365 Days of Praise
Show and Do
Are you in a desperate spot? Sick of spirit, soul, or body? Are you frustrated because you’re not caring for yourself in the way you should? If so, I can relate. Our bodies, minds, and emotions are wonderfully made. But, if we don’t take care of them, and even when we do, they can break or get sick. Disease can strike…physically, spiritually, emotionally. But, let’s zoom in on a way our Heavenly Father chose to reveal Himself. Israel had just celebrated their crossing of the Red Sea and escape from the Egyptians. After three days in the wilderness and no water, they arrive at the waters of Marah, but the water was bitter. They couldn’t drink it. Picture the scene. You’re dying of thirst looking at water you can’t drink. And you can’t do a thing about it. You can’t fix it. Are you there now in your life? You have a problem that you can’t fix?
Moses is desperate. He “cried out” to the Lord. And Jehovah-Rapha “showed him” what to do. Rapha means healer; to mend, cure, make whole. Jehovah-Rapha told Moses to throw a certain tree in the bitter water. He obeyed and the most miraculous thing occurred. The water became sweet. Exodus 15:25b-26 says, “There He made a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
Which brings us to a question. What have we cried out to Jehovah-Rapha about? What has He shown us to do? Are we doing it? Jehovah-Rapha’s message is clear.
- “If”… that means there’s a choice we make with a correlating consequence.
- “we give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord our God” …. that means we pay attention when He shows us what to do.
- “and do what is right”….Moses had to do the work of cutting the tree and throwing it into the water. We have to act on what Jehovah-Rapha shows us.
- “in His sight”….God watches to see if we’re doing what He shows us.
- “and give ear to His commandments”… God knows what works. Are we paying attention to how He tells us live?
God is our spiritual, emotional, relational, mental, physical doctor. Have we cried out to Him? Are we doing what He shows us?
Jehovah-Rapha, Lord our Healer, we praise You for the complete healing we’ll experience in heaven. In the meantime, may we look to You for direction and then do what You show us.
The Only One
Have you ever felt desperate and cried out to God for help to fulfill what He’s asked of you? Such was the case for Abraham. God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. It seems crazy and incomprehensible to us, but God never intended for Abraham to kill his son. Abraham knew that. He told his servants, “We will return,” not “I will return.” But Abraham also knew that God told him to sacrifice Isaac, so he took all the steps not knowing what would happen. One step of faith at a time. In the final moment, as he raised the killing knife, God stopped him. He then provided a ram for Abraham to substitute in the place of his son. Genesis 22:14 records, “Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” This dramatic moment was a foreshadow, a “seeing” of the day God would provide Jesus as our sacrifice. He would be laid on the wood, stretched out, and killed. In the demand of a human father being asked to sacrifice his son, we glimpse the pain and incomprehensible suffering of God sacrificing Jesus for us. God provided for Abraham and God has provided for us. How are we living in response to the great sacrifice our Heavenly Father made? Who might we share His love with who is killing themselves on the altar of self will and self goodness – all to no avail because Jesus is the only perfect and acceptable One?
JEHOVAH-JIREH, You saw our need and provided Yourself as the fulfillment for it. We’re overwhelmed with gratitude. Point us to someone with whom we can share the good news of salvation through Christ.
Where Did God Come From
Where did come come from? It’s a question probably every person has asked. Here’s the answer. In Exodus 6:3, God said to Moses, “I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name, LORD, (JEHOVAH) I did not make Myself known to them.” JEHOVAH means self-existent One or “the existing One.” As God explained to Moses, He is “I AM WHO I AM.” Bible scholar Charles Ryrie, explains, “It is a name of relationship between the true God and His people and when used, emphasizes God’s holiness, hatred of sin, and love of sinners.”* God didn’t “come from.” He IS. As amazing and hard to believe is that the self-existing LORD, who is holy and hates sin, loves us. We’ll understand more when we get to heaven. Until then, praise Him!
Lord God, JEHOVAH, we praise You and thank You that You love us and have provided salvation for us!
#biblegateway Blogger Grid Member
*Ryrie Study Bible, New American Standard Bible 1995 Update, Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Moody Press, Chicago, pg 2057.
Hellooooooo!
Heavenly Father, You are JEALOUS when our thoughts, money, and time go to things and people above You. Forgive us. Show us how to hurriedly right this wrong.
Someone Knows Your Heart
Holy One, what a joy and peace there is in knowing that You search our hearts and INTERCEDE for us. Amazing! Thank You!
When You Question God’s Goodness
Lord, Your understanding is INSCRUTABLE. We look to You with faith in Your proven goodness.
Get Rid of the Cat Clinging Guilt
You’re INVITED this Sunday, June 9. My husband and I are teaching from 2nd Peter, “How to Live by the Divine Nature.” If you live in the Texas hill country, join us 9:45-10:45 am. You do not need to be a member of a church or be a Christian to come. Our class, Crossroads, meets in the Family Life Center/Gym on the first floor at Trinity Baptist Church, 800 Jackson Rd, Kerrville, TX. Come early for fruit, donuts, coffee, and juice. People from all walks come dressed in jeans, shorts, dresses, slacks – whatever you like, whoever you are, we welcome you! And, of course, you’re invited to our worship service led by Pastor John Wheat. Come, receive a blessing this Sunday! I’ll be at the tables in the gym to greet you.
Have you ever felt guilty? Isn’t it a horrible feeling? What do you do with guilt? You can’t hide it, shake it, or bury it. It clings to you like a cat. Nails dug in, it’s determined to not turn loose of your heart. However, there is One who never experienced guilt. Hebrews 7:26 says this about Jesus, “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, INNOCENT, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;” Can you imagine being holy and INNOCENT one moment and the next moment experiencing the guilt of the world? Jesus did that for us. Never question His love…”while we were yet sinners, He died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Wonderful, Savior, INNOCENT ONE, thank You for taking our guilt so that we might be declared innocent.
Are Your Feet Dancing?
Lord, You are our INHERITANCE; what more could we want? We love You, praise You, and rejoice in YOU!
When No One Understands You
Do you ever feel like no one understands you; truly understands you? Or, have you, on the other hand, ever said, “I don’t understand why you….”? Or, “I can’t understand how you could…”? It’s true. As much as we may love or know someone, we can never completely, one hundred percent, get inside another person’s head. But guess who can? God. Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is INFINITE.” God’s understanding is limitless, endless, impossible to measure. And the most amazing thing is He loves us. How can we not run to Him in love and gratitude?
Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, thank You, thank YOU for knowing us inside and out, for your INFINITE UNDERSTANDING and loving us.
Indescribable
Have you ever been called a “gift” because of who you are and what you give to others? Second Corinthians 9:15 describes Jesus in this way. “Thanks be to God for His INDESCRIBABLE GIFT.” What is the indescribable gift? Jesus Christ laying down His life so that we would receive the free gift of eternal life. The INDESCRIBABLE GIFT of grace, righteousness, and so much more that we receive in salvation! Who is the recipient of God’s INDESCRIBABLE GIFT? Everyone who repents and confesses Jesus as Lord.
Thank You, Heavenly Father and Jesus, God’s INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!