The Unimaginable Greatness of God

by Scott Kaczorowski

In Lesson 8 of Falling in Love Again with Your Lord for Men we looked at God’s right hand… its power (Day 2), authority (Day 3), blessing (Day 4), and how it binds in covenant (Day 5).  Kevin summarized this nicely in the lecture when he said: “His hand holds all the power, His hand holds all the authority, His hand holds all the blessings, and His hand binds us to him completely.”

There have been times in my life when I have been struggling with some issue.  Then I look at the world around me and think about the magnificence of creation.  And I realize that my God made all of this.  If we step back and really contemplate God bringing everything into existence out of nothing, that is unimaginable power.  And then I think, do I really believe that the One who could bring all of this into existence by His incredible might and power would not be able to deal with my puny problems?

Indeed, what are our difficulties compared to speaking the universe into existence?  What are our circumstances, however complex and beyond searching out we might feel they are, compared to holding every atom in the universe together nano-second by nano-second?  What could possibly be too difficult for the God who keeps galaxies on their course?  Could anything be too hard for the One who preordained and governs the course of the smallest particle in the universe?1  Even the greatest plight we have–physical death–is no match for the one who created life in the first place.  He created.  And He can re-create.  He proved this when He raised Jesus from the dead.

Our God is unimaginably great.  May this realization lead us to say with David, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).

Footnotes:
1This thought is probably similar to that expressed by Dr. Bruce Ware of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in a lecture in his Systematic Theology I course.  He also may have used the expression “my puny problems” but I am unsure of this.

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Stand Firm in Your Time with the Lord

by Angie Thomas

What an amazing semester this has been! I have seen God working so powerfully in so many of your lives as you have sought Him and fought to keep your relationship with Him a priority.  He is so glorified and honored in your perseverance and struggle. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:12-13).

My prayer for all of us as we enter into this break of meeting weekly and being in a formal study is that we will STAND FIRM in maintaining daily time with the Lord.  The enemy would love nothing better than to get us to backslide and neglect time with the Lord in the next few months.  I know because I will struggle and hear the same lies you will. Here are a few I have already heard the enemy whispering this week:

“You don’t have to have any work done, no one will be checking up on you now, stay in bed.”

“It’s just one day of sleeping in.  You deserve it.”

“You can work on it tomorrow.”

“You really need some extra sleep. You have had a hard week.”

Perhaps what the enemy will whisper to you will be different, but just be aware he will do anything he can to distract and delay you from meeting with your loving Heavenly Father. One day of no prayer and Bible reading turns into 3 or 4 and before you know it a whole week goes by and we haven’t spent time with Jesus. Then we start to wonder why we are irritated, grumpy and walking through our days with no peace and joy.

Jesus, we confess we are so weak and so easily distracted by Satan’s often subtle lies and whisperings to us.  Give us the grace and wisdom to see the schemes he uses on us and stand firm by your Word and the power of your Spirit within us to continue to lay down our lives daily to you and to not indulge our flesh that wants to be coddled and comforted.  We confess we are often just down right lazy and give up time with you for entertainment, sleep, or a host of other things.  May we truly hunger and thirst after you above all these things and may you allow us to experience your presence like never before!

Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewedday by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

I have also decided that I need to make a plan.  I am going to try and go back and review our Falling In Love Again With Your Lord study this next week and then start an Advent Devotional on Decemeber 1st.  I am also hoping to work on organizing my prayer journal more effectively during January.  May God give you much wisdom, guidance and discernment as well.

Have a safe and really wonderful Thanksgiving.  So thankful for Jesus and for His sacrificial death that allows us to proclaim the Good News to others and also enjoy His love and peace daily!

 

 

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Increments

by Dottie Ryan

I was raised in a dysfunctional home.  And as a result, much of my thought processes — my coping mechanisms — the ways I perceived and walked through everyday life were skewed.  The way I saw and understood God was just as distorted.  I would like to say that the Lord has totally healed me from the place He took me to that summer of 2007 when I first did the Falling in Love Again with Your Lord study.  But that is not true.  What I can do is share a word – one simple word — that spoke to my heart back then . . . one I have leaned on almost daily since then.  The word is “Increments.”  Progress.  The Bible tells us that we journey from faith-to-faith.  Increments.  So I believe that this side of eternity we will be on a continuous journey that will consistently increase our faith and knowledge of God through Christ so that we can be anchored in Him.  It is so important how we respond to Him.  Belief. Trust. Bowing. Surrendering. Walking out the truth of what He shows us.  Yet it is also He who works all these things in us.

Taking the revised Falling in Love Again with Your Lord study in 2013 has shown me that He is changing me — that my faith has grown — that He is faithful.  I am still walking it out daily — still preaching the Gospel to myself several times a day — still fighting the fight of faith to submit to His Word and not my feelings.  It is an ongoing battle.  But He — He — get’s the glory.  Because in eternity the victory has already been won by Christ. Aside from His grace and mercy . . . well, I’d be headed to eternal destruction.  Grace! Amazing Grace!

His right hand upholds me. . . upholds you (cf. Psalm 63:8). Believe that.  And thank your Lord!

 

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