What is God really like?

I have been pondering and meditating on Psalm 72 for a while. I know it says King David wrote it for his son, Solomon. Fair enough. I also believe David was a prophet - a spokes person for God - and that this Psalm even more distinctly was written describing the Son of David - Jesus. I believe God wanted Solomon to be a picture, or illustration, of Jesus to God's family way back then. We know Solomon made some choices different than what Jesus did and we also have on record the 'results' of choices - in both Solomon's life and in Jesus' life.

Anyway, back to Psalm 72, there are some very interesting word pictures in this passage that helped me in 'seeing' the character of God better.

Verse three indicates that anyone can be included in God's family. I paraphrased it this way: The larger families are included in this covenant of peace as well as the smaller families, for that is the right way to do it.

Verse seven mentions God's plan for each one of His children (my words): In Your Son’s reign those who choose to agree with Him will become more like Him, continuing to mature as long as they live.

Verses thirteen and fourteen was encouraging to me: He will come along side those who are weak, powerless and oppressed, and with His merciful passion He will preserve them, give them victorious relief and take them out of oppression and abuse, for He considers them as very precious to Him.

There is much more. (If you are interested in reading the way I paraphrased this passage of Scripture click on the link to the right, where I have posted it.)

I am becoming more and more convinced that as important as 'facts' about God are - some people call them 'doctrines' - those 'facts' can't really 'stand alone'. I may intellectually assent to certain information - God is love, God is merciful, etc - but until and unless I also 'experience' those 'facts' in my life, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 specifically about love, it is nothing. And maybe it is worse than 'nothing'. Could 'accepting' facts about God, as 'true' as they may 'be', without personally experiencing God in my own life be one way Satan uses me to 'coy' others away from really experiencing God's love in their own lives?

May I encourage you to ask God for a 'new' picture of Him just now. He loves to share.

Bringer of Peace

God's Freedom brings peace

I was talking with a friend and realized I was getting offended. I asked God to enable me to see as He sees. He took away the negative and I was able to continue the conversation with peace.

My brother and I were talking on the phone and he commented that someone who forgives is not holding on to being offended. Does that make holding a grudge (offended) the counterfeit of forgiveness? When I forgive another person I no longer hold them as guilty and I accept the pain, the hurt, of the 'sin' (crossing God's will for the situation) instead of blaming the one who propogated it. If it stopped there that would not be good, but since Jesus will also take that hurt and pain from me as I 'let go of it' - He forgives me as I forgive others - I become freed in God which gives me His peace in my heart, my life. I cannot experience that kind of peace by myself. But as I agree with God's view and plan then He gives me not only His peace but His Joy. I trustingly 'rest' in PEACE in His plan for me and I love to be in God's presence - real JOY.



This morning I was studying in Psalm 72. This Psalm was originally written with Solomon's name in the introduction verse. However, the word Solomon means 'peace' and the first verse also refers to the 'king's son'. The overall context of this Psalm indicates to me that it is also a prophecy of Jesus who is also the king's Son - the Son of David as well as the Son of God and also called the Prince of Peace. I'll share more later but the overall message seems to me at this time to be a picture of God's final plan for the outcome of the struggle between Christ and Satan.

Might it be like skipping to the last chapter in the book to find out the outcome of the good?


I need to go for now, but until next time rest assured that God is looking out for your best good.

Bringer of Peace

Bait of Satan

We have begun reading a book called 'Bait of Satan'.

It has definitely given a lot of food for thought thus far.

Here are a few thoughts I have gleaned up to this point.

'Facts without true love become lies. Jesus is called the Truth because He is just that combination - correct facts plus total love.

One of Satan's baits is to bring about circumstances to try to get us to allow the love God gives us to 'grow cold' through holding on to 'offense' offered us by others.

The offender can be real or imaginary - but it really doesn't matter. If we 'hold on to' either kind (real or imaginary) it disconnects us from really living - which in reality is a gift given only by God.

Just because someone offends us does not mean that we have to accept the 'poison' (death) they offer. Why is it poison to us? For one reason, accepting 'offense' disconnects us from the other person or mind. That, of course, is a lot of what the basis of 'sin' is all about'. Man chose to believe Satan which disconnected the human race from God. [You can't obey both.]

Thank God, that is not the end. There is not only hope but restoration available.

A person does not have to hold on to an offense. They can choose to 'let go' and God will supply the power for that decision to become reality

Just this evening someone was talking to me and I began to feel offended. I asked the Lord to show me how to remain the person as He sees me, even as I was 'feeling' the temptation to feel offended. It was almost amazing but the 'feelings' left. I was able to continue to communicate without resentment. For that I praise the Lord.

I am still learning. We have only read a few chapters so I'm sure there will be much more.

We had a blessed day today.

More later

Bringer of Peace

.

Trust

Trust - when props I have been leaning on get pulled out? What does that mean?

Trust God - when I am considered the cause for others discomfort because of the way I have handled things?

Trust God's heart - when I am intellectually bombarded with what another considers 'truth' and if I don't agree I am basically 'sent to hell'?

Trust in the Lord with all my heart - even when I don't know what is coming next?

Trust in God and don't lean on my understanding - when my mind screams that I need to be planning how to 'support' myself and little is 'coming in' financially?

Trust. What is God's kind of trust that is talked about so often in the Bible?

Last evening/yesterday I confronted the very uncomfortable 'fact' that we are behind as far as income versus outgo is concerned.

All kinds of scenarios have been pushing themselves into my mind. I was taking a shower and talked to the Lord about a few of them. Should have done this, shouldn't have done that. If so and so had done such and such then we wouldn't be in this condition; yada, yada, yada, yuck.

Is that trusting the Lord?
Oh, we have got to get out there and beat the bushes, right?
Trusting the Lord is asking Him for the help we need and then 'going after it' in whatever way necessary, right? Or is it something far more?

Jesus said 'Ask' and He will give us what is best for us, personally.
Jesus said that we are to 'rest in Him'.
Do we differentiate between spiritual and practical?
Do we consider that we are trusting only when we have planned and done all we can?
Is trust based on our 'actions'?

Those who love God will have such great peace that nothing shall offend them! That is a mouthful.
How does love relate to trust? trusting God? trusting others?

We had an unpleasant task of sharing with a friend that we couldn't take them to town right now because our insurance ran out on our vehicles and presently we can't pay yet. I suspected they would take it hard but it seemed even a bit harder than I expected.

We felt obligated to let another person who is affected by our situation know that we were behind financially, especially since our situation affects them too. They externally took it a little bit easier, or so it seems on the outside.

But how do we relate to others? Can we trust for them as well?

But last night as I was talking to the Lord, I got the distinct impression that there are times when I am going to have to put my whole weight of trust on God - not just have His help, but He is going to have to work out the details as well.

About a year ago my hubby lost his job. I can truthfully say God has been good to us during this past year. He brought in enough to pay the property taxes of several thousand and we ended the year about $0 so to speak, praise the Lord.

Today when we were working on something together I commented that I was thankful for 'one more day' we could do things together. That has been a real blessing.

We have been grateful for unemployment payments from the government but it is possible that has come to an end. Is it now time for even more dependence upon our loving heavenly Father?

We have put in many applications for employment on a regular basis but so far with no results. Is that reason for dismay? Or shouldn't we be focusing on the promises of our loving Father to 'keep us' as He has promised to do?

I believe that there are certain kinds of trust that can only be developed when things get tough and tight. Are we in that situation now?

Whatever situation we are facing right now, I am choosing to praise the Lord, for it drives the enemy of depression and worry (and others) back and gives me the victory of JOY and PEACE in the Lord through God's love pouring into my heart.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.


Bringer of Peace

A Big Day

A Big Day has arrived. In just a few hours our son and his bride will be leaving - first stop planned is Michigan, then South Dakota with a destination planned for Idaho.

It seems that son will be able to get employment there. For a new couple that should be good.

My emotions are somewhat mixed. I wish some of the circumstances could have been a bit less stressful, but on the other hand, sometimes that is what gets people moving.

If that were all that is happening I suppose I might have been able to keep focused better.
That, however, is only one event that has been tugging for attention. Keeps life interesting.

It is getting late as I write this. They have been packing. They can't take everything right now but what they are having to leave here is going to be put in a locked area. While we were recently absent (took a quik trip to Florida to attend a funeral and a few other reasons) some of their things were 'tampered' with so they feel an even greater urge to get on their own as well as trying to protect what they can't take right at this time.

I can't blame them for feeling uneasy. I was pretty upset - yes even angry - when I found out what happened. But I also admire the way they handled it when they returned - and I told them of my affirmation.

Well, soon they will be on their way. I have confidence, however, that they are not going alone.
God has promised that HE will contend with those who are contending with me and HE will save our children - Praise the Lord.

God has also told me not to weep, for our children will come again from the land of the enemy - not so much human, but otherwise.

I was very happy that they came to church this past weekend. The church here had given them a very nice wedding 'shower' so I was glad that this last Sabbath they were in church.

There are many other things going on, but for now, this is front and center stage so to speak.

Many of you know far more about this kind of day than we do. Some don't yet.

But as I look ahead, I am encouraged that the same God who has begun a good work will complete it. We have dedicated our son to the Lord and we are giving God the full responsibility for our son and his bride as they begin this new chapter of their lives together.

Thanks for any of your prayers for them as well.

Father in Heaven, thank you for our son and his wife. Thank you for the JOY they have brought to us. Thank you also for accepting the responsibility of their lives. You love them far more than we ever will. We rededicate them to You. Pour out Your complete love on them. Fill them with Your JOY and Your PEACE. We love you. In Jesus' lovely Name we pray. Amen

Bringer of Peace

Peace or Pieces

The past two weeks or so have made 'as the world turns' seem a bit tame (according to me anyway). I don't really have much to do with 'soap operas' but who needs them with what has been going on in our daily lives.

Due to some rather interesting changes in our plans, our son, his wife and I went to Florida. A member of my father's uncle's family had died and my brother from out west decided to come. He was much closer to that part of our family than most of the rest of us. He and my sister offered to help pay for some of our gas if we would come so at about the last minute we decided to 'go for it'.

From retrospect that trip was one that God had planned. Not that everything went smoothly -(sometimes wondered about 'pieces') but time after time God arranged or rearranged events and in my mind I could see why.

My brother wanted to go see a dear friend, while he was here on the east coast - who lived in North Carolina. We all decided that I should go with him to help him drive. That gave our son and his new wife a little more time to spend in Florida. She had never been there before.

Most of you have heard that Florida has not been exactly what you would call warm, so water activities were not included on the agenda but the couple did drive down to the keys, which I hope they enjoyed, while I was in North Carolina.

Sadly, there are a few differences of opinion between some members of our family. I doubt that anything I did or said changed the situation but I sure have some insights I didn't have before.

We got back home just before noon this past Friday. I have got a lot to catch up on, but am thankful for safety during the miles of driving (or riding).

It definitely put a 'big dent' in our pocketbook but it was such a blessing for me to have the time with my older brother. It is probably the longest time I have ever spent with him in my whole life. I really feel like I am beginning to know him better than before and I hope it was a blessing for him as well.

I didn't get quite as much time with my sister, but she has stopped by more than once where we live in Virginia, so our times together hasn't been so distant.

I arrived home with several major decisions awaiting my attention. Since it was so close to Sabbath as special praise time with our wonderful Lord I decided to just lay aside such 'mundane' activities as making critical and possibly life changing decisions and focus on our precious God. As I was preparing for church I was talking to the Lord about some things that were on my mind. I was trying to quickly wash my hair but it seemed that almost as fast as the shower was spraying me with water so quickly was the Lord showering me with thoughts and ideas and filling in 'blanks' in relation to a lot of things that have been going on the past few days. That experience was awesome and I thank the Lord for it.

I was not ready for my children's class at church but we did it anyway. I had not had a class for three weeks. (Two weeks the church got closed down because of inclement weather and last week I ended up in Florida.) but the children seemed to enjoy what I did have for them.

God's form of Judgment includes 'revealing' in ways that enable correct decisions to be made.

God has been revealing to me things about me that need changing through many of the experiences of the past few days. I believe He also wants to 'reveal' what He is like as well through all who are willing to let His love flow through them to others in His time and way.

It is getting late so I must go.

May God's kind of peace be in your heart, but not the pieces that are the result of 'any other way' than God's way and will for you.

Yours in Peace,

Maiden, Bringer of Peace