What Do We Know About God? Truth From The Bible.

We do not know much about God, but some things we can be sure of. 

"As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless: He shields all who take refuge in him." Psalm 18:30.

GOD'S WAY

God is sovereign, which means He rules all things. He is the ultimate authority and absolute power. He has the merit to be ruler since He is Creator, and as the Righteous One, He deserves to be the ruler. Because God is sovereign, His way is right, and just- and logically perfect.

The phrase "God's way" must mean the way He does everything. We might say this person has a certain way, and we mean there is a consistent manner in which that person does things. God has a certain way, too. His way is unchanging, consistent, right, holy, just, loving, fair, and it is all that we would consider perfect. 

PERFECT

We are not perfect. Therefore, we cannot truly understand perfection, and because of that, we cannot fully understand The Lord. A mouse could not understand the complexities of human affairs because humans are above mice in sophistication and technology; since we know The Almighty is higher than we are, we know we cannot fully understand Him, except for what He chooses to reveal us. He has chosen to reveal something of Himself to us, and what He has revealed is comforting and glorious.

Psalm 18:30

WORD
The Word of God is many things. It is more than a set of commands and rules. It reveals who He is and what He desires from us. It points us to His plan of salvation.

If God is perfect and all-powerful, then His Word must be, too; if there is any corruption in His Word, He is weak and not perfect. Those who accept the challenge to objectively test the Scriptures testify that this is true.

SHIELD

You can imagine some disaster that lays waste the land and society, but in the midst of the calamity, the shielding arms of the Almighty are a barrier between destruction and those who look to Him. This is the act of a Loving Father. A shield does not mean that danger is not present, and we still live in a world afflicted with problems, but we can be confident that He is a shield to us. We may not see it that way, but remember, we cannot fully understand God, so we cannot fully understand His shielding. 

REFUGE
A refuge is a safe and unique place in an area or time of trouble.  That it exists does not mean you are automatically protected. You must enter refuge; you must decide to go to it; if not, you are not protected.  Entering the refuge is a decision and an act of will. We must come to God to find refuge in Him. He does not force himself upon us but awaits our choice.

We need to find refuge in God during the many crises in our world these days. The greatest need is not sheltered from a storm but our need for forgiveness of sins and deliverance from the judgment of sin.

God fulfilled the need for refuge when he became a man and died to punish our sins.

(c) Adron 12/2/13

What Can You Do When Everything Is Against You? Help From The Bible. 1 Samuel 14:6

Sometimes it looks like the whole world is against us and there is no way out of a situation. A young warrior once faced a garrison of enemy troops alone but found confidence and victory.

"Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of these pagans perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can hinder the Lord, He can win the battle whether he has many warriors or few." 1 Samuel 14:6.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Jonathan was the son of the king, Saul, during the times of war with the Philistine nations surrounding the nation of Israel. The Philistines had an outpost that threatened Israel. Jonathan was inspired to attack the outpost alone.

NOTHING
This great statement of faith is full of confidence in God.  There is nothing, no person, and no situation that can stand in the way of God and his intentions.

HE CAN WIN
Since there is nothing that can stand against the Lord he will win, but to say he can win is an understatement- it is a certain fact.

WHETHER
We look at numbers and statistics and we try to calculate if things will go the way we want. The Almighty is not disturbed that the odds are against him. He is God; he will be victorious no matter what. This is saying God is bigger than the enemy, he is bigger than our problem and he is bigger than anything we can face.

IT IS ABOUT THE LORD NOT US
Jonathan put his faith in the Lord of Host, not his own strength or sword. God wins the battle; he can do it by many or few because he does not need numbers or armies.

Jonathan's faith was in the Lord for victory and for salvation from his enemies. His statement of faith and confidence is for the glory of God and is an example to us.

If you are facing overwhelming foes look to the Almighty Father who is far bigger than any problem we can face.

If you are interested in learning more about salvation click here to read my other blog.

(c) Adron 11/11/13

Why Can I Trust God During This Bad Time?

Maybe the Almighty takes care of saints but we say, "I am not one of those who have earned His blessing; what hope do I have that God will take care of me now?"

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:4

HE WILL
Our heavenly Father wants to protect and care for you. This verse does not say He might or he'll think about it, but that he will defiantly act. He gave his son to pay for your sins against him what is left to him, he already gave the best and dearest.

FEATHERS
This does not mean that God has feathers and wings but it is a poetic picture of the loving sacrificial comfort he offers. The picture is of a mother bird becoming the shelter for her young in the nest. The baby birds are defenseless, weak and feeble they have not done anything to earn or merit the mother bird's sacrifice except to exist, we are like that before the Almighty One, there is nothing we can do to earn his sacrifice.

REFUGE
A refuge is a hiding place where you flee to in trouble. It is a fortress-like place that the terror can't enter, either because of the physical barrier it provides or the moral and legal protection it gives. He is willing to be the refuge for you; in Jesus' death, we have found refuge from our greatest terror- that of sin's eternal punishment.

SHIELD AND RAMPART
God is basically all the defense you need. A shield offers immediate protection for close combat, and a rampart is a wall around a fort and is the greater defense. He is the shield that will not split or buckle when you are face to face with trouble and the wall that will not fall when you are sheltering behind it.

FAITHFULNESS
It is his faithfulness that is the shelter. The Father has avowed his loving kindness and care. He is the reason He will take care of you, not because you are so special or better than others, no matter how much you have sinned He will care for you because He promised to not because you earned it.

The biggest thing the Lord has done to provide for you is that He sent His son to die for your sins. To learn more what this means and how to have eternal life follow this link, click here.

©Adron 8?11/13

Where Can You Hide from Troubles, Psalm 46:1-3

There are many things a person can take refuge in, things like home, hobbies, relationships, music, money, drugs, pleasure, etc. But all man-made forms of refuge will eventually weaken and fail.

"God is our refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble.Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way." Psalm 46:1-2.

REFUGE
In ancient times, a refuge was a place where you escaped an enemy and found safety. Today a refuge may be a place where you go to hide from it all, a place where our troubles can't get to us. The Psalmist says, "God is our refuge and strength." What better refuge than the All-powerful, Creator, and Master of the universe?" What better strength than The Lord?

EVER-PRESENT
The word ever-present reminds us that God is here no matter what. No matter where we go or what happens He is not going to be overwhelmed and beaten. No matter what we do He is not going to desert us. He is "ever-present." He is always present, he is in all the right here is there ever could be.

HELP

Where Can You Hide From Trouble

There are different kinds of "help." One is a personal side by side- a one with one helping out, like a peer or equal, and we each do half and the job gets done. Another kind of help is where no matter what you do your efforts are futile, like being stuck at the bottom of a well. Then we need a superior person to help, a person who is not in the pit but is above and strong- only he can pull us out. The Lord is not an "equal-to-me-helper," where I do some and He does some. The Lord is TOTAL HELP. Sometimes we have to stop struggling and just hold on the rope and He pulls us up. (We do not go through life sitting on our hands and doing nothing. We do have responsibility for our actions and many times we have to act.)

GOD'S HELP
God's help was not just an idea or a philosophy. It is the result of a relationship; we make the Lord our help, strength, and refuge. We didn't just sing songs about it and read books about it, we make a decision and act on it; then we will experience God as our refuge and help. We have to decide to not look to other things, instead, we express to God that He is our refuge and help.

If you have never trusted God as your refuge for your soul follow this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat 5/17/13

Why Does God Want Us To Fear Him?

The "fear of the Lord" sounds contradictory when we are also told to love the Lord our God.* Fear implies a dreadful or a bad thing. Doesn't God want us to be close to him not fearful of him?

"How abundant are the good things which you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you." Psalm 31:19. NIV.

People say, "Well, to fear God is just to say you respect him." Clearly, if you fear God you will obey Him and that will avoid judgment and sin. Obeying God also leads to blessing since His commands are good for us. That is a fine starting point but there is more.

ABOUT FEAR
Do not confuse fear with fearful, there is a difference.

Fearful is the unreasoning fear that overpowers our thoughts, and like a phobia cripples us, keeping us from experiencing confidence and success.

Fear is good in that we assess powers that could harm us and we respond wisely. This basic fear keeps us alive and safe, this is not the emotional form of fear but is an intellectual fear based on knowledge.

KNOWING HIM
God must be known in truth since He is truth and anything else is idolatry. Knowing God leads to several responses; one of those responses is fear because of His great power and authority. We become aware that He is powerful, vast, and that He commands angles, stars, and time. Understanding these truths about God cause an intelligent person to realize such power deserves a reverent and respectful fear.

God is also holy, good, merciful, kind, and forgiving; these things are true of God too. Knowing these truths about God cause us to draw near to Him in love.

It is not a contradiction- it is a relationship and relationships are always complicated. God wants a relationship with us. A relationship established on truth, our emotions of love follow our knowledge, not lead it.

GOODNESS
When we know God we learn by continual experience that he is good. He is storing up goodness and that suggests planning and intent. It implies that He has goodness in such abundance that the best way to deliver such massive goodness is in installments. His goodness is so vast we must grow into it and become prepared to receive such goodness.

REFUGE
A refuge is normally a place, like a fortress or country. We take refuge in the Lord not as a place but as with the ultimate person. We might find refuge in \Him for a crisis, but God being Ultimate is the ultimate refuge from the judgment for our sins.

*Deuteronomy 6:5.

(c)Adron Dozat

How Does The Bible Help My Fear? Psalm 27:1

We are often beset with worry and fear. Sometimes it is about our future, our loved ones, our personal well-being or just chronic worry. Fear can overshadow everything in our life. It can cripple us and keep us from living the kind of life we want to live. What can we do about it?

"The Lord is my Light and my salvation. Of whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1, NIV.

THE LORD
First, consider the Lord. He is the all-powerful creator of the universe. He rules creation and has the ability to command events from the greatest storm to the smallest insect. The Lord is our creator who loves and knows us. He is the one who sent his son to die to pay for our sins- this is a loving God and a powerful father.

LIGHT AND SALVATION
That God is our light should be comforting to us because He is all-seeing and all-knowing, not only that, it is the fact that the one who is all-seeing and all-knowing is on our side. Light reveals the phantoms of darkness to be nothing. Evil seeks shelter in darkness for the Bible says "men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil,*" but light robs evil of its support, light even chases away evil.

He is our salvation, not we ourselves. We may be helpless to fix many of the problems that come into our lives; and the biggest one, our sin, is beyond repair. But God is salvation, and not us. We need not rely on our weak efforts and lack of ability. He is able, He is willing, He is our salvation.

STRONGHOLD
A stronghold by definition is a safe and secure place. It is the highest quality of fortress, not a tent but a bombproof ironclad citadel. It is the place no enemy can ever get into, it withstands all the efforts of the foe.

OF WHOM
Of whom is a question without an answer since God has no equal. If The All-powerful Ruler is your indestructible fortress there is no one who you need to fear.

FOCUS
We spend much time thinking about the little things that will cause pain and problems. Let us turn our focus on God not these lesser things

To say God is our salvation is a faith statement. We do not have salvation by osmosis, it is a gift God gives to those willing to receive it. To learn more about finding salvation read my other blog,  follow this link: Click Here.

*John 3:19

(c) Adron 3/24/13

What Does The Bible Say About Angels? Psalm 91:11

We wonder about angels. What do they do and why? The Bible has many references to angels; one of the most familiar is in Psalms 91.

"If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the Lord, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angles concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:9 -11, NIV.

These verses offer some general answers to questions about angels.

PLURAL
The reference to angels is a plural.  We often think of "A" Guardian Angel, but it seems God commands many to action and to watch over each his faithful, like a royal body guard.

OBEDIENT
Angels obey the command of God.  The verse says, "He will command his angels..."  The Lord of heaven rules the angels; he orders them to do what he pleases.  It does not appear that angels are free agents with free will; the Bible indicates that they completely obey.

CONCERNING PEOPLE
In this verse the Almighty is directing the angels to influence his people.  God seems to be more concerned in the well-being of people than he is of the angels.

GUARDING AND PROTECTING
Angels guard and protect.  Maybe angels exert an influence on the spirit of people.

In the spiritual conflict between good and evil demonic forces seek to influence our lives for evil; it must be in the context of the unseen realms that angels guard over the Faithful.  Angels stand between demons and the harm they would do us.

REAL
The angels are a real presence in our lives since they lift us up in their hands.  The hands may be actual or the statement may be symbolic of power, but the point is clear that they manifest good in our lives, in some way.

THE CONDITION
There is an "if" in the passage.  If we make the Most High our dwelling and refuge then the promises in these verses are for us.  It is unreasonable to expect God's angelic protection if one is disobedient and rebellious against His holy will.

The wrong things to look for dwelling place and refuge things are...
     * Angels
     * Saints
     * Heritage
     * Tradition
     * Our own goodness
     * Or our religion
But we are instructed to make the Lord God our refuge.

If God is not our abiding place we are living precarious lives and are exposed to all sorts of evil without the refuge of the Almighty.

If you want to know more about making God your abiding place follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

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Where To Find Hope In A Bad Situation

What help and comfort is there for someone in a bad situation?

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." Psalm 125:1-2, NIV.

A REMINDER
Some things we hear over and over and though they are old and simplistic they are still true. We need reminders to be practical in our faith. Not just to start our day or week with a little prayer and go on without another thought about God; that would be a good beginning but a poor ending.

TRUST
We are saved by trusting the Lord, but we need to "trust in the Lord" must as a daily or moment by moment faith. As we go through our day we must bring God along. Every day is full of situations, problems, thoughts, feelings, people, and things that challenge us. We must not rely on our own ideas or the ability to solve them. Sometimes a quick prayer as an expression of faith in God is all it takes. Other times it is more complicated and takes seeking Our Lord out in prayer, searching the scriptures, meditation, and counsel with godly friends.

• We need to pray often and tell God we are trusting him and tell him the reasons why.
• We need to remember Bible verses that have promises and pray to claim them.
• When we are trusting in ourselves we must repent and tell God, and renew our trust in God.
• We need to stop running back and forth, both physically, and mentally, and rest in Him.

AN ENCOURAGEMENT
It is encouraging that "The Lord surrounds his people." As we go through difficult situations we can know the Lord went ahead, he is beside us, and he is covering our backs. We can trust him and then drop our guard because he is our guard on every side. We may feel all alone like no one understands, no one knows our pain and worry; but he was there first, he is next to us with his hand on our shoulders, and he is behind cleaning up the mess. He surrounds us and the enemies can circle all day long but they won't find a crack to get in.

A HOPE
He surrounds us both "now and forevermore." There will never be a time when God does not surround us. We may feel like he has left- but these feelings are not the fact. When trials come we need to pray and claim this truth, "He is surrounding me." We could look at those trials and say, "Do your worst- God has me covered!"

© Adron 1/13/13

What Does God Want In Our Prayers? Psalm 62:8

Often our prayers are unsatisfying to ourselves and we wonder if they please God. We need more than answered petitions; we sense there is an intimacy with God available but it is somewhere beyond our reach.

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62: 8. NIV.*

TRUST
Of course we should trust in him, but what does it meant "at all times?" We trust Him for the gift of salvation, when we put our soul in his hands once and for all; but at all times suggest an everyday practice of trust, we must trust God today for our need. There is no vacation when it comes to trusting God. We may have had a recent victory, or miracle, but we don't put trust on the shelf for the next upcoming event. We must trust him in good times, bad times and the boring every day times.

POUR
To "pour out your hearts to him," is a picture of a container being emptied of its contents, like a can that is tipped over and what is inside dumps out without control. Often our prayers are "Quickies" where we list our needs, and then trot off. There is nothing wrong with quickies, but God longs for us to go deeper; we need to tell him ALL ABOUT IT. We might say, "God, I need a new job," but instead we should pray, "God, I have trouble at work, I haven't gotten advancement though others have, I feel belittled, I feel trapped, my family is stressed out with bills, I feel like a failure, that I am wasting my gifts here. I wanted to do something more creative..." etc. in other words, empty your heart, or, dump it all out.

We tell God the details, not just the big facts, we tell God what we are feeling and why, not because he doesn't know but because we need to say it, and he blesses intimacy with him. This takes time, time away from TV and Hobbies. This could change one's walk with God; it will change of our view of God, and change in our heart.

REFUGE
A refuge is a place of safety in times of danger. When we trust God we begin to experience him and we find that he is a refuge. He accepts our broken dreams and heartaches, our disappointments, and failures. We can hide our heart in God, and trust Him with all our feelings; we know He is gentle and caring, patient and understanding with our heart.

Whatever frustrations, trials, or hurts you have may you find refuge in pouring out your heart to God.

To learn more about trusting God for salvation follow this link: Click Here.

To read this verse in other translations follow this link:
Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

Use the share buttons below to save and share this post to your social networks. 

What Does Heaven Cost? 1 Peter 1:15-16

If you could sum up the death of Jesus in one word what would it be? Many would have different ideas, martyr, tragic, loss.

"Redeemed by the precious blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:19. NIV.

REDEMPTION
Redemption is a word that describes Jesus' death.  Not his redemption but ours, for Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many.

To redeem something is to pay the debt, if you gave a valuable to a creditor as security against a loan you redeem it when you pay off the loan and therefore you get the valued idem back.  Jesus gave his life on our behalf to pay the debt to justice.

OUR NEED
We need redemption because of sin. St. James says, "He who knows what is right to do and fails to do it for him it is sin." By that standard we all have sin.  God loves us and doesn't want to condemn us but being holy he must judge sin.

JESUS THE REDEEMER
The redemption provided by Jesus is not a gesture of good-will; it is payment against the requirement demanded by justice for our sin.  It was payment unto death and it was doled out in the blood of Jesus.  The death of Jesus bought us back from judgment; it should have been us who hung on the cross for our sins but Jesus took our place and he died the death we should have died. The full wrath of God's judgment went on him instead of us.

The blood of Jesus is precious to angels and saints not just because it is the blood by which we are given salvation as a free gift, but because it is the blood of God's own dear son.  Heaven had no greater treasure; Jesus is the Prince of Peace who bought peace between God and man with his blood.  It should be precious to every one of us for whom it was shed; because it was shed it cost me nothing to go to heaven but it cost Jesus everything for me to go to heaven.

OUR PART
This redemption is very unusual in that if you give something as a security that you will pay off a debt the idem doesn't refuse to come with you when you pay off the debt, but God gives us a choice, we may reject Jesus we may say no to salvation and remain unredeemed.

To learn more about what the Bible teaches about how to go to heaven follow this link: Click here.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

Use the share buttons below to save and share this post to your social networks. 

When Troubles Make You Doubt If God Loves You. Psalm 31:21,22

Do you doubt that God loves you?

We often feel we are surrounded by problems and troubles, we don’t know where to turn; it is like God has abandoned us. An ancient poet had this feeling too, he wrote these words.

"Praise be to the Lord, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm, I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help." Psalm 31:21, 22.

PRAISE THE LORD...

God's love is truly wonderful! Considering what little we know about his love we can't help but be in awe. Like the verse, we should say, "Praise be to the Lord..." If we are not brought to that exclamation we need to just keep on thinking about God's love. It is not during happy times that we experience God's love most, David declares it was when he was in a besieged city that God showed his "wonderful love."

BESIEGED...

An ancient "besieged city" was a dreadful place to be in. Outside would be an overwhelming number of attackers; more in number than the city defenders inside was starvation and death. We often feel "besieged," by our troubles, we are surrounded by difficulties of illness, loss, failed relationships, school problems, or financial worries and we feel alone without anyone to encourage us.

DOUBT...
At such times we may feel far from God, and want to say, "I am cut off from your sight!" David felt God no longer looked his way as if God had become blind to him. We say, I have sinned too much and can’t get have God’s favor anymore, or, all these bad things are happening because God no longer loves me;  but in the noise of battle and the din of clashing swords, God still hears us. "Yet you heard my cry for mercy." He hears our gentlest whisper. He is in tune with us. There is no static that can drown out our call to him.

MERCY...
Mercy is a humble request; it admits powerlessness, need, and it infers submission to the giver of mercy. Mercy is almost always the theme of true prayer. What a great opportunity we have by prayer! How often we experience failure because we don't pray. David prayed and basically said, "Lord, help me!" And he believed in God's power to hear and answer.

LOVE...
It was in that besieged city that David experienced God’s love just the way he did. It may be that you are going through a horrible time now but remain faithful and continue to call to the Lord of Mercy for his grace and you too will be saying “Praise be to the Lord for he showed his wonderful love to me.”

(c)Adron Dozat 5/4/11

He is The Judge Who is a Refuge. Psalm 9:7-10

Sometimes when we are trodden down we need a rescuer, but who can rescue us from the big problems we have within and without?

 “The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:7-10. NIV.

GOD
God is the ultimate refuge for our most desperate needs. He will not falter; His power will never corrode, nor will the walls of His strength crumble down. He is the perfect, absolute hiding place for our hearts and pains.

REIGNS
God is in control, for "The Lord Reigns," He is not just pulling strings from a cloud; He is the Royal Sovereign who by His authority and power governs every atom in the universe. God is King and Commander over all, Lord of all movement, events, empires, crisis, dilemma, sun rays, daisies, and the smallest detail of our lives.

ETERNAL
His rule has no term limits so there will never be a time that He will not be in charge. God can’t be impeached; He "reigns forever." from before the creation of time, and He will rule after time itself is crumpled up like yesterday's do list.

HE WILL
A day is near when the God of the Universe "Will judge." He judges correctly with absolute truth and total knowledge; He judges without error and there are no grounds for appeal. He judges righteously because He is all righteous and as God possesses everything needed is to do so.

NEVER
God has "never forsake those who seek" Him. We fail to understand or see clearly now why things happen the way they do, but the Lord will prevail for us. We must hold on to this truth during this life. He will not forsake us- it may look to us as if he has, but that is our limited perspective trapped in earth and time. The fact remains He will not abandon.

KNOW HIS NAME
It is possible to become intimate with God. We must seek Him and not give up even though our lives are difficult and hard. It is an easy thing to seek God when things are sunny and happy but another to seek Him when the storms are raging. Seek the Lord with all your heart, come to Him to find refuge from your sins, and by faith accept the forgiveness He has for you in Christ. He will become your refuge and stronghold.

(c) Adron 6/16/10

How Can I find Out What God Is Like? Psalm 34:8

Do you ever wonder what God is like? How do you find out- really find out?

“Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8 NIV.

TASTE
God invites us to taste Him, to get to know Him.
To taste something requires several things.
     • Willingness.
     • Decision to put it in your mouth.
     • An action to actually put it in your mouth.
     • Openness to set aside previous opinions.
     • Conclusion, “is the taste good or bad?”
     • Someone else can’t do it for you.

A "taste” is a sample, not a big gallop. It is a start.

How can you sample God? Read His Word The Bible. Find people who are living for God and get acquainted or attend their worship. Spend time in prayer.

SEE
Tasting leads to seeing, to see something is to look with perception. You have to be open, and willing to let God change your ideas.

GOOD
When we taste we find that God is "good." The Psalmist could have said God is righteous, God is holy, or God is all powerful; and these things are true, but he wrote, God is good, because it is the foundation of all the other truths about God. If God is not good He is not holy or just or all powerful.

Because God is good He does what is good. We may not understand His actions in our lives but we can know they are motivated by good.

TAKE REFUGE
The goodness of God draws our hurting hearts and painful lives until we find He is our refuge.

We must "take" refuge in Him, the choice is ours, He does not force us to come to Him, He invites us.

GOD'S INVITATION
God makes an invitation. He calls us to know Him, and if He calls us to know Him then He must be knowable and willing to be known.

Maybe it is time to "taste and see;" maybe it is time to reexamine the God of the Bible and the message of his Son. If that is the case see my other blog about the gospel.

A prayer

Dear God, You alone are good,
You say, "come and be welcomed."
I am prepared to be open.
I am ready to give You a chance.
Please conquer my prejudice
About the kind of God you are.
Show me the true You.
I am willing to make the effort.
I ask that I may know You
As God who is truly good.
May I know Your blessing.
May I find You as my refuge.
Thank you Father.
Amen

(c) Adron

Where Can I Go To Escape My Problems? Psalm 9:9, 10.

These are troublesome times. We face myriad dilemmas ranging from finances, health, bereavement, ageing, and inner peace. Where can we find shelter?

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you. For you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:9, 10. NIV.
REFUGE
We think of a “refuge” as a place where the boundaries are walls that keep out danger, like a wildlife refuge where hunters are not allowed. The word “stronghold” brings up a picture of a fortress with thick and high walls where you are safe inside.

TO KNOW HIS NAME
To know someone’s name is to have familiarity with them, even privilege. If I know your name I can call it in a crowd and you alone will turn and look. To know God’s name is to have a relationship with God. This is His purpose in creating us, and in relationship we find refuge.

SEEK
God wants us to seek Him. To seek something is to search, and look with all our mind and energy focused on finding the thing; it is more than reading an article, or saying an occasional prayer, or attending a meeting once in a while. To seek the Lord is an ongoing thing, it is a daily discipline that may include meditation, prayer, community, and scripture study.

NEVER FORSAKEN
When believers suffer you may ask, "Has the Lord forsaken them?" A refuge is not an off switch. A ship that comes to a harbor does not make the storm end, it continues but the ship finds safety in the harbor. We who believe in God still have troubles, but in the troubles we have a haven and a stronghold.

HE IS REFUGE
Whatever refuge you need, be it a shelter an asylum, or a harbor, God offers these, and He is these things. When you put your heart and life in The Almighty's hands you find shelter for your deepest self. When the Lord is your shelter you come to know him as you would never before. Perhaps this is the reason we have troubles- because they drive us back to our Creator and God.

To learn more about how to find eternal shelter for your soul see my other blog.
If this has been an encouragement will you consider a small gift to help keep this blog going?(c)

(c) Adron

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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Where You Can Find Help. Psalm 120.1, 2.

Some days it seems we have more hills to climb than we have strength. We may have an illness, the loss of a loved one, or the scarring injury of a wrong done to us. We long for help and wait, but those hills are still there to climb. They just won’t go away.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 120:1, 2, NIV

This is a favorite verse, and we often turn to it or reflect on its meaning. To say, "I lift up my eyes..." is to suggest we are looking "up" or for help from above. Why look to a created being when the Creator is waiting to be our helper? We look to programs and institutions to be our help, but they offer only partial help. We look to people, but people fail and err. We look inside to our own hearts, but the results are no better than we are.

The author of this verse practically boasts that his help is not in man, angel, king, or city but his help" comes from the Lord. The title Lord is like saying “God the Divine Ruler,” or “God the Absolute Governor,” or “God the Monarch of All There is.” God is in control of all things. He is Commander of all the elements of the universe down to every single molecule. All things respond to His command. There is no greater help.

The author of this verse didn't say he was hoping to have help from God or that he was asking for help from God; he said, "my help comes from the Lord." It was a sure thing to him; this is a statement of great faith. If only we could say with the same confidence that our help comes from God. We must realize and do not doubt that help does come from the Lord.

Not only is our help the Lord and Ruling Monarch, but He is the "maker of heaven and earth." To be the maker of things is to be more powerful than the thing you make, or else you couldn't make the thing. God is the Maker of heaven and earth, so his power supersedes the abilities of heaven and earth to resist his power. As the maker of not only the earth but of heaven also, then there is nothing left out. We can’t say our problem is bigger than God because our problem came from a place he didn't make and has power and control. After all, he made all things. He has power and control over all those things, so he has power over the very hills we have to climb.

We can look at how big the hills are that we have to climb, but if we look above the hills to their very maker, we will find our Help. If the hills are big, the Maker of the hills is bigger. Let's look to Him, who is the maker of the hills.

If you want to learn more about finding God, follow this link: Salvation.
Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  See the most popular post in the left sidebar or use the search box above for more like this.

(c) Adron 11/19/09

Why do Some Christians Have Less of The World? Psalm 142:5

We wonder at all the frustrations we face, like the lack of success in career or business.  Others seem to have more, save more, and get more but we are broke and in debt.  We feel like our life verse is Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” The Bible offers a perspective that may help.

"I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”  Psalm 142:5.

NOT ALLOWED
The Old Testament describes the tribe of Levi as the priestly tribe that was to serve the temple. They were not given lands when the country was divided up since the Lord was their inheritance or portion. They did not till the soil, raise sheep, or harvest crops but instead served at the temple. They had less of the world but more of the Lord. Many believers today also have less of the world than neighbors and friends.

LESS IS MORE
Having less of the world's goods and pleasures frees us to respond to The Lord.  Some gifts of the spirit seem to require more of God’s presence in our lives or a deeper walk.  The ministry of prayer and compassion require us to be closer to Our Father in Heaven.  The gift of prophecy (however you define it) also requires a holier life set apart from the world.

MORE OF GOD BY FAITH
We must look to God and claim Him as our portion. Pray and say, for example...

• "I do not have a nice car, but thank you for the car I do have. I accept you, God, as the fulfillment of my desire for a nice car."
• When friends are talking about vacations, pray and tell God (confessing jealousy if necessary), and accept Him as the vacation you don’t get.
• When you see people who seem happy, pray and accept God as your share of happiness.
• When faced with failures, pray and tell the Lord and then claim Him as your success.
• When you see people who have cool and exciting gadgets and devices, pray and say, "I do not have those cool things, but you are my exciting thing. You are my good thing."
• When you are discouraged or depressed, say, "Father, I give you my emotions. You are my happiness."

Seek the Lord as your portion. You may have less of this world and its pleasures, but you have more of God- which is better.

© Adron 9/19/09

Where is The Perfect Place For A Tired Soul? Psalm 91:1-2

We all long for that ideal home where our very hearts find satisfaction and are at rest. This verse points the way.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord,' He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Psalm 91:1-2, NIV. 

DWELL
To dwell somewhere is to stay there for good, not just a visit. Many live with God on Sundays, but live away from God when they go out the door on Monday. This verse reminds us to dwell continually with God. God made us so we may enjoy a relationship with him, so we will find true satisfaction only by remaining in our permanent home with God.

SHELTER
We think of a shelter as a nice home with indoor plumbing, central heating, TVs and microwave ovens; but the shelter of the Most High was anything but that. Both the Tabernacle and the Temple in Old Testament days were places of service, even work! It was the place where the priest ministered, sometimes giving judgments, counsel, leading worship, teaching, making sacrifices, preparing atonement, sanctifying the people of God, and more than I can mention here. To dwell in the shelter of the Most High is a place of service. God designed us to serve Him as part of a relationship with Him.

REST
The good news is that we "will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." This is a promise. The Bible teaches rest as a principle. Everyone serving God, in big or little things, could claim this promise. This rest is not like sitting on a sofa in front of the TV and eating sweets, but it is comfort within our souls and peace in our hearts. It is to stop struggling.

THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY
God the Absolute Almighty faced the foe for us and we are hidden behind Him. What a safe place the Shadow of the Almighty is! Many times God commands rest, the result of this rest should be to reflect on The Almighty and that should lead to worship.

When we dwell with God and serve Him we are not only fulfilling His purpose for us but we will find we know Him better.

(c)Adron Dozat