The Open Secret

 

1 Chronicles 29:11 (ESV)  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

Dear Friends, lately it has occurred to me that our Christian world's focus seems to be on what God will or can do for me.  But when I think about it, I seem to be drawn to discussions on the Majesty of God, so I've spent many hours pouring through this book with my Bible and notepad.  The book - The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer.  

In this chapter I focused on one thing particularly that the author reminds us of.  He states that, if we are to live as God's  people in this world, we must “Acquaint ourselves with God.”   We must get to know Him as He is, not as we’d like Him to be.  

Mr. Tozer says, “God is not a utilitarian God . . ..  whose chief claim to men’s attention is His ability to bring them success in their various undertakings and who for that reason is being cajoled and flattered by everyone who wants a favor.”

He goes on to say that “The God we must learn to know is the Majesty in the heavens, God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, the Only Wise God, our Savior.”  Tozer almost shouts about the power, the works and the wisdom of God.

He mentions a few things that we can work on in order to “Acquaint ourselves with God.”  Here is one that I want more in my life.  That suggestion is to invest a great deal of time meditating on God as He is - on the majesty of God as our KING. 
 

There is a King of this world, and it is NOT me, NOT my family, Not my country, NOT this earth, NOT science, intelligence or knowledge, NOT strength and NOT my local congregation, a hero or a group.

God the creator is KING, and to truly know Him, I must worship, I must bow, and I must make sure I’m submitting to Him, His will and His truth.

There are no words that can sufficiently describe the Majesty of God, simply because He is not simple.  He is so complex and unknowable that we can only just TRY to know Him better. 
 

Many of us know the truth that God loves us, and that Jesus came and paid an unbelievable price for our eternal salvation.  We’ve been assured that God listens to us as our Father.  All those things we can understand in some way, but His Holiness, His Omnipresence (always, everywhere), His Transcendence (superior, beyond anything we can see or imagine) are somewhat beyond anything we can wrap our minds around, aren’t they?

So my wish is that I can begin to understand a little more, and worship a lot more – that I can rest in His promise that He loves and forgives me, and yet be forever acutely aware of His Majesty.

Love, Diane

 

Wait and Rest

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
  for my hope is from him.  
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; 

I shall not be shaken. 
On God rests my salvation and my glory;

 my mighty rock, my refuge is God.  
Psalm 62:5-7 (ESV)

I speak to my God as I lie here awake
in the silence, my heart knows He hears.

I speak, and I wait for a word from my Lord, 

trusting He knows all my burdens and  fears.

Soon my God will release a vast vapor of love

that will send all my worries to flight.

No clouds will obstruct the view of His care

as I wait in the still of the night. 

My soul,

it will wait for my God to come near

for He is my shelter from harm.

My soul,

it will wait for His answer tonight.

He’ll give me sweet peace in this storm.

In this world He is steadfast - 

my trustworthy Friend. 

I cannot be lost from his sight.

So I wait for a whisper

from His Spirit of calm

as I silently watch in the night.

Fidelity

Recently we heard a podcast featuring a social movement begun by Dr. Robert P. George, McCormick Prof. of Jurisprudence, Princeton University.  The following is a short synopsis of what he is calling Fidelity Month.

Dr. George writes, "You may have read about the rather disturbing recent WSJ poll indicating a precipitous decline in our fellow Americans’ belief in the importance of such values as patriotism, religion, family, and community—the values that used to unite Americans despite our many differences. There are a million things we can and should do to restore the faith of our people, and begin to heal the dreadful division in our country, but I would like you to join in one small one."

Dr George goes on to explain the steps a person, a church, or a group can take to espouse fidelity to our God, to our families and our country.  I believe that this could be a movement which may change the way we look at our lives, our politics and other people.

Fidelity means: faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support and allegiance.
 
In a biblical context, fidelity means unwavering faithfulness and loyalty, especially towards God, one's spouse, and within the Christian community. It's about being true to promises, commitments, and duties, reflecting God's own character and the importance of covenant relationships.  This faithfulness is something that I believe is important for us to focus on.

From the Fidelity Month website - "The official symbol for Fidelity Month is a wreath, particularly a myrtle wreath, representing God, His eternal nature, and family unity. The wreath is designed with specific elements: the open top symbolizes divine embrace, the branches and leaves signify family dependence on and union with God, and the star and stripe at the bottom represent America's union. The color gold in the logo symbolizes generosity and compassion, while blue (background) symbolizes truth, loyalty, responsibility, and peace."

Thanks for reading through this. 
I hope it gives us all some food for thought.

Love, Diane 

Love from the Throne

 John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Beautiful words from someone who had been face to face with Jesus.  They were written by a man who was so overwhelmed with his knowledge of Jesus that he continually rehearsed in his mind the fact that Jesus could love even him.

He often referred to himself as “the disciple that Jesus loved.”

I truly believe that it was John’s humility that created those thoughts and words. 

John sees Christ in a special way. John’s words speak of Jesus as “the One who made all things” and “the light of all mankind.” He speaks of Jesus as “the light that shines in the darkness” and cannot be overcome by that darkness.

Can you imagine the way John's heart would pound when he saw our Savior face to face - as he watched Jesus' actions of love for needy people each day?   Can your mind picture his confusion and concentration as he heard the words of God from the mouth of this perfect one?

And finally, can you imagine how he must have felt when Jesus gave him the responsibility to take care of Jesus’ mother – words from the cross?

John spoke of Jesus as the one
who brought the world to life.
He spoke of what he’d seen and knew.
He spoke of Christ who loved him too.

He spoke of Jesus Christ, “The Light”
whose love shown through the darkest night.

His name!
“Immanuel” “God’s Son” “The King”

His purpose!
“Ransom Payer” “Go-between.”

His Gift!
Eternal life for those who bring
a humble faith in offering. 

If I see John, “the one Christ loved”
as a man who looks like me,
a sinful one in need of love, I cannot help but see
a trait that I must strive to have -
it’s deep humility.

If I see me, in Jesus eyes, as I look to heaven above,
then I can say with John today,
“I’m the one that Jesus loved.”