipping is seeing the severity of our sin from God's eyes. But how can we see that if we do not know the severity of God? How does a child learn if never exposed to the rod of discipline? How many of us have heard the words. "Wait until your father gets home!" Now I am fortunate to have had a good father and I know that he loved me. But my behavior was also based on the severity of his response if I did not do as I should.
The severity of God's response is not based on me, but on the sin that is in me. That is why I am so thankful that Jesus came to remove that from me forever. And that brings our the worship in me.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The riches of God
God's riches are unmeasurable. I need to dwell on that. He owns it all. There is nothing that is not His. I might think that I own something, but that is only an illusion. All things are his, and that includes me. He owns me. Regardless of what I think of that or of myself, I did not create me nor did I give come into this world with anything of my own doing. Therefore, I could never place God in their debt. He is the maker, creator, and owner of all things.
Placing myself in God's hands is not an option, I am already there. So what does God want from me? Is it my life? An acknowledgement of who He is? Does he just want me to be a good guy and play by His rules? Somehow, I don't think that is what He is about. Truth is, He doesn't need anything from me, because if He did, that would make Him needy, and I don't believe that He is needy in any way. The wants that He has for me are only for my own good and growth, and not superimposed on me.
He has it all. I have nothing. So what can I do? I can worship Him, I can honor Him. I can see His glory and seek to expose that glory in all I say and do as a response to His goodness and glory. He doesn't need my worship. He created this entire universe from nothing, how crazy would it be of me to think that He needs my worship. It is not about me. Ever.
Placing myself in God's hands is not an option, I am already there. So what does God want from me? Is it my life? An acknowledgement of who He is? Does he just want me to be a good guy and play by His rules? Somehow, I don't think that is what He is about. Truth is, He doesn't need anything from me, because if He did, that would make Him needy, and I don't believe that He is needy in any way. The wants that He has for me are only for my own good and growth, and not superimposed on me.
He has it all. I have nothing. So what can I do? I can worship Him, I can honor Him. I can see His glory and seek to expose that glory in all I say and do as a response to His goodness and glory. He doesn't need my worship. He created this entire universe from nothing, how crazy would it be of me to think that He needs my worship. It is not about me. Ever.
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