Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus…

 

Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.—Exodus 34:29

As I read this verse last night my heart filled with a desire to spend more time with God.  Oh, to have the light of the glory of God reflected in my countenance!  Moses had just returned from spending 40 days and nights in fasting and communion with God. Because of this we read that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Beholding and spending time with God produces a radiant countenance that is a reflection of the Lord’s glory. Moses’ face shone with a radiant glory that was diminishing.  A Christian’s countenance, however, is one of an ever-increasing radiant glory because of God’s abiding presence in our hearts. A believer’s glory is eternal. 

Beloved…Immerse yourself in the word of God. We are changed by looking at Jesus…by spending time with Him in prayer, in worship and in study. Look full into His wonderful face and as you do be transformed into the same image from glory to glory.  It is in the looking at Him that you will become like Him.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.—Psalm 34:5

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.—Psalm 1:1-3

Who is like a wise man?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man's wisdom makes his face shine,

And the sternness of his face is changed.—Ecclesiastes 8:1

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.—Ephesians 3:14-21

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.—John 1:4-5

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.—Psalm 60:1-3

God Almighty—El Shaddai

 

And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land."

When God calls Himself  God Almighty or in Hebrew El Shaddai, He is literally saying I am the breasted one.   The breast nourishes and sustains life.  God is telling Jacob that He is not only the source of life but the nourisher and sustainer of it also.  In Him, we, like Jacob, have everything we need.  How comforting is that for us!  Our God is the El Shaddai!

I have nursed children.  Nursing is something that requires you to sit down and focus completely on your child. You really can't do much else.  God designed it this way.  It is where the infant meets you face to face for the first time and falls in love.   It is where your personal relationship with your little one is established...as you hold him close and nourish and sustain his life.  This is how my God wants me to think of Him...encompassed in His everlasting arms where every thought and intention of my heart is known by Him and every cry answered.  When God is with us it is as if there is no one else and nothing else in the universe.  He is intensely there...as a mom is with her nursing infant, to be in the presence of God is better than anything  the world has to offer.  He is our great High Priest who can sympathize with all our weaknesses.  He bears our sorrows and trouble. He intercedes for us with the Father. He clothes us in His righteousness.   He is our helper, our deliverer and our sustainer.  His love and grace for each of us is without end.  The height, breadth, width and depth of his love cannot be measured.

As a child is weaned and grows older, by necessity, he grows more independent of his parents.  We tell our kids to grow up and behave like an adult.  The Great El Shaddai  tells us the opposite!  He wants us to behave like a child...to depend on Him in everything and for everything! Jesus modeled this by living His life here on earth in total and utter dependence on His Father in Heaven.  He said nothing and did nothing outside of His Father's will.   If you are a parent, remember this desire of God's in your moment by moment relationship with your little one.  Point Him to Jesus always. Having done that...you have done your job.  Remember it in your own relationship with your Lord.  Think back on the sweetness of the nursing period...think back to when your child was a toddler and was tired, or scared or hurt and how wonderful it felt when they ran to you and climbed into your lap for whatever it was they might have needed.  Remember how wonderful it was to be able to fill that need for them.  REMEMBER THIS AND GO TO HIM IN YOUR TIME OF NEED.  Climb on His lap and allow His comfort to fill you!  It is His joy to do this!!  Your God will rejoice over you with singing and He will comfort and quiet you with His love.  

Life is hard....full of difficulties and curve balls.  It is too much for any of us.  Jesus tells us He is the El Shaddai..."the breasted one".  He does not want us to handle this life on our own.  In fact...He does not want US to handle it at all.  He says to come to Him...cry out to Him...run to Him.  He is the God that performs all things for us.  He is the God that perfects all things that concern us.  We can trust Him.  This is the attitude we need when we first enter God's kingdom....one of total dependence on the mercy of God.  One that understands with heart knowledge, as a child does, that he is helpless and unable to save himself. This also needs to be the heart of a child of God throughout his journey here on earth.  He walks with His God by faith, without fear, knowing that he is loved by his Father and that He will care for his every need.  Revel in the moment.  Walk by faith...cast your burdens upon the Lord...He cares for you.  Know your God, the Great El Shaddai,  is with you and will see you through!

Quit Ye Like Men…

 

 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NKJV

In the King James, the injunction "be brave," is translated, "quit you like men." Here Paul is linking the qualities of power (quit ye like men!) and love (that combination being rather counter-intuitive today). As he closes his epistle to the Corinthians, he urges them towards very soldierly virtues: watchfulness, steadfastness, bravery, and strength. Yet at the same time, he also exhorts them to align everything they do - including watching, being steadfast, being brave, and being strong - with the priorities of love. Our example is, as always, Christ Himself. On the cross He demonstrated both the heart of a warrior (quit ye like men!) and the heart of love. He acquitted Himself as a soldier in that He submitted Himself totally to His Father's will; endured well to the end the ordeal that was laid upon Him; trusted the Lord completely for all that He needed; faced the battles He fought without faintness or cowardliness; He protected those under Him; He completed His mission. He acquitted Himself in love in that His whole reason for going to the cross was His love for His Father, and His great love for us; when He opened His mouth, He was caring for His mother, speaking salvation to the thief next to Him, speaking the truth, or reaching out to those who were abusing Him; He again protected those under Him; He healed one of those who came to take Him into custody; and so much more. Jesus is the perfect example, the epitome of these two verses. To be like Him, we do as He did - depend totally on the Lord and let His Spirit do the work rather than striving to accomplish it ourselves. Our strength is pitiful. It has to be God's if we are to answer Paul's exhortations. Through His Spirit in us, the love and the strength of Jesus (quit ye like men!) are also ours. May we live them both out in the world.

by Rebecca...

Rest On Every Side…

 

Therefore he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side."—2 Chronicles 14:7

By God’s hand of mercy and grace, King Asa got it right. He sought the Lord His God. Scripture tells us Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord.  

In verse 11 we read:

And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"

Asa’s confidence was in His God! He knew the secret of victory was first in admitting his own weakness and acknowledging God’s ability. 

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Oh Father!   When my heart is overwhelmed with the cares and concerns of this life, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I am.  Rest on every side sounds so wonderful.  Help me to trust You moment by moment today in all things, and as I do, bring Your perfect rest to my fretful and broken heart.  You are sovereign.  You have a loving and divine purpose in all that comes my way.  You are my refuge in this vail of tears. In the midst of all the changes of this life, You change not. You are the same yesterday today and forever.  You are the same today as when You “spared not Your own Son” more than 2000 years ago! Nothing can befall me except that which is good. All You do in me and toward me is done in covenant love. I have a God who sympathizes with me in my weakness and knows my frame.  My Jesus who bore my sins also carries my sorrows.  His Presence today goes with me, and He will be faithful to bring me His rest on every side as I seek Him.  

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."—Matthew 11:28-30

God’s All-Knowing Eye…

 

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.—Psalm 139:16-18

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.—Psalm 139:23-24

Beloved…God’s all-knowing eye is not the eye of an enemy but of a loving Father who watches over us to do us good.  The same eye that saw and looked after Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant (see yesterday’s devotional -11/10/22) sees us and knows everything we face. 

His thoughts toward us are as innumerable as the sand and are always for our good. His desire is to bless us. Jeremiah, Chapter 29 sums it up well:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Father, Your lovingkindness is always before my eyes!  Your graces toward me are steadfast and sure and as numerous as the the sand on the seashore.  By Your Spirit who lives within me, help me to see them and offer to You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for each one.  Looking at “me” as I go about my day, causes my heart to sink and lose perspective...Help me to instead, look to You and remember your continual gifts of grace.  

Oh Lord!  You are on my side. I will not fear you omniscient eye!  It is for my good. Search my heart and show me my sin. Try me and know my thoughts. Forgive and put far from me any grievous way and lead me in the way everlasting. 

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.—John 1:16

Praise the LORD!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?

Who can declare all His praise?—Psalm 106:1-2

Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion

From the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the LORD,

For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!—Psalm 31:19-21

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light.

Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,

And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.—Psalm 36:7-10

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.—Psalm 26:3

The God Who Sees Me and Looks After Me…

 

The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”—Genesis 16:7-13

The Angel of the Lord appears to Hagar, the servant of Sarai, and tells her to return and submit herself under the hand of her mistress.  He assures her of His protection and His plan for her.  Hagar could go back and submit herself under Sarai’s hand because she knew she was really committing herself to God...to the God who saw her affliction and would look after her. 

I needed this today.  God does see...He is my God who sees.  He knows what I faced yesterday and what I will face today. He hears the cry of the humble.  Truly, He is the God who sees me and looks after me.  ❤️❤️

Wearing Affection…

 

He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love,—Proverbs 17:9a AMP

He who covers a transgression seeks love,—Proverbs 17:9a NKJV

Love overlooks and covers offenses especially those offenses that are against us...personal offenses. Love desires the best spiritually for another and puts their good foremost without considering how they themselves are being treated. Christ is our greatest example:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.--Romans 5:8

Reading this proverb (17:9a) this morning brought 1 Peter 4:8 to mind and it is where I spent my time. 

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

And - Moreover

Above - Before

all things - each every any

have - to hold in the hand in the sense of wearing; to have possession of the mind

fervent - stretched out; stretched forth to its longest reach 

love - charity, affection, good will, benevolence

for one another - towards each other

for - because

love - affection, good will, love benevolence, brotherly love

will cover - Kalypto - to hide, veil, to hinder the knowledge of a thing, conceal that it might not become known.  Kalypto comes from two root words: 

1. klepto - to steal or commit a theft...to take away by stealth

2. kyrpto - to hide, conceal to be hid, to escape notice.

a multitude - a great number

of sins - violations of divine law in thought or in act. 

My Paraphrase...

And before each and every thing give preeminence to and wear affection, good will and benevolence stretched to the limit as in a stretched out hand toward one another because self sacrificing love will cover or conceal a great many sins. It will point many to Jesus.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.--1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Replace the word love with Jesus)

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.--Philippians 2:1-11

Love is ready to forgive...love covers and overlooks offenses against itself.  

Better to Dwell in the Wilderness than with a Contentious and Angry Woman…

 

Better to dwell in the wilderness,

Than with a contentious and angry woman.—Proverbs 21:19

This verse is repeated in several different ways throughout Proverbs and none of them paint a pretty picture. One likens a quarrelsome wife to a continual dripping of rain.  Oh, may this never be said ( or thought!) about me!  To be fair though, women do not have the corner of the market on contentiousness. A lack of self-control when it comes to strong emotion is not just a woman’s problem.  It is a sin problem, and it is as rampant today as it was back when this proverb was penned.  

An angry wife, an angry husband or an angry child can make the lives of the people who live with them at best uncomfortable and, at worse, miserable or even downright impossible. The word “wilderness” here, by the way, means an uninhabitable land. For the purpose of this study I will focus on the wife, but the root sin problem and the antidote are the same for all.  

I am of one flesh with my husband.  When I am feeling something, he feels it with me. When we are not living in unity because one or both of us is being irritable, argumentative, cantankerous, irascible, or just a plain jerk, there is no joy in Mudville (as the saying goes).  As believers, we are to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of our flesh. We are not to allow our passions to rule, but are to depend on our God’s grace to love those that God has placed in our lives. We are to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.  We are, in effect, to point them to Christ by both our words and our actions.  

What do I do when I find myself falling into the role of the contentious woman?  I examine my heart.  I ask myself the simple question...what do you want that you are not getting?  Why that question you might ask? Because my bad attitudes ALWAYS stem from what I am not getting. What I, in my selfishness (and wrong thinking), think I deserve.  

I then remind myself of the truth.  I deserve death, and it is only by God’s grace that a place in heaven is reserved and being prepared for me.  My life then should never be one of contention, but by the power of His Spirit, it should instead be a continuous song of praise and thanksgiving before Him.  I died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. I have been crucified with Him; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  

Praying today that my heart and my home would be a soft place to fall for the precious people with which my God has blessed me.  Beloved, God is our Rock of Refuge from the tribulations and trials of this life.  A Man is our covert in the storm.  Point those you love to Him.  Be gracious and not contentious. May we, as believing wives, saved by His unmerited favor, make the words of Isaiah In Chapter 25 live in our heart and our home.

For You have been a strength to the poor,

A strength to the needy in his distress,

A refuge from the storm,

A shade from the heat;

For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

5 You will reduce the noise of aliens,

As heat in a dry place;

As heat in the shadow of a cloud,

The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.—Isaiah 25:4-5

Ending with a portion of Scripture that is my go-to when it comes to relationships...

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:12-17

No Good Thing Done for His Glory Will Go Unrewarded…

 

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.—Ephesians 6:5-8

I highlighted verse 8 above, because I think this morning was the first time my heart took note of it. There are other verses in the NT that basically say the same thing, but this one really makes it plain.  Whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord.  Beloved…no good thing done for His glory will go unrewarded. Call me shallow, but when push comes to shove, looking ahead to the reward helps me to keep going.

Jesus died for us when we were still His enemies. At the cross Christ suffered for the joy that was set before Him. (Us) Jesus looked to the reward.  

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.—Isaiah 53:11

And then there is the faith of the patriarchs…Abraham looked to his heavenly hope…

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.—Hebrews 11:8-10

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.—Hebrews 11:13-16

Moses looked to the reward…

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

So go ahead…look to the reward…you are in good company. While it is true that sometimes the reward seems long in coming, it is guaranteed either in this life or most assuredly, the next.  Christ, Himself…who is your shield and your exceedingly great reward…gives us His word. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.—Hebrews 11:1-2

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.—Colossians 3:2

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.—Galatians 6:6-10

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.—2 Corinthians 9:6-7