Attributes of God: Unfailing

"But I trust in Your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in Your salvation."

(Psalm 13:5)

His love for us is constant, everlasting, inexhaustible. It is sure, infallible, unerring.  I am praising Him today for being completely unfailing.  He is always dependable, forever faithful, and never changing.  Lord, thank You for being unfailing.  You are always here for me and for that I am grateful and humbled.  

What about you?

Are you praising God today for being Understanding? For being the Utmost?  Are you thanking Him for His Universal presence?

"How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

(Psalm 36:7)

"May Your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

even as we put our hope in You."

(Psalm 33:22)

"The LORD loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of His unfailing love."

(Psalm 33:5)

Attributes of God: Teacher

"God is exalted in His power.

Who is a teacher like Him?"

(Job 36:22)

I am praising Him today for being our greatest Teacher.  So much of the time I long for instruction in my life.  You, Lord, are where I will find the ultimate answers.  Thank You for giving us Your Word -- May we continue to glean wisdom from You through it.  Just as Job states, Who is a teacher like You?  There are many in this world who will try to steer our paths, but it is You who we can rely on to lead and guide us.  Thank You for the wisdom and knowledge You bless us with as we surrender to Your leadership.  Continue to teach me, Lord.  Don't ever give up on me ...

What about you?

Are you praising Him today for the way He has Transformed your life?  Are you thanking Him for the Treasure you have in Christ?  What battle has He Triumphed for you?  Do you simply Tremble at His Word?  Are you thankful that He alone is Truth?  Are you praising Him that He is Trustworthy - all the time, every day? 

"Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths.

Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior,

and my hope is in You all day long."

(Psalm 25:4-5)

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."

(Psalm 25:9)

"Teach me Your way, Lord ... "

(Psalm 27:11)

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."

(Psalm 32:8)

"Accept, LORD, the willing praise of my mouth,

and teach me Your laws."

(Psalm 119:108)

"When Jesus had finished saying these things,

the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

because he taught as one who had authority,

and not as their teachers of the law."

(Matthew 7:28-29)

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,

correcting and training in righteousness."

(2 Timothy 3:16)

Attributes of God: The One who Satisfies

"You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."

(Psalm 145:16)

If there is one thing I am more passionate about than most, it is this very thing.  He is the One who Satisfies.  Time and time again the Lord has taught me this truth, and most of the time I have had to learn it the hard way.  We can search high and low for fulfillment upon this earth, but hear me out -- We will never know true satisfaction until we experience it through our Savior.  He longs to do more than save us -- He longs to satisfy our souls through a deep and intimate relationship with Himself. 

I am so blessed by You, Lord.  Thank You for taking me on a journey to satisfaction.  You started the journey several years ago and though it will not be complete until I am on the other side of heaven, I have begun to taste the fulfillment of being satisfied by You.  And I never, ever, ever want to turn back.  You truly are the One who Satisfies. 

What about you?

Are you thankful today for His Sacrifice? For His Salvation?  Are you grateful for His Sanctification process?  Are you praising Him today for being your Savior?  Your Source of Strength?  Your Steadfast God?  Perhaps you are thankful today for His Strength ... His Spirit ... His Splendor? 

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

(Psalm 90:14)

"Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare."

(Isaiah 55:2)

"The LORD will guide you always;

He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame. 

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail."

(Isaiah 58:11)

"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."

(Jeremiah 31:25)

Attributes of God: My Rock

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Thy sight,

O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer."

(Psalm 19:14)

I am praising Him today for being my Rock.  He is the one guaranteed consistent and stabilizing force in my life.  How I praise Him that He is always strong, forever faithful, and eternally trustworthy.  When I am at the end of my rope, it is He who I can lean on.  I praise You Lord, my Rock.  Thank You for being the One I can count upon.  

What about you?

Has He been your Redemption?  Has He brought Revival into your life?  Are you praising Him that He has Remembered you? That He has Restored you?  Are you thankful today for His Righteousness?  For His Resurrection?  For the promise of His Return?  

Such precious attributes of our God to ponder ... 

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge."

(2 Samuel 22:2,3)

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

(Psalm 18:2)

"He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay;

And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm."

(Psalm 40:2)

"Trust in the LORD forever, For in God the LORD,

we have an everlasting Rock."

(Isaiah 26:4)

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, 

and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man,

who built his house upon the rock."

(Matthew 7:24) 

Blogger Issues

Hi there!

Blogger is having some issues and for some reason it's sending out old blog posts via email.  Also due to the issues yesterday's post was deleted.  I will re-post as soon as I can, but you may receive a second posting via email and I apologize for that.  Hopefully it will all be straightened out soon!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Attributes of God: Quieter of my soul

"The LORD your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

(Zephaniah 3:17)

Today I am praising God for being the Quieter of my soul. Do you ever find yourself in complete chaos? Maybe it's not even outward chaos, but that of the soul. Negative thoughts running rampant, doubts settling it, anxiety getting the best of you ...

"I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." (Job 3:26)

Scripture tells us that our God has the ability to quiet us. He has the ability to calm our anxious souls, to bring us to a place of security. How I praise Him for proving Himself over and over again to be the Quieter of my soul.

What about you?

Are you praising Him for being a God who comes Quickly when you call? Are you thankful that His love for you cannot be Quenched? Amazed that at the sound of His Name the enemy Quivers?

"But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child with its mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me."

(Psalm 131:2)

"The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;

its effect will be quietness and confidence forever."

(Isaiah 32:17)

"He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."

(Psalm 23:2,3)

Attributes of God: The Potter

"Yet, O LORD, You are our Father.

We are the clay, You are the potter;

we are all the work of Your hand."

(Isaiah 64:8)

I am praising God today for being the Potter.  How deliberate He is as He leads us in and through life.  Thank you, Jesus, for reminding me through Your Word that I am not to question your leadership and guidance - I am simply to submit out of reverence to You as my Almighty God.  Because if there's one thing I'm sure of, Lord, it is that You have it all mapped out.  You are the Potter .... And I am the clay.  Mold my life in the way You desire.  Shape it in a way that will bring You much glory.  May I be pliable, Lord - Yielding readily unto Your will.  Leave me not the way I am ... 

What about you?

Are you praising Him today for Purpose?  Are you thanking Him for His Provision, Protection, Patience?  Is He your Prince of Peace?  The Promise keeper?  Are you overwhelmed by His Presence?  Is He Precious to you? 

"You turn things upside down,

as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!

Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,

'He did not make me'?

Can the pot say of the potter,

'He knows nothing'?"

(Isaiah 29:16)

Attributes of God: The Overcomer

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world."

(John 16:33)

I am praising Him today for being the Overcomer.  Thank You, Lord, for your great triumph over this world.  You do not warn us that we may have trouble - You tell us that we will have trouble.  But what reassurance it is to know that when trouble arises, we can turn to You for all of our help, as You are the Overcomer.  Thank You, Lord ... for Your overcoming power. 

What about you?

Are you praising Him today for being your Overseer?  For being your One and Only?  Are you thankful for His Omnipresence?  For His Obedience even unto death on a cross?  Are you Overwhelmed by His goodness?  

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them

because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his

called, chosen and faithful followers."

(Revelation 17:14)

Attributes of God: Name above every name

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to

be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature

of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death -

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father."

(Philippians 2:5-11)

I love the English Standard Version which translates Philippians 2:9 this way:

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name"

Isaiah prophesied in 52:13 that Jesus would be placed high above all others:

"Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted."

This is what I'm praising God for today: There is power in the Name of Jesus.  Scripture claims it and my life will live by it.  Thank You, Jesus, that by Your Name I am saved.  That by Your Name I have an inheritance.  Thank You that just speaking Your Name brings peace in the midst of turmoil ... Rest in the midst of chaos ... and Refuge in the midst of fear.  You are high and lifted up.  You are exalted.  You are the Name above every name.  

What about you?

Are you praising God today for Newness of life?  Are you thanking Him for being Near to you?  Perhaps you are grateful that you serve a God who fulfills your Needs?  Did His good News change your life?

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven

given among men by which we must be saved."

(Acts 4:12)

Attributes of God: Mighty

"The Mighty One, God, the LORD,

speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun

to where it sets."

(Psalm 50:1)

All throughout Scripture, the God we serve - the LORD - is characterized by His might.

2 Kings 17:36 proclaims Him as the mighty one the Israelites were to worship ... "But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To Him you shall bow down and to Him offer sacrifices."

Nehemiah 9:32 is a cry for help to the only mighty One who is able to help them accomplish the task before them ... "Now, therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps His covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes - the hardship that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today."

Psalm 24:8 recognizes our God for His unparalelled might ... "Who is this King of glory?  The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle." 

Psalm 62:7 proclaims the Lord as the mighty one we can depend on ... "My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge."

Lord, I praise You today for being Mighty.  Your Word says that by your mighty hand, You redeemed Your people (Psalm 77:15).  How I praise You for reaching down from on high and saving me from destructive paths.  How I praise You for redeeming me.  Thank You for your Might.  There is none besides You that I desire to place my trust in.  Your Word is Supreme and it proclaims You as the mighty one.  May I not ever forget how very much You are capable of, Jesus. 

What about you?

Are you praising God today for His Majesty?  For being the Maker of all things?  Have you thanked Him for His Mercy? 

"I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;

I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone."

(Psalm 71:16)

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come."

(Psalm 71:18)

"I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds."

(Psalm 77:12)

"Who is like You, LORD God Almighty?

You, LORD, are mighty, and Your faithfulness surrounds You."

(Psalm 89:8)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9:6)

Attributes of God: The Lamb of God

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

(John 1:29)

I am thankful today for the Lamb of God.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Praise God for redemption, for salvation, and for restoration.  Thank You Lord, for taking on the sin of many, for being the sacrifice.  May we not take this lightly or flippantly.  You are precious to me.  I glorify You today, spotless Lamb of God. 

What about you?

Are you praising Him today for taking you out of darkness and into Light?  Is He the Lover of your soul?  The Lamp unto your feet?  Are you thankful for His Lordship in your life? For being the God who Listens to your heart's cry? 

"And they cried out in a loud voice:

'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, 

and to the Lamb.'"

(Revelation 7:10)

Attributes of God: King of kings

"They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them

because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings -

and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

(Revelation 17:14)

I thought a while about what attribute the letter "k" represents about our God.  Of course "King" came to mind rather quickly, yet I wanted to really grasp what it means to proclaim God as my King before moving forward with this.  How awesome it was when I walked into church on Sunday and say the word "Kingdoms" spread across the backdrop for our new sermon series!

Our Pastor began his message this morning by saying the following [paraphrasing]:

There's a story about a King.  But unlike most stories, this one doesn't begin with 'once upon a time,' because this King existed before time. 

Our King existed before time.  And He has time in His hands.  

Our King is above all others.  His rule is supreme and His power is sufficient.  He has defeated death and has given us an inheritance in Christ.  And you and I will experience victory if we continue to abide in our Savior.

Ephesians 6:11-13 reminds us to:

"Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything, to stand firm."

Our sermon this morning brought to my mind the very real battle that we find ourselves in, just by occupying this world.  There are two kingdoms at war with one another - The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.  They are at war for the affections, attentions, and allegiance of all mankind, as our Pastor spoke.  Yet you and I both know that one has to win, right? 

They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings ... " (Revelation 17:14)

Lord, I praise You today for being the King of kings.  As 1 Timothy 6:15 so beautifully proclaims: You are "the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells  in unapproachable light."  I praise You today for conquering sin, for defeating death, and for rescuing my life from the pit.  Thank You Jesus, for Victory.  Thank You for continuing to fight the fight for us, Lord ... And for winning.  The Lamb will triumph ... because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.  You are the King who reigns.  May we live to tell Your story. 

What about you?

Are you praising God today for His Kindness?  For His everlasting Kingdom?  Are you thanking Him that He is the God who Knows?  Are you in awe of the way He Knits us together so uniquely?

"For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but aloive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteosness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:10-14)