Knowing God

  • Heart Stuff, Knowing God

    He Knows My Name

    • by

    Have you ever wondered, “Where is God?” Does He ever seem to have disappeared or gone missing? I know I have! There are times when He feels far away and I have trouble feeling His love and presence.

    With Easter coming up, I have been thinking a lot about what those days following the crucifixion must have been like for the followers of Jesus. They had just spent several years with Jesus, he knew them so well and they knew him well. He was the one they left everything for, the one they believed save the world, the one who they would follow to the ends of the earth. Yet they had just witnessed the one they loved, die on a cross and be buried in a tomb and with him, their hope. This was their darkest hour. Can you even imagine how confused and sorrow-filled they all must have felt?

    Recently when I was reading the book of John, the story of one woman in particular caught my attention. It was Mary Magdalene. Mary was one of the women that traveled with Jesus and financially supported him in his ministry. Jesus delivered her from a life of misery by driving seven demons out of her. She is mentioned by name twelve times in the gospels, showing the important role she had in the life and ministry of Jesus. Not only was she present to see all his ministry and miracles, but she was standing there at the cross (John 19:25) grief-stricken and heart-broken. As a final act of love, she purchased burial spices to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early the next morning, she went to the tomb with her spices only to discover that the tomb is empty! Jesus was missing. Can you imagine her horror and confusion?

    Now Mary [Magdalene] stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

    At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

    Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. – John 20:14-18

    Mary Magdalene was the first person to discover Jesus was no longer in the tomb. She was devastated and confused to see that the tomb was empty. She did not know what had happened, only that her Lord was missing. Even when Jesus appeared and spoke to her, she did not yet recognize him. Was she too caught up in her grief or maybe in the task of trying to find him? I wonder how many times I have not recognized Jesus when he was right next to me all along?

    Jesus simply speaks her name, and instantly she recognizes him and calls out to him. She turned to him, so excited to be with him. He was there all along. This tender moment when he simply says her name, shows how much she meant to him. Jesus had just gone through a torturous and horrible death, descended into hell itself and conquered death to come back to life. He was about to gather his followers to pass on the great commission and ascend into Heaven, yet he stopped and took the time to come alongside Mary. In the midst of her grief, he took the time to comfort her and let her know he was there. He chose Mary Magdalene to be the first to see him after His resurrection and share the most important message of all time. Jesus reassured her of her place in God’s family. All it took was her hearing him say her name, and she saw him for who he really was–her Lord and Messiah.

    Dear friend, Jesus knows you by name as well. Even in the times when it seems like He is nowhere to be found, He is with you and calls you by name. Turn your face toward Him and recognize He is right there with you. He longs to comfort you and remind you that you are loved and so very precious to Him!

    Read more

  • In The Word, Knowing God

    Something New

    • by

    This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters…“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland..to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. – Isaiah 43:16, 18-21

    Each new year brings a sense of a fresh start–an opportunity to hit the “reset button”. Whether you are a resolution maker or not, the new year is an opportunity to leave behind the things of the past, whether bad habits or simply bad memories, and look forward to new possibilities.

    This past year was one of those difficult years for my family. It was wrought with several physical ailments and the loss of loved ones. While there were also many good memories made and many wonderful things to be grateful for, it was one of those years that we are glad to leave behind.

    I love this verse because it is a reminder to me that God, my God, the God who parted the sea so His people could find a way through, is asking me to leave behind those things that are not of Him and not dwell on what has been, but rather focus ahead on what He has prepared before me. God is always in the business of making all things new. As we shift our perspective, we can see the new things he has before us.

    If you are feeling like you are coming out of the wilderness of last year; take heart, he is making a way through that wilderness and bringing His living water to the wasteland. His hope springs up before us! We are His chosen people, who He is making new each day–His beloved. He delights in making all things new and providing for His people.

    As we go into this new year, my prayer is that we can have eyes that see all that God is doing around us; that we will see His wondrous works springing up before us. We have a new start in Jesus. He is our hope and our future!

    Read more

  • Knowing God

    Awaiting the Savior

    • by

    “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” – Isaiah 9:6-7

    The book of Isaiah was written during the time of the Prophets, 700 years before Christ’s birth. For the Israelites awaiting a Messiah, these names (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace) gave them a glimpse of their Savior, long before He was born. They foretold of a time that was to come, a promise of a world made right. How difficult it must have been for the Israelites to have to experience such a long time of waiting expectantly for this promise to come true.

    Waiting is hard and when we’ve been waiting a really long time for something, we can begin to grow restless and feel like we have to make it happen. It is easy to grow weary and start doubting God’s faithfulness and provision.

    Let me let you in on a secret…God has a plan. He always has. His plan was set forth from the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, He had a plan even before time itself existed. Jesus’ birth set in motion God’s plan to secure our future with Him.

    Even when things seem hopeless and waiting seems to never have an end, we must remember that God has a plan and He is busy working that plan in His time. Our times of waiting are an opportunity to lean into God more, build our faith and exercise our trust and dependence on Him. The best way to accomplish this in the midst of the waiting is to look toward hope. One of my favorite quotes on hope is by Melissa Kruger, she says “Future hope brings present joy.”

    The word “hope” has lost its meaning in our language today. A lot of times when we use the word “hope,” we use it like “I wish”. For example: “I hope it will rain.” But real hope is to trust in a person or outcome that you’ve been assured of. There is no one better to put our hope in than in God and in His goodness, for He is trustworthy. He keeps His promises. We can trust, knowing that God has got us and He will work all things to bring good. He has a glorious future awaiting us.

    So while we are not the Israelites awaiting the first Christmas, we are still awaiting the Savior to return to set all things right. We are waiting for Him to finish the work He began that first Christmas day.

    When He left this earth, He promised He would return for us and finish what He has started. This promise is our future hope. We can rejoice today because of what God has done in the past in sending His son to earth, and we can rejoice for what is yet to come.

    As we experience this time of advent, the season of anticipation of our Savior, allow your heart to be filled with His peace, knowing God is here with us, in the waiting. He has not forgotten you or His promise. Because of this, we can overflow with joy for what God has awaiting us–the hope of His glorious future!

    Read more

  • Knowing God

    Help When We’re Weary

    • by

    Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

    Isaiah 40:28-31

    Tired and weary. No matter what season of life you are in, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness. We have deadlines at work or at school, people in our home that we need to take care of, children that require our attention, and don’t get me started on the laundry list of to-do’s (not to mention the actual pile of laundry)! Whew!

    Sometimes we are simply weary because life hands us a stressful situation and we are completely spent emotionally and physically because it consumes all our attention and energy.

    When I try to navigate this life on my own strength, I eventually end up feeling tired, weary, hopeless and alone. The truth is that we are not alone. God is there right there ever present, waiting to give you His strength when you feel you have nothing left to give. All we have to do is let Him. As we turn our attention toward the One who created the ends of the earth, we can be filled with hope because we know He can accomplish through us what we cannot on our own.

    As you face you daily busyness and stresses, take some time each day to let God fill you with His strength so you can face whatever the day brings. As we lean on Him and allow His power to sustain us each day, we will find that we are filled with a renewed strength and hope. God’s got you!

    Read more

  • Heart Stuff, Knowing God, Resources

    God’s Favorite Ingredient

    • by

    Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of walking alongside some truly incredible women as they navigated different crises in their lives. I say privilege because while some of the themes of my own journey may grant me certain insight, the details of my own experience don’t fully mirror theirs. It would be easy for them to say I’m underqualified. Yet they allowed me in to pray with them, to hold and comfort their children, and to hold and comfort them. I witnessed their tenacity and resolve as they would straighten up, wipe the tears from their face and plow ahead because life does not slow down for grief.

    Often, when the hurt seemed to last too long, and there was no clear end in sight, I’d find myself wondering, “How do I speak hope into a situation where I cannot see God working? What can I possibly say that doesn’t fall woefully short of the magnitude of their circumstances? How is God going to redeem this for good?” When someone you love is in the trenches, it can challenge your faith in God’s timing and methodology, just as if you were going through it yourself. I craved reassurance that God was going to come through for my friend like He did for me.

    Recently, one friend in particular was especially on my heart when Revive Ministries had a chance to attend the She Speaks conference in North Carolina. I went with the expectation of learning more about writing and speaking, but did not anticipate finding the answer to these burning questions.

    Lysa TerKeurst, President of Proverbs 31 ministries, was the first main session speaker. She spoke from her new book that’s coming out soon called It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way. She tackles some of the really hard questions about walking a life of faith in a broken world. Lysa knows trial, heartache and pain in a very real way, and by God’s grace has held onto faith and hope, even in the darkest of shadows. I sat in the packed ballroom, on the edge of my seat, ears straining to hear a message of hope that I could relay to my friend, and tuck inside my own heart for when I needed it.

    Midway through her talk, Lysa referenced a phrase that talks about God’s light shining through the places we are broken and cracked. She acknowledged that it really is a lovely sentiment, but also posed the question “What do you do when there aren’t even cracked pieces of your life left to glue back together? What do you do when all that’s left is dust? You can’t glue dust!”

    Time stopped for a moment as her words echoed in my heart and mind. What do you do when all that’s left of your life is dust?

    Lysa gently reminded us that “God’s favorite ingredient is dust.” He breathes life into dust and creates new life. When living water is added to dust, it makes clay, and in the hands of the Potter, we become the work of His hand. Jesus spits into dust, making mud that he places on the eyes of a blind man healing him and giving him sight. (Genesis 2:7, Isaiah 64:8, John 9:1-11)

    Lysa said it beautifully, “Dust does not signify the end, it is often what must be present to begin what is brand new.”

    There is no situation that is so far gone, that our Creator cannot breathe life into it. There is no mess so great that our God cannot redeem it for purpose and beauty. I don’t know about you, but when the journey stretches on just a little longer than I want, when it is hard to discern how God could possibly rebuild from the ashes, remembering God’s favorite ingredient gives me renewed hope. It was the reassurance I had been craving, from God’s own Word, breathing life into me again.  I pray it will bolster your faith and give you hope too, for your own sake or for the sake of a dear friend.

    Note: We are not receiving any compensation for promoting Lysa’s book or Proverbs 31 Ministries-we just really love what they are doing and wanted to share with you! This is one little nugget of Lysa’s awesome talk at She Speaks! She has so much more to share about how God’s love and timing truly are perfect, in her book. You can get a sneak peek of It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way & pre-order your copy here

    Read more

  • Knowing God

    Light in the Dark

    • by

    “Through [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” – John 1:3-5, 9-13

    Have you ever stood in complete darkness? Not just figuratively, but literally in the absence of light. Let me tell you, it is an eye-opening experience! <Pun intended>

    My husband and I are the adventurous types and love to explore new places. When we were first married, we explored the Ape Caves in Washington, an underground lava tube about a mile long. We came prepared with flashlights but what I wasn’t prepared for was how dark darkness can be when no light can be found. I grew up as a kid who was always scared of the dark, but I had never experienced true darkness up until that point.

    Just for fun, we stopped in the middle of the cave and turned off our flashlights. Even though my husband was only inches away from me, I couldn’t see him. I was surrounded by complete and utter blackness. I could not see anything! Once we turned our lights back on, I could see that he was right next to me all along. I could shine the light forward and see what was ahead of me and shine it around so I didn’t stumble on the rocks below my feet. We were completely dependent on our flashlights to get us out of this cave. Without the lights we carried, we would be forever lost in this cave.

    Just like the darkness in this cave, we can find ourselves without light to illuminate our path through this life. Without light, we are vulnerable to stumbling blocks in our path. We need light to see the way through the dark and difficult situations we face. Although the light may only show us one step at a time, we need to know we are on the right path.

    Jesus came to the world and people whom he created and knew well, as the light that shines into the hearts of people and illuminates the way to life. Not just any life, but life as God originally intended: full of love, hope and joy. He is a light that darkness cannot overcome, no matter how dark a cave we find ourselves in. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). He is the way to true life.

    If we allow the light of Jesus to illuminate our path, we can continue to put one foot in front of the other, confident that even if we cannot see Him, He is there, showing us the way.

    Read more

  • Knowing God

    God of Hope

    • by

    “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

    Think about someone in your life that you trust absolutely. Likely they are someone who cares about you deeply, has your best interest at heart and would spring into action on your behalf. You know them and they know you. You can trust them because you know their character and they have proven themselves true.

    Even the most steadfast friend can make mistakes. We are after all, human. But God’s character is unwavering. He never fails to meet us in our need, to lift us up above our circumstances and set us back on solid ground. He has proven himself faithful and steady, loving and kind. We can trust Him. When we do, the Holy Spirit floods us with hope. It washes over us, dispelling our fears and renewing our hearts. Trusting God is not always easy, especially when we cannot see or understand what is happening in our lives. When we find ourselves in a difficult season, how do we trust and find hope?

    One way is to focus on the character of God, instead of our circumstances. When we focus on our circumstances, we can get caught up in the moment. When we remember God’s character, we stay grounded in truth. We can turn our face toward the God who knows us better than we know ourselves, and we can breathe easy. He has been a Father for a long, long time and knows what He is doing. He will fight on our behalf, keep us firmly in his grip and and redeem our pain for purpose.

    The word “remember” means to relive, hold dear, to know by heart. When we keep the truth of God’s character close, we can know Him by heart and look back to see how He has worked in the past and is working now in our lives. This brings us hope and a renewed perspective that everything is going to be alright.

    So, what’s true about God’s character?

    God is…Love (1 John 4:8)
    God is…Holy (1 Peter 1:15)
    God is…Steady and unchanging (Hebrews 13:8)
    God is…a promise keeper (2 Peter 3:9)
    God is…strong enough to carry you (Isaiah 41:10)
    God is…the Redeemer (Psalm 103:1-22, John 3:17)
    God is…Creator of all things (Isaiah 40:28)
    God is…Giver of all that is good (James 1:17)
    God is…perfect and true (Psalm 18:30)
    God is…present in our circumstances (Isaiah 41:8-10, Matthew 28:20)

    It is our prayer for you that you lean into God and trust in God’s character. As you place your trust in the steadfast love of God, you will receive overflowing hope for whatever you are facing.

    God, you are the God of hope. Help us to trust you, even when we don’t see the whole picture. Thank you for revealing your character through your Word, so that we can lean on your steadfast love, and receive hope through your Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts to overflowing, and help us to give hope to others.

    Read more

  • Heart Stuff, Knowing God

    You are Loved!

    • by

    Did you know that God’s Word is a love letter to you? The whole Bible is a beautiful story of God pursuing us out of His great love for us. The kind of love God offers is unlike any kind of love we can find on this earth. It is a love that surpasses all understanding. That God would go to the ends of the earth and into the depths of hell itself, to save us and redeem us and call us His own, is beyond anything I can imagine.

    Unlike God’s unconditional love, the kind of love the world gives is conditional and is often fickle. It comes and goes and isn’t always reliable. I’ve experienced my share of heartaches in my life that left me feeling alone, insecure and unloved–afraid to risk showing love to others. Seeking love that the world gives only kept me striving to earn love and prove that I was worthy of love.

    When I experienced God’s love and began to understand that He loves me no matter what and that His love will never leave me, it was so freeing. To know that He is a God who keeps on loving me, no matter my success or failure, no matter if I was less than my best today or if I over-commit, or if I get it all right or I get it all wrong–He keeps on loving me. That is what it means to be loved unconditionally.

    Being firmly grounded in the security of His love allows me to be brave when I would otherwise be insecure. Being safe with Him by my side allows me to love others freely and without reservation. My self-worth is no longer wrapped up in whether or not someone returns my love but grounded in the knowledge that I am forever loved by my Heavenly Father. It defines and shapes my identity as one whom God keeps on loving–no matter what.

    I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is. I pray that you will know the love of Christ. His love goes beyond anything we can understand. I pray that you will be filled with God Himself.

    ~ Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT

    When we are grounded in God’s love and begin to grasp the richness and depth of His love, we are filled up with the fullness of God. The Bible tells us that God is love. It isn’t a characteristic He has, but rather who He is. He is love and you are His.

    My prayer for you today is that you understand fully this love God has for you, that you embrace it with all of who you are, and let it be the defining force in your life that gives you courage to love freely with the love of Christ.

    You are forever His. You are LOVED!

    Read more

  • Heart Stuff, Knowing God

    Never Beyond His Reach

    • by

    There are times in my life when I get super busy and days will go by before I realize that I have forgotten to take time to acknowledge God in my busyness. I remember this was especially true when my kids were babies and toddlers. I was so exhausted all the time. A few minutes of time to myself was a rare commodity, let alone time to spend reading the Bible and praying.

    We all have seasons in our lives when it is harder than others to draw near to God. Sometimes it’s seasons of busyness, while other times its a seasons crisis or grief. What I learned during these times, is that even when I forget to draw near to God, He draws near to me and is already here with me in whatever I’m facing that day. God isn’t someplace where I have to go find him, but rather He is with me wherever I go and in whatever I do. In the diaper changing, He is there. In the driving from one appointment to another, He is there. In busy work day or in the exhaustion from an illness, He is there.

    King David knew this and wrote this down in the Psalms for us to remember as well:

    You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

    Psalm 139:5, 7-9

    Even though David was a King, he faced many hardships over the course of his life. Many times he was running for his life and other times he was running from God. Despite all this, he was still known as a man after God’s own heart. David recognized that there was nowhere that he could go and nothing he could do that could remove God’s loving presence from his life. Even if he went to the far reaches of the earth, up into the heavens or down into the depths of the ocean, God will still be there with him. He believed that God created him and loved him beyond measure. This truth allowed him to weather the toughest of circumstances and helped him lead a nation. Even when he ran from God or sinned against God, he knew he could always return to the one who calls him His.

    We too can turn to God in everything. Even in those times when you reach your darkest hour or those times you have run in your own direction, God is still here with you. When you are going a million miles a minute and haven’t stopped for three days because life has run away with you, God is still here with you. He goes before you and follows you; He lays His hand of blessing upon you, to guide you and hold you fast.

    Take heart, dear friend, God is with you in whatever your day brings you today. Reach out your hand and God will firmly grab hold. His love for you is beyond measure.

    Read more

  • Knowing God

    Afraid of the dark?

    • by

    “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
    See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
    but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
    Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
    Isaiah 60-1-3

    We have all experienced dark times in our lives. Darkness covers the earth… Seems an appropriate way to describe the times we live in today. Thick darkness is over the peoples…. We certainly seem surrounded by darkness, death, despair. Even as a Christian, I long for the light, for the sun’s rays to pierce through the clouds and warm my face. Because in the light darkness cannot prevail. It only takes one tiny flame to break the darkness. In Exodus 20:18-21 Moses is tasked by the people of Israel with speaking with God on their behalf. God had appeared on a mountain and the sight was petrifying.

    18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
    20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
    21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.” Exodus 20:18-21

    Read Verse 21 again. “The people remained at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”

    God was in the thick darkness. I’ll admit that is the last place I would expect to find God. In the dark, in the thunder, in the scary unknown. I guess I always pictured that God would swoop in and take me out of the darkness, not that He would be there, waiting to meet me when I go through it.

    I have heard Moses going to meet with God described as though he were walking toward an erupting volcano. The thunder and lightening were so ferocious that everything shook. Terrifying to behold, let alone walk toward.

    The people witnessing this frightening scene pleaded with Moses like a successful execution of good cop/bad cop were playing out. “You talk to us Moses! You’re reasonable! If God talks directly to us we will surely die!”

    So Moses approaches the thick darkness where God was.  

    Where God was waiting, in the midst of the danger. He was the danger, a fearsome thing to behold. Yet He is good, and He is God and He is gentle. He even warned the people to stay back at a distance so they would be safe. Moses approached with boldness and confidence that he would meet God there.

    Herein lies the challenge of the first passage in Isaiah 60. There’s darkness all around. As a Christ-follower, am I willing to arise, walk into the thick darkness that covers the people, and shine so that the glory of God can be revealed? Am I willing to come alongside someone who is hurting, surrounded by pain so thick they cannot see, and stand next to God in that darkness? Am I willing to see that terrifying scene and walk right in trusting that God will be there waiting for me to join him? Waiting for me to bind the wounds of the helpless and care for the sick and weary? Even the ones I don’t understand or like?

    “thick darkness covers the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you, and His glory appears over you”

    My heart is heavy at the events of the world. It trembles at the thought of heading toward the darkness when others retreat. But in that darkness God waits for us to join Him and shine His light and glory. It may be the last place I’d look for Him, but exactly where a Savior and his people are needed most.

    Moses did not stay in the darkness forever. He came back with a purpose and a message from God. He also came back with the confidence that comes only from experiencing God and stepping out in faith to meet him where the need is greatest.

    Read more