Knowing God - Jesus Executes Judgment

John 5:26-27

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Jesus has the authority to execute judgment.  He decides what is sin and what is right.   He determines how He will deal with us and our lives.  We are not our own judge and our own opinion of ourselves is not what stands.  This is why we must come before Jesus, worshiping Him and seeking to know His stance on everything.  He is a righteous judge and all of His judgments are rooted in love and truth.  We should, like the psalmist in Psalm 119:30, say; “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” Jesus is the One we must come to and have our matters judged.  Are we being stubborn?  Are we wrong?  Are we doing the right thing?  Is this worth my time?  Do I need to make restitution for something?  Jesus is the One who executes judgment, let’s trust His call and choose the way of truth.

Proverbs - Dimensions

Proverbs 25:3

The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.

There are dimensions all around us. There is the height of heaven and the depth of earth.  There is the depth of the sea and the height of the mountains.  The heart of kings is similar.  Just as we are unable to fully experience the highest height and the lowest depth, authority has reasons for doing things we will not be able to experience from our vantage point.  This is why it is important to submit to authority as long as there is no conflict with the law of God.  Even kings don’t know why they do some of the things they do because the Lord turns the heart of the king in whatever direction He wants it to go.  Our husbands may make decisions for which we would demand justification.  This could be to our detriment.  The depth of their reasoning may even be too deep for them to put into words.  I have found that when I go along with the leading of authority, I am usually pleasantly surprised at the experience I receive.  We don’t have to understand, we have to stand under the authority in our lives and trust their hearts are too deep for us to fully search.

Knowing God - He Will Not Consume Us

Mal 3:6

For I am the Lord, I change not;

therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Many of us know the first part of this verse but it is the second part that deserves attention as well.  Because the Lord changes not, his actions will not be determined by our choices.  The ‘sons of Jacob’ was Israel – His people.  God will deal with us as children and we will face discipline because He loves us but, He will not consume us.  His dealings are not impulsive or out of spontaneous anger.  Our God changes not and the mercy He has shown us from the beginning, endures forever.  We don’t have to fear that our God will change or that His personality will suddenly take on unexpected traits.  When we read about our God from Genesis through Revelation we grow in the knowledge of a God who changes not.  Every time we learn something about Him, we can take it to the bank!  He changes not and because of this, we do not need to have any sort of paralyzing fear of how He will deal with us.  Because He changes not, we will not be consumed!

Proverbs - Search Out a Matter

Proverbs 25:1-2

These are also proverbs of Solomon,

which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

God has a right to withhold instruction until we are ready to receive it.  It is to His glory.  We may not be mature enough to process it or willing enough to obey it.  We see many instances in scripture where our finding is connected with our seeking.  It is in the search that our hearts are made ready to receive.  It is in the search that our focus becomes defined.  The Lord has called us kings and priests and it our honor to search out a matter.  This keeps us remembering that He is the King of kings and truly the wisdom we need descends from above and is not always within our beings.  The search creates the hunger where the answers satisfy.  The search creates a passion that will remain long after the answer comes.  You will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart.  He wants to be found and He wants to use the time of seeking in your life in a rich, lasting way.

Knowing God - He Gives Grace and Peace

Philem 3

Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father ......

God is our Father, if we have received Christ and become children of God.  We are told over and over again that our Father gives peace.  It is from having Him as our Father that we have the peace we need.  Take a moment and read how many times our God wrote this to understand the fact that He really wants us to know this:

1 Tim 1:2  Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father

2 Thess 1:2… Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father…

1 Thess 1:1Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father,…

Col 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father…

Phil 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father…

Eph 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father,…

2 Cor 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father,…

1 Cor 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father,…

Rom 1:7Grace to you and peace from God our Father…

It is from the favor, or grace, we have with God as our Father that we have the peace and lack of restlessness we might tend to move towards.  Enjoy God as your Father today knowing that, the favor and peace we so need comes from Him!

Proverbs - Watch and Learn

Proverbs 24:30-34

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

This is a lesson for us to learn.  We need to be observant.  Watch people’s lives. This man walked by a field of a man who was lazy.  It was unkempt, overgrown and there was no protection around it from animals or thief.  He looked at it and considered it well.  He looked upon it and received instruction.  Look upon the fields of the lazy that you know. Consider them and receive instruction.  Instead of judging people; receive instruction.  Instead of gossiping about people; receive instruction.   People’s lives can teach us so much.  Here we learn that if we are lazy, our homes will be a mess.  Things will be growing in relationships that are choking out life and boundaries will be crumbling.  If we are lazy moms and not attentive to our children, the walls we have constructed might start to disintegrate and lose their structure.  We must be diligent in this calling we have received so that when people walk by our fields, they might stop, consider and receive instruction as well.

Knowing God - He Has Power Over All Flesh

John 17:2

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Jesus is talking, ‘praying’, to His Father here.  He has allowed this conversation to be recorded in writing for us.  He reveals to us that Jesus, Himself, has power over all flesh and that Jesus gives eternal life to as many as the Father has given him.  The word ‘power’ in this text means; delegated influence, magistrate and jurisdiction.  Jesus is the One whom we must call upon in times of trouble. Jesus is the One we must preach to others.  Jesus is the One that we must put our faith in.  He has the authority to give eternal life.  As we pray for those who have yet to receive eternal life, we should pray to Jesus and ask Him to influence those we love resulting in their salvation.   Worship Jesus.  Love Jesus. He has authority over ALL flesh!