Kaitlin

The Jewish view of God as father is more of a disciplinarian; a strict, somewhat harsh gaurdian/leader who also doubled as a supplier and protector in return for obedience and reverence. The new revalation given by Jesus, of God as a loving, compassionate, merciful daddy, is so powerful. I can't think of any other name of God's that has so many powerful implications paired with such a level of intimacy. It makes so much sense that Jesus is the one that revealed this facet of God's character as well, because this kind and gentle daddy could only be revealed alongside the Lamb of God, alongside the monumental sacrifice found in Christ. This part of God's character is so compelling, and it seems that the church as a whole has abused this aspect fo God's character. It seems we have used God's love as a marketing strategy. We have forgotten to emphasize the price that was paid for our adoption. We loose our fear of the Lord when we pretend God's role as Abba cancels out His holiness and wrath. However, when we consider God's unfathomable love in light of His unfathomable holiness and power, we should not feel entitled, but rather stand in awe, humbled at the vastness of His character, in wonder of His love for anyone as undeserving as ourselves. I am thankful to have a great Dad, who I can talk to, and who's love I have never been uncertain of. I'm sure that my relationship with him has somewhat effected my understanding of God. Knowing God is my Father, my Dad, has always been a big part of my walk with Him. Probably the biggest way this is evident is that when I think of my dad, I think of a daily relationship, one where I can discuss things I've been thinking about. I feel the same way about God, my Abba, Father. Not only does he have a specific title or role He plays in my life, but He is someone I see and talk to often. Someone I spend time with. He is someone who I respect and try to obey, and someone who's advice I seek.

One thing that really stands out to me about the Biblical time period and culture's understanding of the father figure, is the way that protection becomes inseparable from obedience and respect. In our society, we have lost the respect for our earthly fathers, and it shows spiritually as well. We often deny or forget the fact that our heavenly Father will discipline us and discipline us quite adequately. (Pro.3:11-12) God the Father is not only safety and love, as we often imagine, but He is the absolute authority, and He demands our respect and obedience.

Water has so many roles for us, even in the physical realm. It cleanses, hydrates/refreshes, transports, cools, helps dissolve/combine solutes, erodes and transforms the landscape, etc. In the spiritual, all these traits seem to relate to God in some way too. What does this say about God? He effects pretty much every area of my life. Another neat symbolism here is The Trinity, and the fact that water is a trinity in the respect of solid, liquid, gas as well. God the Father acts much like the ice of the trinity. Jesus is the water. His humanity is what makes the water drinkable or accessible for us. The Holy Spirit is like the gas. He is the part that is always surrounding us. When we feel the tangible presence of the Sprirt, it could be compared to a humid day. Wow! I just thought of another great metaphor. The early church's symbolism of the fish--so we are the fish, and Jesus is the water that keeps us alive. Another thing is how water is necessary for survival, yet it can kill you if you do not have a proper fear/respect of it and act accordingly. So it is with God. What does this say about my thirst? I will never thirst again. I will never need anything but this water to keep me more than alive. Water is necessary for almost every reaction or process in the body, for breaking apart bonds, etc. God is more than sufficient. What does this say about my future? Water transports. If I am in Christ, and in His will, I will be carried by His current where ever He wills. Water is a universal solvent. If pieces of my life aren't fitting together, God will make things fit. Also, over time, nothing stands in the path of water. If part of my sinful nature is in the way, the Lord will gently yet steadily erode and transform the landscape of my life so He can flow through me and into others as well. Rev 7:17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

There are a lot of reasons I resist, a lot of reasons I try to do it myselves first. ~Pride~ I feel like I've got things under control. I want to prove I can handle it, to realize my strength. ~Insignificance~ I feel like whatever I'm dealing with is too trivial for me to make a big deal out of it compared to things others are going through, like I should ask God teach me to be content instead of delivering me from something. ~Magnitude/Hopelessness~ Sometimes, a problem san seem so huge, or a situation so hopeless, that it seems that it could never get better, and that since God allowed me to be in the situation I'm in, it's probably pointless to ask Him to get me out of it. What does God require of us? To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). I think another really important thing is trust. Another big thing is to never trust feelings. Following God has a lot to do with denying ourselves, denying how we feel about something, and reminding ourselves over and over what God says, thinks, and asks, however long it takes before His truth overtakes the way our flesh wants to see things. We need to constantly look to God and His word, remind ourselves of His commands, and the promises that go with them. As for more specific reminders regarding these three reasons... ~Pride~ In our weakness, He is strong. That leads me to believe that in our strengths, He is weak. (Not that He becomes any less powerful, but in that He is not going to occupy any more space in our hearts/lives than we make for Him. God will fill us if we ask, but even if He has filled us to overflowing, he can still fill us more if we empty out more of ourselves. Basically, the % of us + the % of God = 100%, but we can always lower the percentage of us--not to make us less than 100%, but to increase the ratio of God to us.) ~Insignificance~ We need to remember how God feels about the sparrows and the hairs of our heads. ~Magnitude/Hopelessness~ We need to consider it pure joy when we face trials which develop our character and perseverance (James 1). We need to know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called for His purposes (Romans 8). We need to consider heaven's values and priorities. We need to consider God's omnipotence and the awesomeness of His vastness and sovereignty. We need to be still and know that He is God, to know that He holds the world in His hand, He holds the entire universe in His hand, and He holds our hand, walks beside us, and leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

God has always cared for me as my shepherd. There has never been any time where He has stopped watching out for me. I know that there is never a time where I can afford to stop relying on God as my shepherd. As I read these verses today, some things really hit me like they haven't before. First of all, in verse 2, "He makes me lie down in green pastures". Many times we get so busy in life that we feel we don't have much time to spare for God. We don't realize that taking time for God will really give us more time, because we will be more peaceful and energized, and more in touch with God's leading, which will make our lives more effective. It's then that the Holy Spirit prompts us or "makes" us take time to lie down in green pastures. Also, in verse 4, "Even though I walk through the valley", 2 key words. Through--we need to remember that God will never leave us in the valley, but that a better, safer place awaits us on the other side. Walk--we need to realize that our own effort is involved. God will most likely not carry us all the way. Although He provides the strength, we must make the choice and take the steps to get out of there. Third, in verse 6, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life". I generally think of following as being a rather passive action, but when I looked at the Hebrew here, it's really interesting to think about. The word here means to pursue, chase after, or hunt down. That's pretty encouraging to know that God has assigned goodness and mercy to follow us relentlessly and never stop chasing us even if we try to run away from them.

This is a hard question. First of all, God had told Abraham that a great nation would come from him, and that he would have a son. In that Abraham in fact did have a son means that God had already provided a sacrifice. But if Isaac would have been the sacrifice, there would have been no nation unless God would have given Abraham and Sarah another son. Everything else that God had put Abraham through this far had stretched his faith and increased his trust in God, so I'm guessing that he knew God would keep his covenant, but I bet he was still apprehensive about how God would go about fulfilling it. I think Abraham didn't really know, because if he did, it would not have been an act of faith. Yet I think he was expecting that God would provide.I wonder if Abraham had explained that God had asked this of him to Sarah or if all he said was that they'd be back. Also, when Isaac was tied and put on the alter, I wonder if that was the first he knew what was going on, or if he knew of the child sacrifice customs of other religions already at his age. This is a good picture of faith for us today. If we believe God is our provider, He will surely put that faith to a test. Even if we're confused and don't understand why, we must continue to do what God says, even if it goes against everything we want to happen. We can't just stop right in the middle of the valley and expect God to come pick us up in a flaming chariot. We have to keep walking through it. I think most importantly, we have to act confidently in the faith we have. Abraham didn't say that he was coming back down the mountain alone. God will provide for us in all things. I have seen this a lot lately with this whole legal situation my family is in. Money has been really tight and it's amazing to see how God provides, as well as how a lack of money is really a provision in it self. I have learned so much that I wouldn't have learned if I would have still been living the way I was a year or two ago. I have learned so much about contentment and trust. Money is not the only thing that God provides either. There have been many times in my life where I have seen God provide ideas, people in my life to help put me back on track if I have strayed, people in my life for me to help ( and also to teach me things through my helping them), oppertunities to serve, learn, etc., even closed doors which would have lead to problems further on. God's sovreignty and wisdom are completey mindblowing.

God is always watching out for us and keeping us safe. (Although "safe" does not necessarily mean safe in the world's sense.) That the God of the universe would care about each and every one of us, never taking His eyes off of us, should say a lot about our worth. Yesterday, I watched the Bourne Ultimatum, part of it is really a good picture of God as our keeper. The scene where Bourne is talking to the reporter on the cell phone to guide him out of the CIA's sight. Many times, we are like this reporter, and God like Bourne. We are helpless to get out of the enemy's sight, and our life depends upon us listening to God's voice and doing exactly what He tells us to do, because He is the only one who can see the whole picture and guide our steps to safety. When the reporter's fear drives him to disregard Bourne and take matters into his own hands, he is shot down. So it is with us in our walk with God. God will guide us, but we always have the choice to stop trusting.

He is a fortress and a refuge. He is an unchanging and eternal stronghold. He is an anchor. In Palestine, a rock was a place of defense or protection against an enemy. When I think of God as our rock, I think of Him as unchanging and constant. A firm place to stand amidst a rising, flooding sea of confusion and harm. Mat 7:24-25 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock.

God is a shield against any type of ammunition the devil sends our way. A shield was one of the most versitile pieces used in battle. It's both an offensive and a defensive item, yet not really a weapon. I think this fact symbolizes God's character well. He is a vital part of our protection, He's there for us, but not at our command as we would consider a "weapon" to be. Yet He's not just a passive part of our armour either. While God is the shield of every christian, we don't always remember to take Him with us into the battle, or keep holding onto Him throughout the fight. An interesting aspect of God as our shield, is that one of the main things He shields us from is ourselves, from our sinful nature. God knows us and He knows best. It's crazy how many times the things in our lives we feel that God should be protecting most carefully for us are the very things He is shielding us from. God is our glory in that without Him there is no glory. He is our strength and our victory. Without Him the battle is lost. He provides all that is beautiful and good in our lives. As far as being the Lifter of My Head, it seems like there should be some deeper meaning here that I'm not getting. Regardless, the first thing that comes to my mind is the literal picture of confidence and strength, of marching out with boldness and peace. For myself, I know my posture says a lot about how I'm feeling. When I'm tired and discouraged, when I feel cornered in on all sides, and like there's no hope, it shows. Then I have to find God's strength through my weakness, and remind myself that I am the daughter of The King. God as my shield is humbling. When everything crashes around me and I see my helplessness, I see God that much clearer. It's when I see the arrows embeded in the shield that I realize how dead I'd be without it. It's when I see the nail-pierced hands that I realize, if that hand wouldn't have been there, that would have been me. When we follow in the steps of Christ, He is our human shield. We carry His cross as He takes the wounds and the pain that were meant for us. Eph 2:7-10 (The Message) Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

The protected ones must... ~dwell in the shelter of The Most High (by dwell, I believe it's indicating a long-term/permanent occupation. To be devoted, not just occationally come to God as a last resort.) ~recognze God as our protector, and put our trust in Him ~hold fast to Him in love ~know/acknowledge His name Metaphors used... ~secret place of the Most High ~shadow of the Almighty ~refuge ~fortress ~shield ~buckler ~dwelling place/habitation

Lord denotes two main things here: Jesus' divinity and authority. To recognize Jesus' divinity is really the basis for His eligebility as a sacrifice for all sins. He was 100% God, and 100% man. To be anything less than this would make His death pointless. Also, in realizing and confessing His divinity, we must also recognize His authority. Recognizing Jesus' authority and sovereignty in our lives is what allows us to grow as Christians. To recognize Him as Savior is forgivness, but to recognize Him as Lord is repentance, to turn from our flesh and turn to His commands. Repentance is key to salvation, and this is what Jesus as Lord asks of us. If we only recognize Him as Savior, we will remain spiritual infants. It seems to me this is what many christians focus on--"How much a part of the world can I be without offending God too badly?" This is using grace as a sin eraser. Instead, repantance calls us to as--"How far from this sin can I get? and how close to Your righteousness and Holiness can I be while I'm still in this physical body?" This is using grace as the strength to press on, and as God's hand to catch us when we fall. This is repentance. This is Jesus as Lord. Absolute authority over everthing we've ever been, are or ever will/could/should be. Matt 3:8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

With Yahweh as King of kings, the main implication is that every law that is issued by Him, should also be adopted by the nations under the great King. Just as it was understood that the kings of Israel were reigning in God's stead, this same command goes out to all goverments. Instead of pride, government officials should be overcome with humily when the realize that God has allowed them their place of power. When a country turns their back on God and rejects Him, they are treading on dangerous ground. They forfeit every benefit that was theirs as a vassal, as well as make themselves an enemy of God--a guarranteed defeat. What I would like to elaborate on is that while forsaking or following God will ultimately bring the appropriate wages, either of death or eternal life respectively, the wicked may prosper on earth, and the righteous may suffer. Many times in the Bible, God uses a rebellious nation to punish His people before He brings them to thier own ruin. Likewise, while Isreal was still God's chosen people, when they rebelled against Him, they were punished, not because God had alligned Himself against them permanently, but because He was disciplining them, as a father does to a child he loves. Also, even though addition trouble or blessing may come to us as a result of our country's response to the King's authority, the Lord looks on each of us individually. Just as Lot was saved in the midst of Sodom and Gomorrah, we must trust that the Lord will be with those who are loyal to Him in the midst of treason. Php 2:12-15 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Many implications come with Yahweh as my King. His rule is permanent unless I chose to overthrow Him. Jesus, the Mesiah, is the heir to the throne. Since God cannot die, Jesus cannot inherit the throne the way we would picture it, but since He and God are one, He is also king. With God as King, there can be no negotiation between my will and His. He is a just king who will both punish and reward, according to our response to His commandments. I'm sure there's probably not enough space in the world to completely write all the advantages of being a subject of Yahweh. One of the most mind blowing ones to me would have to be that we are joint-heirs with Christ. When we surrender ourselves to God, we also will inherit the kingdom of Heaven. In addition, we recieve the protection offered by the mighty kingdom of Heaven. A third thing, something that many times does not feel like an advantage, is that we receive the Lord's guidance and discipline, which helps us grow stronger in our character as we train and ultimately fight in His army. To submit to Yahweh on a daily basis is to take up our crosses and follow Jesus wherever He leads. To give no thought to our benefit, but to always seek out the will of the Father. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth! We are to lose our lives, that we may find them. We are to put everything of value in the hands of God, for everything we hold on to ourselves will ultimately be lost. Only God can preserve. This has really hit home for me this summer. I was planning to just take some time off and do what I wanted to do. My family is in a big legal mess regarding our house, with structural problems/damage, as well as mold and water problems, all caused by a contractor who's suing us. I have had a lot of oppertunities to be selfless and to serve. I am learning that I simply need to trust God with my time and deny myself and my wants and as Paul says in Gal 6:9a, "Let us not become weary in doing good." A person rejects Yahweh by first consistanly disregarding His commands, and then overthrowing Yahweh's rule and placing a new king on the throne. Yahweh allows this rejection so love, devotion and free-will can exist. Yet rejecting Yahweh comes with consequenses and punishments and just as the rewards of obedience to Yahweh's authority. Deut. 30:15-18. Yahweh has set before each of us both the abundant life of the kingdom of Heaven and the perpetual death of hell, the kingdom of darkness.

The tithe was a symbol of their submission and respect to the authority of God. It also supported the priests, who were the earthly representatives of the Heavenly government. Thought we live under the New Covenant, God is no less of a King than He was to the Israelites from their earliest days as a nation. Tithing should serve as a reminder to us, that we are under His authority. In America, I feel we lose much of the meaning that comes with being under a king's authority, due to our government's relative lenientcy. We must recognize God's absolute, unquestionable commands, and the power that backs them up. He has no checks or balances on His reach. In the practical, literal sense, tithing is also a neccesary part of The Church. If we as The Body of Christ do not feed the body, we are going to be considerably malnurished and ineffective. Tithing will also bring benefits in our personal lives. In Malachi, we see that tithing results in a torent of blessing. I think we can conclude that a lack of tithing will therefore not produce blessing. You reap what you sow. Another thought that God just gave me as I was writing this: What about tithing your time? I am not in the habit of giving 2 hrs. and 24 mins. to God each day. I guess I've even been considering a half hour sufficient. Along with God, I'd like to challenge myself as well as the rest of you to try this. "Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Mal 3:10b Kings of Bible times took more that just their subjects' money. They took their land, crops, possession, children, as well as their service in civilian affairs as well as in battle. The King of kings wants our complete surrender as well. He wants us to give of ourselves humbly and cheerfully, recognzing that every thing we have is an undeserved gift from His hand. In Malachi we see that though He demands our complete submission, He is in turn a generous, loving King, and after redeeming us from the oppresive kingdom of darkness with His very life, He seeks to protect us, and to bless us as a father.

Justice~ the upholding of fairness/righteousness. Justice cannot exist without The Law. Vengeance~ the execution of justice. retribution, a punishment proportionate to the crime. Mercy~ the with-holding of vengeance. compassion. The Holy and Righteous God we serve cannot forgive sin without punishment for each sin. Often, I think we as Christians don't take our sin as seriously as we should, because we see sin as simply disappearing. We need to remind ourselves that God does not forgive sins by simply forgetting about them. He first transfers our sin to His Son, and punishes the sin before forgetting. With every sin, we must stop and ask ourselves -- Is this worth the pain that I caused Christ? Would I spit in His face, whip the flesh from His back, or hammer the nails through His hands? Will I again look Him deep in the eyes and deny Him? The cross is so beautiful and incomprehendably crucial because it reconciles God's Holiness and Justice, thus reconciling God and man.

A verse is immediately brought to mind--Isaiah 1:17, what I find interesting is the context... Isaiah 1:1,2,16-18 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me...(16)Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, (17)learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. (18)"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Here, in the opening of Isaiah's prophecy, we see an interesting correlation between holiness and being an advocate against social injustices. Though not as many people will know Isaiah 1:16-17, I think it's safe to say that almost all Christians are familiar with the concept of verse 18, if not the quoted verse itself. In this passage, God establishes a correlation between being the hands and feet of Christ, reaching out to serve and protect some of the world's weakest, struggling people, and holiness. It seems to me like this is telling us that to ignore the weak and poor is not optional, it is sin. There is a chronology to this-- seek justice and correct oppresion, and then the Lord says, "[your sins] shall be white as snow." I am not saying salvation hinges on works, but as James said--faith without works is dead. Matt 26:11 For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have Me. Jesus came for the poor, the sick, for those who recognized they were in need. In context, this verse appears where a woman has poured expensive purfume on Jesus' head. The disciples say--What a waste! We could have helped a lot of the poor with the money that purfume was worth! I think as we read this, it's easy to picture ourselves responding as Jesus did, but in reality, I think many more of us would have been with the disciples. These guys had there hearts in the right place--they had their minds on furthering the ministry to the poor. This is also a lot like the story of Martha busily preparing things and serving while Mary simply enjoyed Jesus' company. Both Martha and the disciples had become so busy about "their Father's business", that they had forgotten their Father. I feel this is what Jesus is saying here. The fatherless and widows are so close to His heart, yet we must not get wrapped up in this work for the sake of it. We will be like dry sponges taking in more than we are refreshing others if we do not stop and take time to find rest and to soak ourselves in the springs of living water.

If we do not belive in solid, unchanging, irrevocable truth, it seems to me that we will have a rather difficult time knowing and understanding the God who places these attributes at the very heart of His character. Jesus said we would find Him when we searched with every ounce of our strength, when we searched tirelessly as searching for buried treasure. While God still does at times reveal himself to those who did not ask, this is never an entirely sure thing as it is with those who search with all their heart. Matt 18:3 "and [Jesus] said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" I don't think I've met many children who are set on the idea of relative truth. That's because they're innocent. They haven't been betrayed or hurt by the world like adults have (although with current social trends, being a child isn't necesarily synonymous with innocence anymore). Relative truth seems to spring from bitterness, hatred, apathy, and self pity. The world has become so sickly tolerant to everything but intolerance. We, as Christians take a stand for the absolute morality and truth of the Bible, and people ask what right we have to force our view on others around us. It gets confusing, and we may begin to think-- man, what right do I have any more than they do, I mean, I don't want them shoving their views on me. Sherri Vick, a favorite teacher of mine, was talking about the saying--"God says it, I believe it, that settles it." one time. She said, "You know, that really isn't right. It should really just be--'God said it, that settles it.'" I think that really sums up the whole argument. Often we get wrapped up in knowing how to support our reasoning, etc. and we forget that it is not really our reasoning at all, and that we have simply adopted God's reasoning (or at least are in the process of this). So in answer to the question of what right we have to force our views, or to insist on our truth as the absolute, final, and only truth, etc., our answer should be that it is not under our authority that we claim to know the only truth, but we are simply walking in the authority and truth of the Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. We are simply complying with the existing truth. What right do they have to formulate a conterfeit truth? What right do they have to defy the truth made true by the One who makes their existence possible through the absolute truth of His own existence?

As Isaiah sees the Lord, The Holy and Righteous One, seated on His throne, he is filled with breathtaking awe as he tries to understand the majesty of His splendor. The full force of it hits him in verse 5, where he cries, "Woe to me!...I am ruined!" The KJV uses the word undone, rather than ruined, here. While both are acurate, I feel the KJV provides a quality absent in the NIV. This would be sickening feeling of vulnerability, of nakedness, if you will. Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. It's at this point that Isaiah is probably cringing, just anticipating even just the Lord's gaze to rip apart every unknown, inky shadow within his heart and leave him as a steaming, vaporized pile of ashes. The method God chooses to use here to purify Isaiah is a rather painful method. I think that God perhaps uses this to symbolize that being holy as He is holy can at times be painful. As Isaiah shows, this pain is nothing compared to the pain of remaining defiled and dead in sin beneath the gaze of perfect holiness. Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. (or as the KJV says "which is your reasonable service" *) *Just a side note on the KJV: I really love this version here, because it is so much more accurate! Although being a living sacrifice is an act of worship, it should not be credited to us. We could spend our whole lives devoted to holiness and worship, yet we would still remain in debt to the price we were bought back for. The love the moved God to pay such an unrepayable price is so incredible that we can never even see the biggest things we "do for God" even register on His scale! So back to Isaiah...Wow. The symbolism of the coal is so beautiful, and is really summed up in this verse. When we look back to Old Testament times, buring sacrifices on the altar was a huge part of worship, purification, redemption, you name it. The coals from the altar were what enabled the sacrifices to rise before God as a pleasing aroma. The coals were what consumed, or accepted the sacrifice. The coals were also the fuel for the sacrifice, what allowed it to keep buring and to continue to be offered up to God. Now, when we translate this to Isaiah, we see that he is what the coals are being applied to. Isaiah was really the first living sacrifice! Then in verse 8, we see that imediately after becoming a sacrifice, he is called to the work of God. Now applying this to us, present day is the exciting part. Because of the Lord's mercy, we are giving access to God's alter. As we allow ourselves to daily become living sacrifices, the coals of God's altar are also purifying us, making us more that acceptable in the light of His holiness. Though this is a painful process at times, we can be filled with joy in His presence. Another extremely important thing to note is that the coals are what fuels the sacrifice--NOT us. At times, we feel the coals are too painful or too hot, so we go off and try to find a more comfortable altar, made to an idol--something we have placed above God in our lives. At times, we simply try to burn on our own, apart from God's refining, purifying fire. And then we wonder why we aren't "on fire for God" like we used to be? Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?" is repeated from verse 21. Tired, weary, and strength, are repeated within verses 28-31. I am in complete awe. Of course I know, and of course I've heard, but this passage is so beautiful, it makes me feel as if I had never known it before, and like this is the first time I've heard. This passage begins with example after example of God's power, might, and unfathomable vastness. Sometimes, I think we picture God rather disproportionately with His creation, and this is an incredible reminder for us. --"with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens"-- Can you just imagine this? A distance so large, that we can't even live long enough to travel to the end of it, and He measures it with the width of His hand! Yet within this vastness, I see a meticulousness of everything He creates,giving preciseness to the weight and placement of everything He does. We see His unequalled wisdom and power, the insignificance of man, and how with a single breath, He can uproot the most powerful and send them to complete obliteration. He seems very fearful and relentlessly powerful, so much to make Israel (or even us today) ask, "Why are we hidden from You, and why do You disregard us?" We forget that in all of His creation, we are His most significant, beloved treasure. This in incredibly mind boggling to me. 1 Cor. 1:27-29 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Our God, even in all His unequalled glory, power, and wisdom, choses to be the God of the weak, tired, and weary, and He is exalted all the more. Time and time again throughout the Bible, God calls us to humility, and I believe this passage is a perfect example/perspective for that humility, as we are shown first God's power, and then the fact that He choses to invest that power in the weak. We must learn to leave room in our lives, or to live with a deficiency of strength, if you will, so there is a place for the strength and power of God within us.

-Lord (Jehovah) -Rock of Our Salvation -Great God ('êl) -Great King above all gods -Creator -Our Maker -Our God (ĕlōhīm) -Shepherd We are to... -"sing for joy to the LORD" -"come before His presence with thanksgiving" -"make a joyful noise to Him with psalms" -"worship and bow down... [and] kneel before [Him]" In verse 7b&8, we are also told that when when hear God's voice, we are not to harden our hearts. The reasons for these actions are given by the Psalmist himself. Why are we to praise Him? - v.3- He is the Great God and King above all gods. (V. 4&5 validate His claim to the names in v.3. He is creator, and is therefore above His creation.) Why are we to worship Him? -v.7- He is our God. He cares for us. Why are we to remain attentive to His voice? -"We are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care" -John 10:14, 27 I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by those who are Mine...My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Psalm 100.

God, our creator, has the supreme and ultimate authority over all His creation. In a sense, He has the copyright to each of us. We are all His original ideas. I like to write songs, poems, and occosionally short stories, plays, etc. I also like to draw/paint. When I think about some of the things I've created, I know that after I've worked on them and put alot of thought/effort into them, it gives me joy to see (or hear) what I've made. I'm sure this is something like how God must feel about each of us. But consider this, God made us and loved us so much, that He wanted us to experience love as well, so He gave us the freedom to choose, which made this possible. Satan took advantage of this, and stole God's creation. (Keep in mind that God was not helpless to take back His creation, but loved us so much that He refused to take back the freedom of choice that makes love so much more beautiful.) Then The Creator gave His life as an act of love and justice, to demonstrate His great longing for His lost creation, and to call us back to him self. 1Co 6:20 for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Wow. There have been things I have created and been very pleased with, but to the extent of dying to regain a stolen creation? This is such an amazingly strong love. Completely overwhelming when you put it this way. When we stop and really think about how valuable we are to our Creator, it should be a great encouragement to us, as well as instill in us a great sense of humilty and responsibility. Also, when we realize our value, it should give us an undebateable, undeniable reason to entrust ourself to our Creator's care and guidance, and therefore be able to receive the full measure of His love for us, that we can not comprehend if we remain stolen works of art. Our Creator is always adding to His creations, and He cannot add to us if we are not in His possesion. Mat 6:26,33,34 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?...But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Php 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

The first thing I get from this passage is that it's a real rebuke to me. Purpose and motivation have been of concern to me a lot lately, and I think I've asked why much more than I should be. The metaphor of God as The Potter is such an beautiful picture, and so complete--from what we're made of, to the process, to the variation in shapes/uses. The confusion comes with the fact that we are living pots. Often we think we would better as a different shape, or be better off in a different place. Sometimes we don't even know what shape we are. Still, we need to find peace in the fact that our omnipotent, all-knowing maker is shaping us to perfection, and knows the perfect place to put us in life. We also need to remember that we are here to serve the purposes of The Potter, and He is not here to serve our purposes. Also, The Potter is always testing the quality of His creation, to see which are best to use for certain things. He will use those whom He has tested and found worthy. In the King James Version, Isaiah 45:9a reads: Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. I found it interesting that this version does not simply state that man is just a potsherd among countless others, but it says that man should strive with other men, rather than with God. I seems that this striving would not be in the sense of fighting, so much as in the sense of debating or persuading others who still are striving with thier Maker, and then only to show them their purpose, which is to serve their Maker. Jer 18:4-6 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

When I really think about God as the Living God, it sends shivers down my spine. The kind that comes with a suddenly increased awareness of God's power and presence. I think this is something like what David must have felt. David knew God, He spent time with Him. He knew His attributes. Other gods had noteable attributes, but what inspired David was the fact that the Living God was every noteable attribute, all perfection, but in motion. Also, as part of David's understanding of God, He knew that there is none like God. So he saw Goliath as a direct insult to God and the Iraelite armies who served Him. He would not stand for God to be mocked. In addition, His motives during the whole conflict were right. He was in this for God, not himself. He was on God's side, and therefore didn't doubt his stand or his safety. How often do we take a stand for God when we see Him being mocked or disrespected? When I saw "Transformers" about a week ago, there was a preview for "The Simpsons". At one point, Homer's flipping frantically through a Bible, exclaming, "This book doesn't have any answers!" It really hit me right then. How many Christians have sat in that theatre, or any other across the US, and smiled or laughed along with such blatant yet subtle disrespect of God? No, I am not saying that we shouldn't go to movies, but that we don't even have to worry that Homer will try to kill us if we don't participate in the laughter. So why don't we be more like David? Why don't we remain silent when they laugh? I think they might notice. Hebrews 10:31 is a verse that must be taken in context at it's most basic meaning. However, there are so many facets to this verse. First off, what this verse means by "falling into the hand of God", is simply ending up with God as your judge. This verse is talking about willful sinners, those who have "trampled the Son of God, and who [have] counted the blood of the covenant with which [they were] sanctified an unholy thing, and [have] insulted the Spirit of grace? (verse 29)". However, even as a christian, the thought of actually standing before God in all His perfection, holiness, and splendor, and having my life thoroughly examined, leaves me a bit shaken. I think I might be face-down quite a distance before I even reached the throne, instead of with confidence.Thank God we get a throne of grace instead of just judgement! (Hebrews 4:16) For Christians, this verse can mean primarily two other things. First, that fearful can mean an awe, instead of a terrible dread. As Christians, we fall into the hands of the Living God when He catches us, either after we have failed and fallen back into our old ways, or after we have taken a leap of faith. In either circumnstance, I have experienced an awe of God, and His grace and faithfulness. Secondly, when we are in God's hands, we must be doing his will. In this way, (in the physical) being in the hands of God, is often a very fearful thing. Yet as this chapter concludes... Heb 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Gen 1:1, 3a In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... And God said... Joh 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Rev 22:17-21 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. God has the first and the last word. He is the first and the last word. Rev. 1:8 denotes the same eternal implications as The Great I Am. He is forever, who was, and is, and is to come. I did a search on "the Alpha and the Omega" and "the First and the Last". When I look through these verses, the dominant theme that accompanies the Lord as the First and the Last is the theme of justice, reward, and triumph for the righteous. Here are a few. Rev 1:17-18 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, Do not fear, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death. Rev 22:11-13 He acting unjustly, let him still act unjustly. And the filthy, let him be filthy still. And the righteous, let him be righteous still. And the holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last. Rev 21:5-7 And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the Water of Life freely. He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

To inhabit eternity along with