Attributes of God
An “Appointment” Pop Quiz
True or False:
- God assigns individuals to particular tasks.
- God has appointed times in history.
- God appointed Christ to save you.
If you said “true,” you are correct. Consider the following:
“Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him” (Genesis 21:2).
“Before I formed you…I have appointed you a prophet to the nation” (Jeremiah 1:5).
“He [Jesus] appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14).
“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come” (Mark 13:33).
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Of all God’s appointments, the greatest is Jesus. “…that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you” (Acts 3:20).
Yes, God appointed Christ to save us and He appoints times, people, events, and more. What has He appointed you to do?
Lord, who APPOINTS times, people, events and Jesus to be the Savior of the world. I praise and worship You. Help me faithfully fulfill what You’ve appointed me to do.
Our Lord, Jesus, has countless wonderful attributes that we can praise Him for. To learn more about His incredible qualities, purchase a copy of the 365 Days of Praise Daily Devotional HERE. You’ll be introduced to a different attribute each day that you can praise Him for.
This Makes Me Smile
It makes me smile to think about where and when Christ spoke the words in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the Poor.”
When did Jesus say these words? He had just returned from being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. “He was led by the Spirit in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). What was His first Spirit-anointed task following His victory over Satan’s temptations? He went home…to Nazareth. I love that. And get this—“as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.”
This is a good place for us to pause and ask ourselves, is it our custom to gather with believers to read and hear the Scripture?
Are we raising our children with the custom of gathering with believers to hear the Word of God?
If it was what God’s anointed Lord Jesus did, it’s what I want to do. I would have hated to have missed Jesus speaking in the synagogue because I didn’t feel like going that day. I’d hate to miss Jesus speaking today which is one reason I gather with believers to worship and hear the reading and teaching of His Word. Do you?
Jesus, I praise You, ANOINTED Lord and Savior. Thank You for Your words and example of a Spirit-led life. May I follow Your example today and always.
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Do We Have Enough Holy Reverence?
“Hey, buddy.” We’re often quite chummy with people, calling them “buddy”. Some parents even call their children, “buddy”. In reference to Jesus, there are people who quote Matthew 11:19, that Jesus was a friend (buddy?) of sinners. But let’s not forget that Jesus is the gloriously exalted LORD who is seated at the right hand of God. Prayerfully picture the scene recorded in Daniel 7:9-10.
“I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands were attending Him; and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him. The court sat, and the books were opened and were presented before Him.”
The Son of Man, Jesus, is not our “buddy”. He is our Lord seated at the right hand of the Ancient of Days.
ANCIENT OF DAYS, glorious One, and Son of God, forgive me when I fail to show You holy reverence. Help me honor You today and every day.
Learn how to contend for the faith in the times in which we live through Debbie’s Bible study of Jude, Contend Earnestly for the Faith. Purchase a copy HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos, podcasts, and listening guides HERE.
When Waves of Hopelessness Pound Your Heart
You need hope. I need hope. Our loved ones need hope. Where do we find it? Do we practice “self-talk” and tell ourselves we are “happy and fine” when we aren’t? Or do we kneel, look up in praise, and cry out to the One who has gone before us to heaven and who intercedes for us?
Hebrews 6:19 describes our relationship with Jesus and why we can have genuine hope. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered…”
Our hope in Jesus is an anchor for our soul. Personalize that truth. My hope in Jesus is an anchor for my soul. Think about that. It’s amazing. We don’t have to be carried by waves of hopelessness into an ocean of despair. Yes, waves of hopelessness may at times seem like they will overwhelm us. But when you feel that way, place your hope in the Savior. You are not going to drift beyond His sight or hand. He’s got you. Our hope in Christ is an anchor for our soul.
Jesus, sweet Savior, thank You for being the One in whom my soul is anchored; for being the ANCHOR OF MY SOUL. I praise You that I will never drift from Your hold.
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Why You Can Stop Fretting
“I don’t know where this is going.”
Have you ever said or thought those words in regard to the unrest in our world, nation, or perhaps your family or a personal situation? The past may be a blur and the future uncertain.
It’s no wonder we may feel uneasy at times. Yet in the midst of our ever-changing world, believers have this hope and promise: Jesus isn’t going anywhere. He’s right here with us, just like He was with us yesterday and just like He will be with us tomorrow. Revelation 1:8 records Jesus’ words of assurance to us,
“’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
Our Lord was with us in the past. He’s with us at this moment. He’ll be with us tomorrow. We have an ever-present Lord to see us through our days.
Breathe a sigh of relief, thank Him, and confidently move forward in your day thanking Him for His presence with you.
Christ Jesus, ALPHA AND OMEGA, I praise You, the One who is and who was and who is to come. The One who is with me at this moment. I love You.
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Praise Almighty God
The Bible provides several examples of the Lord revealing Himself to people. One such example is when Abram, later known as Abraham, was 99 years old. The Lord appeared to him and introduced Himself as the Lord Almighty. Read the account in Genesis 17:1-2: “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.”
The Old Testament word for “Almighty” means “most powerful”. The New Testament word means “he who holds sway over all things, the ruler of all.” Together, these words reveal that the Almighty is the most powerful being who holds sway over all things.
God wanted Abraham to know His power and ability to hold sway over his life. God wants us to know, too.
ALMIGHTY GOD, I praise You, the most powerful One who holds sway over all things. Hold sway over my heart today so that I walk blamelessly before You.
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When We Question God’s Power
Whether we’re shopping for a car or a computer, we typically ask, “How powerful is it?” Why do we ask? We want to know if what we’re considering buying can do what we want and need.
We may not say or even realize it, but sometimes we may question God’s power. For example, we pray about something and then we worry.
If we really believed that nothing is impossible with God, then worry wouldn’t have a place in our lives.
Today is a good day to remember 1 Chronicles 29:11, that God is all powerful and we can confidently place our trust in Him. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.”
Let that be our prayer. Let that be our mindset as we live out our day.
Lord, You are great, ALL POWERFUL, and the One to whom glory, victory, and majesty belong. Help me walk out my faith and trust in You today rather than fret over details.
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Finger Pointing, Rock Slinging Reversal
Peace between people. Is it possible? It appears not to be. Why? Because although we aren’t perfect, we expect others to be perfect. Remember when the Jews were itching to stone a woman caught in adultery? The rocks were in their hands. Their self-righteous arms were wound for the throw. But when Jesus confronted them, when He invited the one who was sin-free to throw the first stone, they slinked away (John 8:7-9).
What did Jesus then do? If you said, stone her because she was guilty and deserving of punishment, you’re both right and wrong. You’re correct in saying she was deserving of death according to the Law. You are incorrect about Jesus’ response. He told her He didn’t condemn her and for her to go and sin no more. Amazing! Jesus extends the same grace to us.
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
There it is. We are not to sin, but when we do, we can be mindfully grateful that Jesus is our Advocate just as He was for the adulterous woman.
Lord Jesus, I praise You, my ADVOCATE. Quicken my heart to take seriously Your command to sin no more.
Would you like to experience God’s sufficient grace and peace in your life? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.
Why Self Effort Never Works
Do you get frustrated when you “blow it” in regard to your Christian walk? I do. Almost every day, I’m mindful of something I should have done or could have done that would have brought honor to Christ. The reminder in 2 Corinthians 3:5helps me in those times. It says, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”
The word “adequacy” in this verse means sufficiency, ability, or competency. Here we find a key to help us accomplish our desire to live “for” Christ. We can’t live “for” Him in our own strength. Rather, we need to let Christ live His life in and through us. His adequacy is the key.
Our ability to be and our ability to do that to which God calls us comes from Christ in us.
Instead of trying to live the Christian life in our own strength, we can pray, “Fill me with Your Spirit so I walk by Your adequacy.” That is our hope-filled prayer.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are in me and more than ADEQUATE for everything pertaining to life and godliness.
We don’t have to walk our Christian journey alone. Jesus sent us a Helper—the Holy Spirit. To learn more about Christ’s gift, listen to this free podcast teaching: Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.
If Back Room Power Plays Are Getting You Down
Recently, there seems to be an increase in backroom power plays among people. It is disturbing regardless of what person, political party, or entity you support. I suppose that’s why I find such joy in meditating on Jesus. He is the only one who is pure, and He is the ultimate one to whom we can look.
In addition, it also helps to remember that He is above all. Yes, Ephesians 1:20-21 clearly states that Jesus is seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come”.
Aren’t those beautiful words on which to meditate? Jesus is above every rule and authority and power and dominion. Above all. Above all. Do we get it? Christ is above all, not only in this age but also in the age to come. Hallelujah! And this is especially good news. He is our friend. He urges us to tell Him our needs. He offers to help when we call on Him. What a wonderful Savior.
Lord Jesus, You who are far ABOVE ALL rule and authority and power and dominions, I love and worship You.
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