Category: Bible

Learning from the Lives of Cain and Abel

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Genesis 4-5

We don’t really know exactly why God accepted Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s, but I think Hebrews 11:4 gives us some insight.

"By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks." - Hebrews 11:4 ESV

Oftentimes, we want to do what seems right to us, rather than doing what God has said. We think, “What’s wrong with eating the fruit of that tree? It looks fine to me.” Or we think, “Why can’t I give God this fruit, I am a farmer after all?”

Yet, faith trusts God. Faith trusts that what God has said is right. Faith believes that God is good and all-knowing and that all His ways are right.

And like Hebrews 11:6 (explaining more about Abel and other men and women of faith) says, 

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him." - Hebrews 11:6

Who are we seeking? Whose reward do we desire? Who are we trying to please? Are we pursuing our own pleasure and comfort or are we pursuing the Lord?

It’s like the words of Christ that we read in John – “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” – John 12:25-26 ESV

We must not expect that when you’re living for the Lord that the world will love you. In fact, Abel’s life is an example for us. Like John wrote in 1 John 3:12-13 ESV — “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.”

Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear." - Genesis 4:13 ESV

Were you taken aback when you read this? I was. When I first read this, I thought, “No, Cain, your punishment is much too light. You killed your brother. You deserve to be killed.” (In fact, Genesis 9:6 says just that.)

But as I’ve pondered it more, I see the foreshadowing of Christ bearing our sins, from the largest to the smallest. Cain deserved death for his sin, and though I’ve never murdered anyone physically, I deserve death for my sins, too. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 ESV

Yet I couldn’t bear the punishment for my sins any more than Cain or anyone else could.

But Christ bore our punishment in our place, that we can be justly forgiven by a just judge.

"[Jesus] committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:22-24 ESV

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father,

We come to You with hearts of thanksgiving for Your grace that You have lavished on us. We confess the hateful thoughts that we have had in our hearts toward men and women created in your image. We confess that we have often been jealous of others – The relationships they have, the talents they have, the possessions they have, even the faith they have. We confess we have often gone our own way rather than trusting Your character and Your Word.

We thank You for Jesus Christ the only perfect sin substitute, the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world, including me.

We humbly ask You to forgive us and cleanse us through the blood of Christ that was shed for us.

Please, Heavenly Father, give us the strength and wisdom that we need to live like Christ – not repaying wrong with wrong, not repaying reviling with reviling, but overcoming evil with good. Help us to entrust ourselves to You, the only one who judges justly. We pray that our lights would shine brightly – even when the world is yelling at us to turn our lights out. May we shine brightly for You.

In the holy and merciful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Craftiness and Blame-shifting

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Genesis 3

My, how quickly things can change! God creates a very good universe and in steps that crafty, cunning, shrewd snake, the devil.

Like we read in John – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 ESV). “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 ESV).

While God speaks for man’s good, the serpent speaks for our harm. Notice that the serpent pursued the woman, not the man. Yet, the man is not exempt from his own responsibility to lead and protect his wife. It says in Genesis 3:6 that Adam was with the woman. Also notice that Adam not only allowed his wife to eat, but he ate with her, too.

And God speaks first to Adam … And then comes the blame-shifting. Adam blames the woman, but also subtly blames God saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) Eve then blames the serpent for her disobedience. (Genesis 3:13)

We need to be careful not to shift blame to other people, our husband, our children, the cashier at the grocery store, the customer service representative on the phone. We need to be careful not to shift blame to our circumstances – I was hungry. I was tired. I’d a long day. It was “that time of the month.”

Those blame-shifting thoughts and words are usually true, yet they are not helpful or humble. Adam and Eve spoke the truth, but their hearts were proud and stubborn.

Instead, let’s accept responsibility for our own sin, confess it to God, and repent of it. Don’t forget that repentance is more than just feeling remorse, feeling sorry that you did something bad. True repentance involves turning away from evil and turning your face toward God.

And when we repent, we can be sure of God’s loving forgiveness. Like we read in 1 John 1:9-10 ESV — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

There still might be consequences of our sin. Adam and Eve still had to leave the garden. They still had to face death. Yet, God is so gracious and loving – He himself made garments to clothe Adam and Eve, and He will clothe us in pure white garments through faith in Jesus Christ who shed His blood to cleanse us of our sin.

For further study – read Romans 5:12-21; Romans 6:23; Revelation 3:5, 18 and Revelation 19:7-9.

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, We don’t want to be like that crafty snake. We don’t want to be deceivers or blame shifters. Please help us to accept responsibility for our sinful thoughts, attitudes, words and actions.

Thank you for sending Your only son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sin, shedding His blood to pay the price that we could be forgiven.

We confess to You how often we have chosen to follow our own selfish desires instead of following Your clear commands. Please help us to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

Help us to trust You and lean not on our own understanding, but to acknowledge You in all of our ways. We pray that You would direct our steps in a way that brings You honor and glory, and brings us and those around us good.

It is in the holy and righteous name of Jesus that we pray, Amen

The Gift of Being Created to be a Helper

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Genesis 1-2

I like to read Genesis one and two together because I see Genesis chapter two as an expansion of the account of the creation of man in chapter 1. There’s so much in these two chapters that I read both of them together, two days in a row.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 

Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 

Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." - Genesis 2:18-24 ESV

God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, so He wanted to give Adam a helper who was fit for him. Not just any helper would do. He didn’t just need the strength of an ox or the beauty of a peacock or the loyalty of a dog. No, Adam needed a suitable helper, designed especially for man, and so God gave him a woman.

Being a helper is a gift to both the man and the woman. The man needs the woman … And the woman has been given a very important job.

In God’s perfect timing, I’m writing this as I’m visiting my parents hundreds of miles away from my husband. I can assure you, my husband misses me. Yes, he misses me cooking and cleaning for him. Yes, he misses me making his morning coffee. Whether he misses them or not, he needs my little reminders and extra set of hands. But I think he especially misses my company, having to talk to and share life with.

And this is a great blessing! It is good to be needed and missed.

We need to be so careful to not allow our children to take our husband’s place. Children are made from the seed of their father, not from his rib … or yours. Children are created to leave their parents, but husbands and wives are created to become one flesh until they are parted by death.

Sisters, don’t leave your husband in the dust while you’re attending to your babies. Those babies are going to grow up and move away, but your husband will be by your side for the rest of his life. He needs you and you need to be needed. Make sure you keep your children and your husband in their rightful places in your hearts, minds, and lives.

I speak from personal experience – this is hard, but it can be done. Here are a few ideas I’ve learned (and am still learning) over my 28 years of marriage.

  • Schedule regular dates with your husband to keep those flames of friendship burning.
  • Look for something small that you can do to serve your husband every day – make him a cup of coffee or write him a little note or send him a text over lunch.
  • Express to your husband (and others) how grateful you are for him. Let them know how much they mean to you and how much you value them.
  • Keep a careful watch over your thought life. Complaining thoughts turn into complaining attitudes and complaining words. Nothing works more powerfully against your marriage than having a complaining Spirit. When those thoughts (true though they might be) come into your mind, grab hold of them and replace them with the truths of hope and grace found at the foot of the cross.
  • Make praying for your husband a priority. Ask God to bless him and guide him. Check out this video to a wonderful prayer for your husband – from his head to his feet.

Let’s pray now.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You so much for the gift that my husband is. Thank You for making me his helper. Thank You for making him such that he needed me. And thank You for making me fit for him.

Help me to recognize the blessing it is to be needed. I pray that I would make my husband a priority in my life. Help me to do him good and not harm all the days of his life. Help me to submit myself willingly and cheerfully to him, and to trust You, Lord, in the process.

Father, help me not to grow weary of doing good and to trust that in due season I will reap harvest if I do not lose heart.

I pray that You would bless my husband with every spiritual blessing according to the riches of Your glory in Christ Jesus. I pray that You would take care of him physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Give him the strength and wisdom that he needs to lead our family. And give him the humility that he needs to turn to You in his weakness.

In the good and gracious name of Jesus I pray.

Amen.

In the Beginning

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Genesis 1-2

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1 ESV

Before the creation of the heavens and the earth, there was God. God is the creator. He is the only “I am” – The only One who was and is and is to come. Think about that for a minute. In the light of His eternal power, my life and problems look so much more fleeting.

"The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day." - Genesis 1:2-5 ESV

The very first thing that God created in the universe was light. The earth was dark, but God was not dark. Like we just read in 1 John 1:5b ESV, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” God created light before He created the sun and stars. There was day and night, and light and darkness before there was a sun.

At the end of the Bible, in Revelation, we read that in the new city on the new earth, there will be “no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:23 ESV) 

"And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so." - Genesis 1:14-15 ESV

Yet God created the sun, moon, and stars. Why? We see three reasons here: He made them to separate the day and night. He made them for signs and seasons and days and years. And he made them to be lights in the darkness of the heavens.

I love the thought that God created time. God gave us a sun and moon and stars to mark days and nights and seasons. How could we count the days until our baby is due or the days until Passover or the Feast of Booths or Christmas if we didn’t have a sun? God is so wise and merciful!

And think of all the miraculous signs that have appeared in the heavens that draw people (including me) to consider God’s existence and power. Like Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

There’s so much I could write about Genesis 1! I’ll add just one more thought that I hope you already noticed, but took me years to pick up on. On days 1, 2, and 3 God created the things (the light, atmosphere, and land) and then on days 4, 5, and 6, He filled them (Heavenly bodies, air and sea creatures, animals and man in the land). God is intentional and orderly.

This revelation also helped me to remember the days of creation. On day one, God separated the light and the dark, and then on day four He put the sun, moon and stars in the heavens. On day two, He separated the water from the sky, and then on day five he filled the air and the water with animals to inhabit them. On day three, God separated the land from the water and then on day six, He put the man and animals on the land.

Let’s pray together.

Heavenly Father,

You are the God of light. There is no darkness in You. Our world is indeed so dark, but You sent Your only Begotten Son Jesus, to be the light of the world, to light it up, to draw people to You.

I pray that we would be a city on a hill. I pray that the light of Jesus would shine brightly out of us and point people to you, that we would let our lights done.

I pray that people would see the sun, moon and stars and the intricate, inexplicable beauty of all that You have created and they would know that You are indeed real and good and mighty and eternal.

Father, I pray that our study of Genesis would point us to You, the eternal almighty God.

In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

When Your Children are Walking in Truth

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: 2 John and 3 John

Once again John doesn’t sign his own name, but this time, he’s simply “the elder.” What a sweet title to give himself.

Once again John talks about TRUTH and LOVE – twin pillars on which the gospel rests. Jesus is the truth. The truth abides in the elect and will be with us forever (2 John 2). God’s grace, mercy, and peace will be with us in truth and love. (2 John 3).

"I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father." - 2 John 1:4 ESV
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." - 3 John 1:4 ESV

John rejoiced greatly at the good news that the elder woman’s children were walking in the truth and that his own children were walking in the truth. What greater joy is there? Whether it’s the children I’ve raised in my own house, or children I’ve discipled in the faith, or grown women I’ve walked with and helped them grow, what JOY it is to watch them walk in truth!

Who are you discipling? Who are your children in the faith? Who are you watching grow and walk in truth?

Everyone should have someone who they can pour into. You don’t have to wait until you’re an elder like John. Learn a little, teach a little. The walk is always nicer when you have someone to share it with. You’ll be amazed at how much it blesses YOU, how much JOY you receive, when you’re teaching someone else. How can I help you?

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father,

We pray that You will use us to equip the body for the work of ministry. Help us to work together with arms linked as one to grow Your church. Help us to be disciple makers, scattering seeds where we go and helping those little seedlings grow into mighty trees of righteousness that bear much fruit.

We pray for those who are young in their faith and that those elders will come alongside them to encourage them and minister to them. We pray for those who are elders in the faith to not lose heart or quit the fight. Help them to finish the race well, pouring out the last drop of their lives in the service of their king.

We pray for the children that are still in our homes. Lord, strengthen us to strengthen them. Draw them into a living relationship with You that they will walk in truth and love to the glory of Your name.

In the Name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

True Love

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Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: 1 John 3:1 – 5:20

I love reading 1 John just after reading the book of John. I can imagine “the disciple whom Jesus loved” writing this letter – a letter focused on the inseparable themes of truth and love, a letter that is not addressed to any specific person or church and that John did not personally sign his name to. Sounds like John, right? For more on this read my post about John 21.

Did you notice that I reread 1 John 3? I have found that it’s easy for me to forget the context of what is written, so it’s helpful to read the previous chapter, so I can better understand what’s being said. Do you ever do that, too?

John wanted his readers to BELIEVE in Jesus, the Christ, the One who took on flesh and conquered death for us – the ones whom He loved.

John wanted his readers to have CONFIDENCE in God’s love toward us, His children, so that we would be unafraid for that kind of perfect love casts out all fear.

Thank about what you just read in the book of John. Think about all that John had experienced first hand. John had seen Jesus walk on water with his own eyes. John had been an eyewitness to Jesus healing the sick and feeding the 5,000 with a few fish and loaves of bread.

John had heard Jesus teach with his own ears. John heard Jesus teach on the importance of forgiveness and mercy and John had heard Jesus condemn the fake faith of the Pharisees. And John had heard Jesus say, “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:35)

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:7-11 ESV

Remember that John is a man with a nature like ours. He isn’t the God-man Jesus Christ. Yes, John had been given a special calling as an apostle. Yes, he had the unique gift of being inspired to write the scriptures. But John battled his flesh just like we do. Think about how hard it must have been for John to love impetuous Peter and former tax collector Matthew.

True love is sacrifice. True love is best expressed in loving the hard-to-love. So next time you’re struggling to love that irritating person at church or that aggravating coworker or disobedient child, remember the truth that God loved us while we were his enemies. This is love.

Let’s pray together,

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your love. Thank You for sending Your only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live here on earth and to die in my place.

I pray that I will have complete confidence in Your love for me. You have made Your love evident, visible, manifest in sending Your own Son. Help me to love others with the love that You first showed to me.

In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

A Prayer for God’s Dearly Loved Children

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: 1 John 2:18 – 1 John 4:6

"I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth." - 1 John 2:21 ESV
"But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.... But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him." - 1 John 2:20, 27 ESV
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." 1 John 3:1a ESV
"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:11-12 ESV
"No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God." 1 John 3:9 ESV

Heavenly Father,

Please fill us and lead us by Your Holy Spirit, that we would know and live by the truth. Help us to discern truth from lies. Help us to turn to You when we need wisdom and knowledge, and to trust that You truly do abide in us.

You have made us Your children, by our faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. We have been born anew and Your seed abides in us. Let us test our faith to see if we are truly in You. If we are not in You, please show that to us. But, Father, if we are Yours, then help us to be conformed into Your likeness. Let us not love merely in words or talk, but let us love in deed and truth.

Help us to live holy and godly lives in this present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Keep us from bitterness, wrath, anger, malice, and envy. Give us clean hands and pure hearts to the Glory of Your Name.

In the matchless name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Of Light and Darkness, Love and Hate

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 12; Proverbs 2:16-22; 1 John 2:7-17

"Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." - 1 John 2:9-11 ESV

What is love? What is hate? Love is an emotion but it’s also an action. Love is wanting GOOD for someone while HATE wants harm for them.

Reading Psalm 12 and Proverbs 2 along with this passage, I thought of how much lying and adultery are really signs of hate … while honesty and integrity are marks of love. One might say that they love someone while their lips are speaking lies. One might say that they love someone while leading someone astray. But true love desires for the other person’s health, holiness, and well-being.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world." - 1 John 2:15-16 ESV

At its very essence, the love of the world and the things of the world boil down to love of self, love of comfort, safety, and pleasure. My love of the world is nothing like God’s John 3:16 love – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” My love of the world looks a lot more like loving my own pleasure. The truth is that I love me some ME.

And when my eyes are full of loving me, there’s no room left to love my Heavenly Father or my neighbor. To truly love my Heavenly Father, I have to put His glory and His commands over my own fleeting pleasures. To truly love my neighbor, I have to put their well-being over my own, and that takes Holy Spirit power and strength! I can never do that in my own flesh.

Won’t you pray with me?

Heavenly Father,

We want Your glory and majesty to fill the earth. Make us Your vessels. We want to walk in the light as You are in the light. We want to love our neighbor as ourselves. We want to love others as Christ loved us.

But, Father, we can’t do it on our own.

Please forgive us for how far and how often we have gone astray. We have loved the world and the things in the world, instead of loving You and loving our neighbor. We have loved ourselves and hated our brothers.

We repent of our sins. We turn to You, knowing that You are our only hope in life and death. Thank You for the forgiveness and grace available to us through the blood of Christ. Thank You for Your power and guidance available to us through the Holy Spirit.

We need You every hour. We cry out to You and ask for Your help and we know that You hear us.

Thank You! Thank you! Thank you! By the perfect righteousness of Christ we come to You.

Amen

The Lord Sees

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 11; 1 John 1:4-2:6

"The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man." - Psalm 11:4 ESV
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." - 1 John 1:5 ESV

Who am I fellowshipping with – light or darkness, Jesus or the devil, Almighty God or the world?

Am I speaking the truth or lies?

Am I deceiving myself or others?

Am I practicing truth or lies?

Let’s ponder these questions, then pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your faithfulness to me. You will never leave me. You will never give up on me.

Lord, you have forgiven me and cleansed me. I am clean. I am forgiven. I am a product of Your grace. I am covered by the blood of Jesus.

Thank You for Your mercy. Christ is just. He has already paid for my sins by His death on the cross. Who am I to try to pay for them myself?

Father, help me to walk by faith and not by sight, to cast all of my cares on You and trust that You care for me, and that You are guiding me. I pray that my fellowship would be with You and with my brothers and sisters in the faith. Please prick my heart when I go astray and bring me back quickly into the safety of Your fold.

In the good and mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

The Life was Made Manifest

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 10, 1 John 1:1-3

"Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1 ESV
"[The wicked man] says in his heart, 'God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.'” - Psalm 10:11 ESV
"O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more." - Psalm 10:17-18 ESV
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:1-3 ESV

Sometimes it can feel like God is hiding. But the truth is that even though we can’t see the invisible God, we can see him and what he has made. And in His great mercy He sent His own Son in the flesh, making the invisible God manifest among man.

It is the foolish and wicked who say in their hearts that there is no God. Let us not be fools, thinking God doesn’t see us or hear us. He does.

Today we can still read the eyewitness testimony of John who did see and hear and touch the risen Lord and be encouraged, and have fellowship with the body of believers – from the psalmist to John to today – and have fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You so much for sending Your son, Jesus Christ in the flesh that mankind could see Your glory. Keep us from the pride that tempts us to think that You cannot see us or hear us, that You are hiding, that You are blind and deaf.

Help us to be humble and to seek Your face and to search diligently and faithfully Your Word of Truth.

We pray that we will have a fellowship with the body of believers who are alive today and who have gone before us. We pray that we will have fellowship with Jesus Christ. Help us to live surrendered lives, walking by faith and not by sight.

To the glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen