365 Days of Praise

Where did God come from? Who created Him?  What’s His origin? Who is the master mind behind Him? It’s a question most people ask at one time or another. 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.” God explained to Moses that He is “I AM WHO I AM.” What does that mean? Scholar Charles Ryrie explains. “It is a name of the 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 as it is, God is self-existing LORD who is holy, hates sin, and loves us. We can’t fully comprehend until we get to heaven. Until then, lift your hands and praise Him!

Lord God, JEHOVAH, we praise You and thank You that You love us and have provided salvation for us! 

*Ryrie Study Bible, New American Standard Bible 1995 Update, Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Moody Press, Chicago, pg 2057.

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 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 provided for us. How are we living in response to the great sacrifice our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus made? Who might we share His love with who is killing themselves on the altar of 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. 

Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day…

Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. v 14—for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—”  

Heavenly Father, You are a JEALOUS God. May we not ignore but rather rectify any way we have put another thing or person above You.

²⁶ Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with ^[a]groanings too deep for words;

²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the ^[b]saints according to the will of God.

Holy One, what a joy and peace there is in knowing that You search our hearts and INTERCEDE for us. Amazing! Thank You!

Do you ever feel like no one understands you – truly understands you?  Or have you ever said to someone, “I don’t understand why you….”? Or maybe you thought, “I can’t understand how you could…”?  No doubt, as much as we may love or know someone, we can never get inside another person’s head. But God can.  Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is INFINITE.” God’s understanding is limitless, endless, and impossible to measure. And the most amazing thing is He loves us. How can we not run to Him in love and gratitude? Why would we not talk to Him about everything on our heart and mind? Why would we not quietly wait and listen for God’s instructions and guidance?  (By the way, it helps to have our Bible when we pray so as He stirs our heart we can look up verses He brings to mind.). When no one understands you, remember – God does and He loves you. Run to Him. Pray to Him. Stay near Him.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, You have INFINITE UNDERSTANDING of me and my situation. Thank You for guiding me as I wait in Your presence.

²¹For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…²⁴ 

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. ²⁵ 

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie…”