I have known this all of my life because my earthly parents raised me in a Christian home. But this means more to me now than it ever has because both of my biological parents have gone home to heaven. My earthly father went to heaven when I was only 21 years old and my mother went home 20 years ago.
I remember flying back home after my mother’s funeral feeling like I was a 47 year-old orphan. I was very close to my mother and it felt like I had lost my anchor. I was drifting.
Until I remembered that my Father God had not left me behind. He had been my heavenly Father my whole life and then he also became my earthly Father when I was 21 and now he had become my only parent on earth. God is and always will be my anchor.
That’s how I feel about him. He is here, guiding me and loving me. My perfect parent.
Paul says to us in Romans 8, “You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:15b & 16.
Amen! I hear God telling me I am his child and I feel his arms wrapping around me in confirmation. His Spirit joins with mine in the depths of my soul, confirming that I am his daughter for eternity.
I am Abraham’s offspring. I am his child by faith. If you are a believer like me, you are also a child of the promise.
Paul explains to us that Abraham gave birth to the Jewish nation by the physical birth of Isaac but Abraham’s offspring are all those who believe. We are Abraham’s children. “In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” Romans 9:8.
As children of the promise, our roots go way back into ancient Biblical times. When the new year starts in just a couple of weeks, I will be turning back to ‘In the beginning’ as I start with page 1 of the Bible again. The Old Testament. Some people question why we study the Old Testament. Why do we memorize it? Why is it important to understand God’s words to us in the Old Testament?
It’s extremely important because this is where we come from. Who we are was created in the Garden of Eden. The sin and violence which fills our TV screens today is the same rebellion against God that fills the pages of the Old Testament. We get the chance to know more about God as we read about his interactions with our biblical ancestors before the Light of Jesus full of truth and grace came into our world.
Every year as I read the entire Chronological Bible, I spend 2/3 of the year in the Old Testament. Most of God’s Word is in the Old Testament. Why?
Our education system is experiencing some huge problems and our children are right in the middle of it. Many people have lost the skill to agree to disagree without hatred and retribution. Our culture has confused so many people that they question the molecules that created them – their DNA. The suicide rate with our young people continues to skyrocket and untreated mental illness is rampant.
Paul talks to us about how to respond when we have multiple trials and concerns in our lives –
“We are pressed on every side by troubles but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down but we are not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4: 8 & 9)
I need to know – how can I not be crushed and destroyed by the trials and tragedies in my life?
God is telling me – and you – today that I can persevere because the Spirit of God lives in me, giving me strength, peace and hope. The Spirit reminds me that this earth is not my home – my forever home is with my loving Father.
This is how the Spirit translates Paul’s words in my head as I read them – I may have troubles coming at me from all directions but, when I stay close to God, he will not let me be crushed by them. I don’t always understand why struggles and issues come my way but I know God is in control and he is a Good Father and I can stand firm on these truths. Even when Satan hunts me down, God never leaves my side. I’ve been knocked down by the horrible tragedy of my son being murdered but God has given me the strength to get back up. He will always fight for me.
I say this knowing there are more storms are coming my way. There are more storms coming your way. Our struggle is not over. Our problems are not all in the past. It’s not a question of ‘if’ there are more trials coming, the question is ‘when’.
Thank you, Father, for teaching me how to respond.
I don’t understand everything I read in the Bible. I will never understand everything God has already revealed to us. So it’s very interesting to watch God point out different truths to me each time I read his Word.
Paul says, “we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” (1 Cor. 2:7) He goes on to say that it’s obvious the leaders of his time didn’t get it, otherwise they would not have crucified Jesus.
So Paul didn’t understand everything, either, but he is declaring that what God says is true. So am I. And it makes sense to me that there will be mysteries surrounding the Creator of the Universe, the Great I AM. I’ve only got a 3 1/2 pound brain. No matter how intellectual I am or how long and hard I study, I’m just not going to comprehend it all, He wouldn’t be God if I could.
Even more intriguing is the thought that what we have today is Bible 101. The Beginner’s Bible. I believe we will continue our studies in classes 201, 301, 401 and 501 and so on in heaven. The Master himself will be teaching them.
God is much greater and complex than we can possibly imagine. He has only revealed the tip of the iceberg – there is so much more.
These are the mysteries of God.
I don’t have to understand it all to know that God is good, all the time. I know nothing is impossible for him. I know that he wants the best for me and is working all things out for my good.
I trust that God has all of these answers and will reveal what I need to know when I need to know it. I know that I’m on the right path when I heading towards God.
As my trust in God grows, I have watched the number of mysteries in my life shrink. He is always speaking to me – loving me, guiding me and pointing out my next step just at the right time – not a day early.
The God of Mysteries proves over and over to me that he has it all under control – especially when I don’t understand it.
“If it’s from God, you will not be able to stop these men.”
Gamaliel was a smart man. As a religious leader, he took part in the debate about how to get rid of Peter and the other apostles after Jesus left earth and returned to heaven. The apostles were creating a growing threat to the established religious authority. They had be ‘dealt with’.
I can see Gamaliel now. Frustrated by the lack of insight into what has really been going on with Jesus, he stops the debate, “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. If it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:39)
It is now over 2000 years later.
And we know the answer to Gamaliel’s question, don’t we? Christians make up over thirty percent of the global population. It is estimated that almost 7 billion copies of the Bible have been sold. It’s the best-selling book of all time in the entire world. No other book is even close.
No one has been able to stop the spread of the Gospel because it comes from God. It is not ‘from human origin’ like all the other religions.
The Truth has come from God and his name is Jesus.
In Acts 19 we are told that people were starting to call Christianity ‘The Way’.
I like it!
The Way to love.
The Way to joy.
The Way to find purpose, our path, the direction we should go.
The Way to what we’re all looking for.
Unfortunately, we can be easily distracted and lose our Way. Do you ever get distracted? Probably a better question is – when was the last time you got distracted and lost your way?
Have you found yourself thinking that ‘stuff’ will make you happy? And you became obsessed with ‘more’? There are times that I have.
Or we start thinking that a person will make us happy – a new boyfriend because the current one doesn’t know how to make us happy, a new wife because the current one isn’t making us happy, a new church because the pastor in our current one isn’t making us happy.
We can get lost in thinking our job or career should be making us happy so we spend too much time there trying to be successful and ‘happy’. Maybe one more raise or promotion will do it?
It’s easy to get lost in all the ways we see others searching for happiness. I have made a bunch of mistakes myself going down the wrong roads, looking in all the wrong places but never finding ‘The Way”.
Until I focused on my personal relationship with God.
Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37
As the final Revelation of God’s Word begins, the Spirit is writing to the 7 churches through John. The message that reverberates through my mind are his words to the church of Laodicea –
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Rev. 3: 15 – 16.
The Spirit sounds pretty disgusted with this church. They were rich and they were acting like they had everything they needed. But the Spirit calls them pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
And then he offers them the truth – “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me.” Rev 3: 19-20.
The Spirit tells the church of Laodicea to repent and reminds them that Jesus is always ready to forgive them and redeem them.
Lukewarm is not a good place to be. Jesus came to earth to save us and transform us into beacons of light in a lost and broken world. ‘Okay’ is not what we are called to be. ‘Comfortable’ is not our goal. The Holy Spirit wants to set a fire burning within each of us as we seek to know and love our Abba Father. As our love for God grows, he transforms our hearts so we can truly start to love other people like he does.
There is a fire burning in my heart. It burns hotter the closer I get to God. This fire keeps me passionate about following Jesus on this journey towards the truth.
What’s the temperature of your heart for God? Is there anything or anyone you care about more than God?
I see it in the gorgeous sunrise as God once again declares his faithfulness to me with the start of a new day. I feel it in my 3 1/2 year-old grandson’s hug. I see it in the smiles of my friends. I feel it in the ‘love you’ from my husband of over 42 years.
It’s the great love God has lavished upon me.
God tells me that I am a precious child and he proves that by showing his love for me in a multitude of ways, every day.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.” 1 John 3:1a
It’s very encouraging to realize that the closer I get to God, the more of his love I feel pouring out over me. As I’ve been consistently memorizing God’s scripture these last 8 years, I also feel his wisdom pouring out from his Word. More knowledge. More understanding.
I am his child! How much more love and wisdom and knowledge and understanding does he have available for me?
There is no limit!
As 2024 quickly approaches, I am looking forward to seeing what God has planned for this next year. New challenges. More love.
New Year’s resolutions have gotten a bad rep because so many of us break them within a day or two of making them. I’m a goal-oriented person so I like them as long as I limit them to things I REALLY want to do. I try to stay away from making resolutions that sound good but I’m not really committed to making them happen.
Here’s one that I’m totally committed to making happen in 2024 –
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” 2 Peter 3:18.
These are the words Peter uses to close out his second letter. There are several other things I would like to accomplish in 2024 but I’m not as committed to them as I am to this. And I have a plan. Please feel free to join me in any or all of these –
*I’m going to read the entire Bible again – for the 14th year in a row. I have found that reading the entire revelation of God feeds my soul much more than skipping around in various chapters or verses. I love the chronological Bible because the natural progression through history makes more sense to me and helps me understand what God is saying to me. It’s not a Study Bible because things that are mentioned more than once in the regular Bible are condensed into one spot. The changes in the Chronological Bible make it much easier to read the entire book but I always keep a Study Bible handy if I want to know specifics. I also use a Daily Chronological Bible which has dates on the top of the pages. I get ahead and I get behind but the dates give me enough structure to be able to finish Revelations at the end of December, ready for “In the Beginning” on January 1st.
*I’m going to continue to memorize scripture. My long-term goal is to memorize the entire book of James. Yep, all of it. Yep, it will take years, especially since I don’t have a good memory. It’s a God-sized task and I know he’s up for it. So far, God has helped me memorize the entire first and second chapters of James and I’ve begun to work on the 3rd chapter. He constantly blesses me by speaking to me through these words that he has etched on my heart and mind.
*I have couple of people in my life that I am spiritually mentoring. I’m praying that God will open my eyes to anyone else he is bringing into my life who I can walk beside on this journey of growing our faith.
*My husband and I are on the leadership team for a new Community Fellowship that has been started in our55+ neighborhood. I see God’s spirit moving through our community – there has been a sudden spike in the number of people joining our neighborhood Bible studies. God is doing something good here and its going to be fun to be a part of what he has planned in 2024.
I’m committed to this plan. I know that I need to consistently put myself in God’s presence and he will grow my faith in 2024.
What are your spiritual goals for 2024?
Do you have a plan?
Please help us be intentional in growing our faith, Abba Father.
Come with me on a Journey through the Bible 