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Archive for the ‘God’ Category

God’s Presence Is…

Posted in Blessings, God, God's Presence, tagged God's Presence on December 6, 2012| 4 Comments »

I was flat on my back in a hospital bed, awaiting surgery to repair a herniated disc. Yet in spite of uncertainties, discomfort, and loneliness, I felt completely encased in God’s peace, peace that defied explanation, just like the Bible says (Philippians 4:7).

A few days later, at home and on the mend, I embarked on a scripture search of verses that described what I had experienced—God‘s enveloping presence. Here are a few examples.

God’s presence is…

…around us. “You are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head” (Psalm 3:3).

…at our right hand. “I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand” (Psalm 73:23).*

…before us. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

…beneath us as our foundation. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says. ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed'” (Isaiah 28:16).

…in us. “To them God has chosen to make known…the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

…over us. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge” (Psalm 91:4a).

…surrounding us. “The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him” (Psalm 32:10b).

…with us. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4a).

Think of it. Every moment of every day we are cocooned in God’s presence, a presence which is

• protective
• peaceful
• uplifting
• trustworthy
• loving

I think I hear God whispering to each of us, “Snuggle in, my child!”

(Which verse above spoke most profoundly to your heart? Share with us your choice and the reason behind it. Your story might be just what someone else needs to hear right now.)

*For the November 26 post, I researched the significance of the right hand of God. Access it in the archives if you missed it and you’re curious!

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God Is Our Refuge

Posted in God's Protection, God's Refuge, Hope, tagged Faith, God, Psalm, psalm 31, psalm 46, psalm 9, Refuge on December 3, 2012| 5 Comments »

ooooooh it’s a snake (Photo credit: joshgray)

When I was a little girl, my parents kept a large garden in the backyard. They grew corn, beans, tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, and more.

Among all that produce grew something else: garter snakes. I was petrified of those snakes, in spite of assurances from Mom and Dad that they could do me no harm

So what was my reaction if, while playing in the yard, I noticed the slightest bit of slithering? I RAN while emitting eardrum-splitting shrieks. No doubt those snakes took off just as rapidly in the opposite direction, but I never looked back to find out.

Those experiences make a good word-picture of my response when snakes of negativity, worry, or hurt feelings invade my mind. RUN!

James recommended exactly that: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (4:7b).

But where should I run to? As a child, when seeking escape from the garter snakes, I often ran into the house, a safe and secure refuge. (Although I did have the occasional nightmare about smart snakes, who knew how to slither under doors and up stairs, so even the house wasn’t safe!)

As an adult, facing “snakes” of a different nature, where should I run?

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

That means, when my thoughts begin to turn to the negative, I need to run to God, my refuge of hope and help (Psalm 119:114).

When people speak or act unkindly and my emotions are bruised, I need to run to God, my refuge of comfort (Psalm 31:19-20).

When worry overtakes me, I need to run to God, my refuge of peace (Psalm 9:9).

Once my attention is focused on him, I must:

Look into his eyes and see the great everlasting love he has for me (Jeremiah 31:3).
Sense his strong arms around me, holding me close to his heart (Isaiah 40:11).
Hear him reminding me of all his promises and all the times he has blessed me in the past.
Taste his goodness (Psalm 34:8) in all the flavors of his attributes: power, wisdom, holiness, loving-kindness, grace, and more.

And what will be the end result? “Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy” (Psalm 5:11a). That sure beats cowering, fretting, and flustering, doesn’t it?

Thank you, Father, for availing yourself to us as a refuge, a person-place we can run to for help, protection, and peace. We love you, O Lord, our strength, because you are our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer (Psalm 18:1). Thank you for caring for us, those who seek to trust in you (Nahum 1:7). May we avail ourselves of your gladness and joy rather than let the snakes of negativity, worry, or emotional hurt get the best of us!

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God’s Delight

Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, Faith, God's Delight, Prayer, tagged Faith, God, Psalm 147:11, Reverence for God on November 29, 2012| 7 Comments »

Breathe in this truth, long and deep: God delights in you.

“That’s impossible,” you may say. “I can be downright self-centered, lazy, and prideful. Some days I can’t seem to do anything right. How could God possibly be pleased with me?” (I am quite familiar with this train of thought myself!)

Listen carefully. “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love (Psalm 147:11).”

Fear, in this case, does not refer to terror. Fear refers to these attitudes:

reverence
trust
respect
awe
consideration
appreciation

The second half of that verse makes clear that God rejoices in those who turn to him with faith.

If those terms describe your heart, then the following statements are true of you:

He smiles upon you as you express appreciation for his blessings.

His eyes glisten with love as you pray for guidance and strength.

He revels in the time you spend immersed in his Word.

His heart fills with joy as you exult in creation.

He beams with pleasure when you help a stranger.

He rejoices when your heart is filled with peace and joy.

Yes, there are going to be moments when we stumble back into selfishness and pride. We’re not perfect—at least I’m not. But hallelujah! God does not leave it up to us to work through the perfecting-process alone.

Consider this good news the writer of Hebrews shared: “May the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Wow. God not only makes clear what pleases him, he works in our hearts and minds to mold us into those kind of people.

Meanwhile, I think he takes great pleasure in progress, just like human parents do.

You know how it is. Mom and Dad practically shiver with excitement when their little tyke takes his first step and speaks his first word.

But did they leave their little one to learn these skills on his own? Hardly. With loving attention they held the little guy upright so he could practice taking steps. They repeated words countless times until their toddler could form them on his own.

Now relate this situation to our Heavenly Father. Isn’t it probable he experiences the same joy as we take faltering steps toward spiritual maturity? And he’s not leaving us alone to find our own way. He’s equipping us and working in us all along the way.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Thank you, Lord, for being a gracious God who actually delights in his children. Thank you for loving us in spite of our failings and for smiling upon our efforts, meager as they may be. Our hearts are filled with awe and gratitude to realize you, the ultimate, all-powerful King of the universe, not only care about each step of progress we make, you are right beside us. You are magnificent—I can never praise you enough!

(Photo credits: www.pinterest.com; http://www.bsna.co.uk.)

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The Right Hand of God

Posted in God's Protection, Worship, tagged God, God's right hand, Psalm 109:31, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 16:8, Psalm 17:7, Psalm 18:35, Psalm 48:10, Worship on November 26, 2012| 4 Comments »

See if this sounds familiar: You’re reading along in the Bible when you come upon a phrase you’ve seen before, maybe even many times. But suddenly the realization dawns. You don’t really know what that phrase means.

That was my experience as I read this verse: “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). I had to wonder, what is so significant about God’s right hand?

After a bit of research, here is what I discovered.

1) In Bible times, the position to the right was considered a place of honor. This concept is seen at its finest in Hebrews 1:3 where Jesus “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” But according to Psalm 16:8 (above), he is in the place of honor in my life and yours. With our reverence and obedience we can demonstrate our honor of him.

2) If a man has God at his right hand, it means God’s shield is next to him. God’s sword arm is free to deal with the enemy. Visualize yourself walking behind that impenetrable shield. And in his right hand, God wields His sword, ready to strike down the enemy—Satan and his demons. “He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him” (Psalm 109:31). I love that visualization of God on the offensive for us.

3) A bride stands with the groom on her right, symbolizing the groom’s protection. The Lord Jesus is our Bridegroom and we, his church, are the bride (Revelation 21:1-3). David proclaimed God’s protective right hand in Psalm 17:7. “You…save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes,” he said. God is our undefeated defense.

4) For many of us the right side of our bodies is stronger than the left. Perhaps David had that idea in mind when he wrote, “Your right hand sustains me” (Psalm 18:35b). And what does sustain mean? Uphold, encourage, and affirm. Imagine God’s right hand upholding you—day in and day out. Just the warmth and strength flowing from his touch has the power to encourage and affirm.

5) In addition to extra strength on the right, most of us have extra dexterity in our right hands. We use that hand for writing, drawing, cutting, and other such tasks. Any good handwork is accomplished with that dominant hand. So what comes from God’s right hand? The psalmist proclaimed: “Your right hand is filled with righteousness,” (48:10). Everything God does is good and morally correct. He always gives his best to his work.

I thank you, Father, for the many times I have been protected, sustained, and blessed by your right hand. If you never lifted your hand again on my behalf I would have no cause for complaint. And yet you have promised us “eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11c). I bow before you in wordless wonder.

(Photo credit: sonfeld.wordpress.com.)

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I Will Give Thanks

Posted in Appreciation, Faith, God, Prayer, Thanksgiving, tagged Appreciation, God, God's righteousness, Prayer, Psalm 145:17-18, Psalm 7:17, Thanksgiving on November 22, 2012| 8 Comments »

Frequently we thank God for blessings already received: our families and friends, the beauty of creation, material possessions, and circumstances which have turned out well. Today in particular we joyfully celebrate God’s benevolence.

But in Psalm 7:17, David demonstrates a different kind of thanksgiving prayer. He determines to praise God in spite of facing false accusations, slander, and injustice.

David says, “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the Lord Most High” (Psalm 7:17).

How can David be so positive in such dire circumstances? You’ll find the answer in the middle of the verse: “Because of his righteousness.”

And what does God’s righteousness include?

He abounds in love to all who call upon him (Psalm 86:5b).
He answers even before we call (Isaiah 65:24).
He’s an involved God–not one who watches from afar with impersonal detachment (Isaiah 41:10).
He’s always working to bring his plans to fulfillment (Psalm 33:4).
He brings good out of evil (Genesis 50:20), and victory out of defeat (1 Corinthians 15:57).

And that’s just a start. In fact, the righteousness of our God is infinite, so such a list would never near completion.

To sum it up, we can be filled with thanksgiving and praise because our God acts and reacts rightly all the time. Every time. To every prayer. Even the prayers to which he has responded…

…“Not now, dear one.”

Or…

…“No, my child. For reasons beyond your understanding, I cannot grant that request.”

But what then? How do we survive the pain? The loneliness? The unfairness of it all?

We cling to his righteousness.

Heavenly Father, even though there are many prayers for which I am awaiting answers, I thank you, Lord, for your righteousness. Even though you have said, “No, that’s not part of my plan,” I thank You, Lord, for your righteousness. You are righteous in all your ways, and loving toward all you have made. You are near to all who call upon you. My mouth will speak in praise of You (Psalm 145:17-18a, 21a).

What aspect of God’s righteousness is ministering to you right now? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

(Photo credit: www.religionblog.dallasnews.com.)

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Just in Time for Thanksgiving

Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, God's Grace, God's Presence, Thanksgiving, tagged Appreciation, Blessings, God's Presence, Meditation of scripture, Praise, Psalm 89:15, Thanksgiving on November 19, 2012| 4 Comments »

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord (Psalm 89:15).

Ever watch a movie scene in slow motion and notice details you missed when the action was normal speed? That same phenomenon applies when we slow down our reading to meditation-speed. Especially scripture. Latent truths begin to surface.

For example, let’s examine closely several phrases from the scripture above, to see what God would have us discover.

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,” the psalmist asserts. In other words, good things come to those who give enthusiastic approval to God. What causes you to acclaim God?

My list would include:

a supportive, caring husband,
three grown children and their spouses, who are delightful company
a spunky four-year old granddaughter,
rainbows and sunbeams, clouds and surf,

the way God engineers circumstances,
the way he comforts and strengthens.

If I put my mind to it, this list would surely grow very long.

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you.” Same clause; different emphasis. Giving enthusiastic approval to God–frequently throughout the day–is a learned behavior.

How do we learn this discipline? Certain cues would certainly help, much as ringing bells cued a certain reaction in Pavlov’s dogs. I can develop the habit of acclaiming God at particular times of day:

during my quiet time in the morning,
when driving,
as I gaze out the window at clouds and sky while working at the kitchen sink,
while completing other household tasks,
as I drift off to sleep each night.

I want such moments to automatically trigger Praise Time. Practice will make perfect.

Psalm 89:15 also asserts that blessings will come when I walk in the light of God’s presence.

Think of being in the company of a dearly loved person, just sitting in cozy silence, simply enjoying the precious gift of being together. There’s no awkwardness in the absence of conversation, just a peaceful settledness.

That’s one aspect of walking in the light of God’s presence–to rest in the knowledge he is:

Beside me, providing support and encouragement,
Watching over me, providing protection,
In me, providing strength and wisdom.

These provisions and more prove his presence. His invisibility and inaudibility make him no less close.

Heavenly Father, my heart bubbles with gratitude. I want to rejoice in you all day long, exclaiming over every one of your righteous acts. I want your majesty and splendor to be my focus; because you are the source and power behind everything good in my life (personal paraphrase of Psalm 89:16-17a).

What cues automatically trigger Praise Time in your life? I’d love to hear your ideas!

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Welcome!

Posted in Faith, God's Grace, Hope, tagged Encouragement, Faith, God's Grace, Hope on November 5, 2012| 2 Comments »

Come on in! I’m delighted you’ve stopped by. There’s fresh coffee in the carafe–help yourself. Perhaps you’d like a cup of tea?

It would be fun to sit around a big harvest table, old and new friends together. I can picture us warming our hands on over-sized mugs. (While I’m day-dreaming, let’s add a plate of biscotti to the table!) I can also hear us chattering away, sharing our stories, and discovering with delight the things we have in common.

But soon we’d be sharing what’s important to us, too– our cares, those things that weigh upon our minds, and the life lessons we’ve learned along the way.

That’s my prayer for this blog. As we reflect together on important matters, we’ll discover like-minded people with similar concerns and goals. We’ll become friends who can:

provide strength and support,
present possibilities we may not have thought of, and
infuse each other with hope.

We’ll look to God’s Word for instruction and guidance, and then seek ways to live out those truths. We’ll invite the Holy Spirit to make impressions and foster expressions. From the Inside Out.

For example, one morning a couple of years ago, I began my quiet time by first opening my Bible instead of the study guide. “Wake up, Nancy,” I said to myself. “You don’t even know what scripture passage you’ll be studying today.”

I turned to the day’s lesson in the workbook and discovered my Bible was already open to the proper page. In fact, the verse suggested for the meditation was right at the top. I felt a strong impression from God: “Nancy, this verse is especially for you.”

Now, before I reveal the verse, allow me to explain that just a few days earlier I had received disturbing news. Hurt and discouragement fought against faith and hope in my spirit. So imagine my astonishment when I read, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7).

That verse ministered to me repeatedly over the following months. I wish I could say hurt and discouragement never caused me trouble again. It wouldn’t be true. But as I sought to express my trust in God, He carried me through some difficult moments. As I expressed hope for the future, He gave me strength to press on.

God used those dark days to teach me about His grace and sufficiency. From the Inside Out.

What impression has God placed upon your heart? How is it finding expression in your life?

P.S. Before you leave, click on the About button. There you can read more about the rationale for this blog. And come back on Thursday when I share how a foggy impression became a fun and splendid expression.

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From the Inside Out

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Archive for the ‘God’ Category

God’s Presence Is…

God Is Our Refuge

God’s Delight

The Right Hand of God

I Will Give Thanks

Just in Time for Thanksgiving

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Nancy Ruegg

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