How Jesus Addresses Our Anxieties (Part 2 of 3)

 by Paul Tautges

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Matthew 6:30

We are earthbound people who naturally focus on earthly burdens. Our smallness of faith exposes itself in our predisposition to worry about our needs instead of resting in the care that our Creator promises. Our faith is not yet fully grown; it continually needs to be nurtured. Knowing that this is the case, Jesus develops our faith by gently confronting our unbelief.

In the verses that precede our verse for today, Jesus employs another image from nature to ask a conscience-stirring question. “Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider [i.e., deliberately notice] the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin” (Matt. 6:28). Clearly he intends to redirect weary eyes of faith to look godward.

Jesus directs us to think about how the flowers are clothed. They do not buy or spin their own fabric. They are beautifully adorned by the Lord—such that “even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matt. 6:29). Jesus does not discourage us from working hard in order to provide for ourselves. But no matter how hard we can possibly work, God is always working harder on our behalf. He is the ultimate provider. If God cares for the flowers and dresses them in a dazzling array of shapes and colors, how much more does he care for you. We must acknowledge his tender care and trust him with our concerns—for, as Jesus asserts, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8).

Jesus then presents the grass of the field as another illustration. If God clothes the grass—which is destined to be destroyed— with such a lovely array of flowers, how much more will he care for you.

God’s faithful care should produce great confidence in a believer. In light of this, Jesus relates anxiety to having “little faith.” The root of our anxiety is unbelief. He challenges unbelief and the small view of God that it takes—the fact that when we are anxious, we fear that God is lacking. But God is not deficient in any virtue. Nor is he ever unfaithful.

In all these questions and exhortations, Jesus is saying the same thing over and over. “Look at what God is doing. Look at the flowers. Look at the grass. God takes constant care of them, and they are temporal. He tends to their needs. Why do you not trust God when you are infinitely more valuable and will live for eternity?” Unbelief and anxiety both whisper in your ear, “Your needs won’t be met. What are you going to do?” In our fight against anxiety, a small view of God will never suffice. God delegated the care of the earth to man (see Gen. 2:15), but he has always been the Gardener. And the pinnacle of God’s creation is man (see Ps. 8). Therefore, believe that God will meet your needs. Have faith. God cares about you!

For Further Reflection and Application

• Reflect: How does your view of God impact your trust in him? How does it help you to fight your anxiety?

• Act: Meditate on Jeremiah 17:7–8. Journal about the fruit of trusting God. Write these verses on a 3×5 card. Read them often. Let their truth remind you to turn your gaze upward.

• Act: Find a wise Christian friend and share with him or her how you have seen God meet your needs. Then, together, praise the Lord for how he cares for you.

*This devotional is a daily excerpt from the 31-day devotional, ANXIETY: Knowing God’s Peace. Consider working through this devotional yourself or with a friend or two.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/04/20/how-jesus-addresses-our-anxiety-part-2-of-3/

How Jesus Addresses Our Anxieties (Part 1 of 3)

by Paul Tautges

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

Matthew 6:26-27

In today’s verses, Jesus says that we should not worry about what is not ours to worry about. Instead, we should be more like the birds, which do not doubt the faithfulness of God. When we intentionally “look at the birds,” we remind ourselves of how dependent all creatures are—and especially ourselves. As we wait on the Lord, our responsibility is to actively do what he commands and to leave the rest to him.

Three Comforting Truths

Worry distracts us from enjoying the love of our heavenly Father, but Jesus offers us comforting truths to settle our anxious hearts.

Your heavenly Father feeds his creatures (v. 26). God cares for the things he creates. He takes responsibility for them. Jesus directs us to look at the birds—to consider how their needs are faithfully met. They own no barns and have no ability to store up for the future. Yet God meets their daily needs.

You are more valuable than any non-human creature (v. 27). Jesus also reassures us that we are infinitely more valuable than animals are. Human life possesses fathomless value because man and woman are created in God’s image and likeness. We are designed to reflect God’s glory. This is what gives human beings their worth.

Your heavenly Father has a plan for the span of your life (v. 27). When King David praised God for the wonder-filled way he had created him, he also acknowledged that God would providentially lead him according to his sovereign plan. “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them,” he testified (Ps. 139:16). Since this is true for each of us, worrying about tomorrow will not “add a single hour to [the] span of [our] life.”

God faithfully provides for us. He does this primarily through our work and through our disciplined stewardship of our resources (see Prov. 6:6–11). Nevertheless, even if we are faithful with our responsibilities and resources, we may have needs that remain unmet. If this is the case for us, then we trust God to provide for us in his way and according to his timetable. To fret is to heap fake cares on our large-enough stack of legitimate ones.

For Further Reflection and Application

• Reflect: What are your fake cares? List them, and also review your “care list” from day 1. Are the items you are currently worrying about legitimate cares, or could some be things that you fear might happen?

• Act: If you can’t distinguish between fake and true cares, turn to a wise Christian friend and ask for help.

• Act: Read Psalm 127:2. Compare it to what Jesus teaches about the heavenly Father’s care and provision.

*This devotional is a daily excerpt from the 31-day devotional, ANXIETY: Knowing God’s Peace. Consider working through this devotional yourself or with a friend or two.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/04/16/how-jesus-addresses-our-anxieity-part-1-of-3/

Ten Truths About God’s Absolute Being

John Piper

1. God had no beginning.

God is who he is means he never had a beginning. And that just staggers the mind. Every child asks his parents, “Where did God come from? Who made God?” And every wise parent says, “Nobody made God. He just was always there. Always. No beginning.”

2. God is without end.

God is who he is means God will never end. If he didn’t come into being, he can’t go out of being, because he is being — absolute being. There’s no place to go outside being. There’s only he. Before he creates, he’s all there is. Absolutely.

3. God is absolute reality.

God is who he is means God is absolute reality. There’s no reality before him. There’s no reality outside of him unless he wills it and creates it. He’s not one of many realities before he creates. He is simply absolute reality. He’s all that was — eternally. No space. Space didn’t exist. The universe didn’t exist. Emptiness did not exist. Only God existed forever, absolutely and absolutely all.

4. God is utterly independent.

God is who he is means that God is utterly independent. He depends on nothing to bring him into being. He depends on nothing to support him. He depends on nothing to counsel him. He depends on nothing to make him what he is. He is absolutely independent.

5. Everything depends on him.

God is who he is means everything that is not God depends totally on God. All that is not God is secondary, dependent. The entire universe is secondary reality. Let that sink in, because nobody in this city believes that. And if the church doesn’t, you’re just like them. All the universe is secondary. Humanity is secondary. God is primary, absolute first, last, glorious. Everything else is secondary.

6. Nothing compares to God.

God is who he is means all the universe is, by comparison to God, as nothing. Galaxies compared to God are nothing. All the universe by comparison to God is as nothing. Contingent, dependent reality is to absolute, independent reality as a shadow to substance, as echo to thunderclap, as bubble to ocean. All that we see, all that you are amazed by in your land or around the world — all the world, all the galaxies — compared to God, is as nothing. If you put God on one side of the scales and the universe on the other side of the scales, the universe goes up like air or dust on the scale. Isaiah 40:17: “All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”

7. God cannot be improved.

God is who he is means God is constant. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. He cannot be improved. He cannot be diminished. He’s not becoming anything. He is who he is. There’s no development in God. There’s no progress in God. Absolute perfection cannot be improved.

8. God sets the ultimate standard.

God is who he is means he is the absolute standard of truth and goodness and beauty. There’s no law book that he consults in deciding what is right. There’s no almanac to establish facts for God. There’s no guild, no musical guild, for example, to determine what is excellent and beautiful. He’s the standard. He himself is the standard of the right, the true, the beautiful.

9. God always does right.

God is who he is means God does whatever he pleases, and it is always right, always beautiful, always in accord with truth. There are no constraints on God from outside that he doesn’t will to exist, and thus govern. All reality that is outside of him is subordinate to him. So, he’s utterly free. He’s the only free being in the universe, in fact. He is utterly free from any constraints that don’t originate from his own will.

10. Nothing is worth more.

God is who he is means he’s the greatest, the most beautiful, the most valuable, and the most important person in existence. He’s more worthy of interest and attention and admiration and enjoyment than all persons and all realities put together, including the entire universe.

The Bible reveals and assumes that God everywhere.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/who-is-yahweh?fbclid=IwAR0aU5FB4q06C9y3j8Rzd98gaMpPjPk61mbw99nnPj78D7U2f1ijCxxfFOE

Unsure of Your Future? Rest on God’s Immutability

Davis Wetherell

God’s immutability is a wonderful attribute. What is immutability? In a 2014 Banner of Truth article, Geoff Thomas explains,

God is perpetually the same. He never changes. His being, and nature, and perfections can’t be altered. Nothing can be added to the infinite God and nothing can be taken from him. What God is today he always was. What God is today he shall always be.

In sum, God is always God. And He is the only being that is this way. You and I are always changing, growing, moving, and developing, but God is what He is. Herman Bavinck wisely wrote, “God alone is absolute being, the ‘I will be who I will be,’ but all creatures… are subject to the law of becoming” (82).

Implied in this “law of becoming” is unknowing and uncertainty. What will our lives hold?

As we approach the new year, perhaps we face this question more directly. If this is a daunting question for you like it is for me, then join me in meditating on these three Bible verses on the immutability of God.

1.) Psalm 106:25–27

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you [God] will remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
   but you are the same, and your years have no end.

I find a lot of comfort in this verse because it reminds me that nothing is as permanent as God. Although the world I live in may be hectic, painful, and confusing, it will pass away. God alone will remain.

It’s not enough to know that the earth will pass away, for if everything were to just end then life would be pointless. The struggle would be fruitless. But God remains the same in the end as He was in the beginning.

The application here, partially, is that faith in and worship of Jesus Christ brings stability to our lives. He is the only thing that will never change. So if you are looking for stability this season, look to Jesus!

2.) Isaiah 46:9–10

I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, “My counsel shall stand,
   and I will accomplish all my purpose.”

This is one of my favorite verses for several reasons. One reason is that God promises His counsel shall stand, and that He will accomplish His purpose. God is good not only because He does not change but also because He never fails. That’s part of God’s immutability; He always accomplishes His purpose.

Another reason is that God highlights something He can do that no one else can do: God declared the end of time from the beginning of time.

When we experience failures or uncertainties in our life, we can be comforted by Christ, because we are in Christ, and He never fails and He is always certain.

Prediction and Declaration

I’m a baseball fan, and I enjoy guessing who will win the championship. In fact, I like guessing who will win each division, who will win each playoff series, and who will win the World Series. I shared my picks with my wife back in February, and guess how I did? Terrible! I predicted the Chicago Cubs would beat the New York Yankees—but Chicago didn’t even make the playoffs!

Had I been right, I could have said, “I declared the end of the season from the beginning of the season.” That would have been a nice guess, and it would have certainly increased my credibility as a baseball thinker.

God, however, isn’t predicting something eight months away, He is declaring the end of all things from the beginning of all things. And my baseball prediction was just a guess—it had no bearing on reality. What God is doing is not prediction, it’s declaration. He isn’t saying, “Look at how perceptive I am into the way the world works.” He is saying, “I will do this.”

God does not predict the end from the beginning; God is “the beginning and the end” (Revelation 21:6; 22:13).

3.) James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

It is good to remember that everything good comes from God. The source of good gifts never changes. So, when you are stuck in a period of uncertainty and unknowing, if you receive a good gift—a new friend, an encouragement—you know it’s from God and He is with you.

The other thing to mention is that giving good gifts is a part of God’s nature, and therefore a part of His immutability. He does not waver in His nature, and His nature is that of a “Father” who “give[s] good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11).

When you are facing an unknown future, ask God for His help! It is His promise to His children that He will give good gifts. You can have peace knowing that God will do this and that what He will do will be a good thing.

Other Verses to Read?

This article just had enough space to talk about three verses from the Bible on God’s unchanging nature. But there are plenty more! What verses do you often revisit when you need to be reminded of God’s immutability?

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season, full of rich biblical meditation on who God is and what He has done for you.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2019/12/unsure-future-rest-god-immutability/

The Admirable Patience of God

Paul Tautges

Since my conversion to Christ in 1984, I have enjoyed and benefited from reading books about the attributes of God. I’ve also been drawn to the writings of the Puritans. So, a couple months ago, I purchased a little book by George Swinnock.

In a short chapter entitled Patience, Swinnock begins,

God is incomparable in His patience. Patience is that attribute of God whereby He bears with sinners, deferring their punishment or awaiting their conversion. He is “slow to anger” (Ps. 103:8). He is long-suffering (2 Peter 3:9). He endures vessels of wrath with “much long-suffering” (Rom. 9:22). He waits, “that he may be gracious unto you” (Isa. 30:18).

Swinnock then gives three reasons God’s patience is even more admirable. First, God hates sin. Second, God sees sinners. Third, sinners provoke God’s patience. He then concludes,

If God were as impatient as we are, there would be no hope for us. But God is so incomparable in His patience that He is called ‘the God of patience’ (Rom. 15:5). He has all manner of patience in Him.

If you enjoy studying the attributes of God, consider adding Swinnock’s little volume to your devotional reading list.

Posted at: http://counselingoneanother.com/2019/10/29/the-admirable-patience-of-god/

Want to Be Like Jesus? Be Gentle

Dane Ortlund

Jonathan Edwards wrote that “a lamblike, dovelike spirit and temper” is “the true, and distinguishing disposition of the hearts of Christians.” And he has something to teach us.

Not many have identified gentleness as a major theme in Edwards (more common are titles such as Jonathan Edwards: The Fiery Puritan), and not many identify gentleness as a major need in the church right now. And yet gentleness is perhaps the most neglected virtue among Christians today.

Edwards wrote in his diary: “A virtue, which I need in a higher degree, to give a beauty and luster to my behavior, is gentleness. If I had more of an air of gentleness, I should be much mended.”

True for him then. True for us now.

Is Gentleness Manly?

But some Christian men resist gentleness because they associate it with being effeminate. Strength and gentleness can seem mutually exclusive. As we picture what it means to man up and be a leader in the home and in the church, gentleness isn’t, for many of us, a defining element of that picture.

The way forward isn’t by choosing gentleness over against manliness, but by rightly defining manliness according to Jesus Christ. After all, if anyone was ever a man, a true man, he is. And while he could drive money changers from the temple, he also delighted to gather up into his arms the little children whom his disciples tried to send away (Matt. 19:13–15). He dealt gently with outsiders. He wept over the death of a friend (John 11:35). He welcomed healthy, manly physical affection with his dear disciples. The apostle John, for example, was (to translate the text literally) “reclining . . . at Jesus’s bosom” (John 13:23—the very relationship said to exist between Jesus and the Father earlier in John 1:18).

Gentleness is perhaps the most neglected virtue among Christians today.

The supreme display of Jesus’s manhood, however, was in his sacrificial laying down of his life on behalf of his bride, the church. When the apostle Paul defines what it means to be a husband, he can speak simultaneously of the husband’s headship and also the husband’s sacrificial, Christlike laying down of his life on behalf of his bride (Eph. 5:25–33). Such sacrifice isn’t unmanly: it’s the supreme display of masculinity.

Any immature man can be a forceful, unheeding, unloving “leader.” Only a true man can be gentle.

Majestic and Gentle

Men who long to be the leaders God is calling them to be must see that the glory of Christ, into whose image they’re being formed, unites together awesome majesty and tender gentleness.

In the sermon preached at David Brainerd’s funeral, Edwards speaks of what saints in heaven will look on when they see Christ:

The nature of this glory of Christ that they shall see, will be such as will draw and encourage them, for they will not only see infinite majesty and greatness; but infinite grace, condescension and mildness, and gentleness and sweetness, equal to his majesty . . . so that the sight of Christ’s great kingly majesty will be no terror to them; but will only serve the more to heighten their pleasure and surprise.

True manhood, to Jonathan Edwards, isn’t a hard, tough exterior with a soft, spineless interior, but just the opposite—a steely, rock-solid interior mediated through an exterior emanating with the beauty of gentleness. Manliness isn’t machismo. Masculinity isn’t inadequacy-mitigating posturing and chest-puffing. On the other hand, gentleness isn’t cowardice. Both non-gentle masculinity and also non-manly gentleness are to be avoided.

Any immature man can be a forceful, unheeding, unloving “leader.” Only a true man can be gentle.

We’re after a life that’s both courageous and contrite, both tough and tender, both manly and gentle. But only in the power of the Holy Spirit can we be both at the same time (22).

Walk in a Manner Worthy

The turning point of Ephesians drives home Edwards’s insistence on the importance of gentleness in the Christian life. After reminding his readers what God in Christ has done, Paul tells them what this means for their personal conduct: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all _________” (Eph. 4:1–2).

How would you expect Paul to finish that sentence? We might expect something like “with all sacrifice,” “with all zeal,” “with all boldness,” “with all fortitude.”

Paul says, “with all humility and gentleness.”

That is where the first three chapters of Ephesians take us. Jonathan Edwards understood this point. The lofty theological discourse of Ephesians 1–3 funnels down, above all else, into an aroma of gentleness exuded by ordinary Christians in their ordinary lives. Yet such an aroma isn’t ordinary. It’s extraordinary, supernatural. It’s where the Spirit takes us.

Editors’ note:

This is an adapted excerpt from Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God (Crossway, 2014).

Dane Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) is executive vice president for Bible publishing and Bible publisher at Crossway in Wheaton, Illinois, where he lives with his wife, Stacey, and their five kids. He is the author of several books, most recently Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God. Dane blogs at Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology. You can follow him on Twitter.

Posted at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/want-jesus-gentle/

A Life-Changing Sentence in Deuteronomy

When was the last time you started a Bible reading plan with the book of Deuteronomy?

Maybe you should. There’s a life-changing sentence in the first chapter of this historical book that we need more than ever today.

To briefly set the scene, God commanded his people to leave Horeb and enter the Promised Land. The Israelites were understandably afraid of the battle that lay ahead, but instead of bringing their fear before the Lord, they chose to murmur in their tents.

The result of their self-counsel? Their conclusion is shocking: “Because the Lord hated us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.” (Deuteronomy 1:27, ESV)

This Old Testament narrative couldn’t make it any clearer: we are always preaching to ourselves.

There’s something else to be said: theology is not just something we study in the academic classrooms of seminary; theology is the lens through which we examine and respond to everyday life. Our understanding of God will inescapably shape our perspective on our circumstances.

But maybe their conclusion shouldn’t be so shocking. I’m deeply persuaded that we, just like the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 1, are always asking five deeply theological questions. The way we answer them will push us toward hope or panic.

1. Is God Good?

You can rest assured that the goodness of God will confuse you. What looks good from God’s perfect eternity-to-destiny perspective doesn’t always seem good to us at street level.

2. Will God Do What He Promised?

Few questions in life are more important than this one. Since we are small and weak, since we never really know what is going to happen next, and since God calls us to do difficult, sacrificial things, we need to know that his promises are reliable.

3. Is God In Control?

In some ways, all the other questions rest on this one. God’s promises are only as trustworthy as to the extent of his control. What good is his goodness if he lacks the authority to exercise it?

4. Does God Have The Needed Power?

You will be motivated to do what you don’t have the natural ability to do when you know that God’s awesome power is with you. Confidence in God’s power produces courage in the face of weakness and enables you to admit your limits while living with courage and hope.

5. Does God Care About Me?

Perhaps this is the question we’re most conscious of, but the Bible never debates God’s care; it assumes and declares it. God’s care is foundational. It lets me know that all that he is, he is for me.

What are you preaching to yourself? What are you saying to you about the goodness, promises, control, power, and care of God?

As you ask these questions, remember that he is so rich in grace that he will never turn a deaf ear to your cries.

God bless,

Paul David Tripp

Reflection Questions

1. Read the first full chapter of Deuteronomy. What additional application can you find in the text? How does it relate to your life right here, right now?

2. Which of the five questions have you asked most recently? What prompted you to ask this question?

3. How did you answer that question? Where did your answer find its inspiration or evidence?

4. Are you murmuring in your tent? What unbiblical thoughts or beliefs are you preaching to yourself? How can you combat these with gospel truths?

5. Who do you know who is discouraged or afraid? How can you help them avoid a Deuteronomy 1:27 response? Be specific.

Posted at: https://www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word

Knowing God Through His Name

Meredith Hodge

God, Father, Lord—These names typify our communication with and about him. We know His name is to be honored, not said in vain (Exodus 20:7). It is to be “hallowed,” revered in our prayers (Matthew 6:9). Yet, God’s name signifies so much more.

God invites us through Scripture to see how His name declares who He is. And as we faithfully ponder His majestic, holy, and awesome name (Psalm 8:1; 111:9), we see how He not only reveals His character, but also His promises to us. Here are four names that embody the Lord’s attributes and assurances:

1.) He is Jehovah-Raah: The LORD My Shepherd

God’s Word illustrates the desperate need of sheep for a shepherd. Because sheep are prone to stray and become lost, they will fall into destruction without a tending shepherd. It’s no surprise that the Bible compares humanity to sheep:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6)

Thankfully, we have Jehovah-Raah, “who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3). The Lord our Shepherd cares for, guides, protects, and leads His wandering sheep.

Isaiah says of Him:

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (40:11)

Jesus is our Good Shepherd—he knows His sheep, and we know Him (John 10:1-16). He has compassion on us in our propensity to wander and in our helplessness (Matthew 9:36). Our Shepherd willingly laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11), carrying our iniquities to reconcile us to a holy God (Isaiah 53:6).

He now awaits us in the middle of heaven’s throne, where He will guide us to streams of living water (Revelation 7:17) and give us the unfading crown of glory (1 Peter 5:8).

Therefore, like King David, we echo in praise: “The LORD is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

2.) He is Jehovah-Jireh: The LORD Will Provide

Abraham saw God’s gracious provision in sparing Isaac’s life with a sacrificial ram, naming the location, “The Lord Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14). Notice, Jehovah-Jireh does not mean, “The Lord did provide,” but rather, “The Lord will provide.” Abraham was not looking solely to past and present provisions; he was anticipating a future action from his Almighty Provider—and we can too.

Jehovah-Jireh provides earthly life and breath (Genesis 2:7) and eternal life (Romans 6:23). He gives abounding grace (2 Corinthians 9:8); the ability to escape temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13); heavenly rewards (Matthew 6:1-4); good and perfect gifts (James 1:17); and every need according to the riches of His glory in Christ (Philippians 4:19).

God’s ultimate provision points to Calvary, where He provided Jesus to pay the penalty of mankind’s sin, giving salvation by death on a cross (John 3:16; Romans 8:32). Yet, Jehovah-Jireh did not stop there: As Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, so did He provide His Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of His people (John 16:7). 

3.) He is Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD Is Peace

Jehovah-Shalom occurs once in Scripture in Judges 6, where Gideon realized that he saw an angel of the Lord. Gideon was fearful, but God responded to him assuredly: “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die” (Judges 6:23). Responding in praise, Gideon built an altar to the Lord, calling it “The Lord Is Peace” (6:24).

With “peace,” the word “shalom” also means “to be complete or sound” and “absence from strife.” Therefore, Shalom, according to the Bible is: found in Him (John 16:33); a blessing reserved for His people (Psalm 29:11); promised to His faithful servants (Psalm 85:8); for those who love His law (Psalm 119:165); for those who trust (Isaiah 26:3); a secured covenant (Isaiah 54:10); a spiritual gift (Romans 8:6); an effect of righteousness (Isaiah 32:17); and a result of a mind set on the Spirit (Romans 8:6).

Peace also comes after godly discipline (Hebrews 12:11) and guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).

Believers have the utmost shalom: peace with God through Christ (Romans 5:1). The prophesied Prince of Peace has come, and His chastisement brought us peace with God (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 53:5). We can rejoice that, not only has He given and continues giving peace, but He himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14)!

4.) He is Jehovah-Shammah: The LORD Is There

In Ezekiel 48:35, Jehovah-Shammah is a symbolic name for God’s presence in the earthly Jerusalem: “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There” (italics added).

In this context, the Israelites’ shameless rebellion and detestable idolatry caused God to withdraw His presence from them. Yet, in abounding mercy, Jehovah-Shammah did not fully abandon Jerusalem. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised to restore and return to Jerusalem. In that day, the city would be called “Jehovah-Shammah.” That very prophecy was fulfilled when the exiles returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls.

The Lord’s once-departed glory (Ezekiel 8-11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4)—and His presence returned with fulfillment in the form of Jesus Christ. And though Jesus physically departed from the earth after his death, He ascended into heaven with assurance for us:

“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

In his place, the Holy Spirit was provided to dwell in the Church and His people forever (John 14:15-17). He is there within us, teaching, helping, convicting, and interceding for us.

We eagerly await God’s restoration of the New Jerusalem, where we will dwell glorified in His presence forever. And as we apply this promise to our present lives, we are fueled by the Spirit’s power (Acts 1:8).

Matthew Henry says of our divine union with Jehovah-Shammah:

“It is true of every good Christian; he dwells in God, and God in him; whatever soul has in it a living principle of grace, it may be truly said, The Lord is There.”

The Name That is Above Every Name

When life’s hardships often tempt us to forget that God is our Shepherd, Provider, Peace, and that He is There, gaze upon the name of Jesus Christ. Paul says of him:

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

This name of incomparable power, authority, and deity humbled Himself to be made lower than the angels, to suffer death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). This name poured out His life unto death, numbered among the transgressors, bearing the sins of many, making intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

Yet, this name brought salvation (Acts 4:12), and was given dominion, glory, and kingship, so that every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed (Daniel 7:14).

So in faith, we respond in praise:

Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! (Psalm 113:2)

THE AUTHOR

Meredith Hodge

Meredith Hodge lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband Matt. She is a freelance writer and editor who loves coffee, spending time in nature, cooking, reading, and serving others in ministry. Meredith blogs about living for Christ in faith-led freedom and grace-filled growth. Follow her blog at It's Positive!.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2019/09/knowing-god-name/

No, I Shall Not Want

by Scott Hubbard - Desiring God

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

Every one of us wakes up each morning as a bundle of desires. Beneath even the most outwardly apathetic demeanor are loves, needs, and fears — each of them demanding our attention and obedience. Many of us move through our days largely unconscious of these basic emotions, even though they sit at the control panel of our hearts, pulling the levers that decide what we say and do.

A husband and father, for example, leaves work filled with a love for comfort. He obeys that love by coming home, not to his wife and kids, but to his couch and sports.

An employee walks into the office feeling a need for his peers’ approval. So he performs on the stage from nine to five, always listening for applause.

“We shall not want. Even in discomfort. Even in rejection. Even in the valley of the shadow of death.”

A young man, wounded from past relationships, fears the prospect of future pain. So he withdraws socially, insulating himself from anyone who might harm him.

Such loves, needs, and fears present themselves so persuasively, so forcefully, that we often fail to ask if they are feelings worth following. They can keep us from hearing another voice that has been speaking to us all the while, bidding us to walk a better path.

That Other Voice

God, in his mercy, makes us stop and listen. Behind the clamor of our desires, we hear the voice of a shepherd who invites us to green pastures and still waters. The trouble, however, is that his voice often leads in the opposite direction of our feelings. Our loves, needs, and fears push us toward one path; he calls us to another. To follow him, we must deny them.

In moments such as these, we encounter what C.S. Lewis calls “the real problem of the Christian life.” The decisions that define us as Christians often do not come with a flash and a bang. They come softly, almost noiselessly. They come, Lewis tells us,

the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. (Mere Christianity, 198)

And what does that other voice — that larger, stronger, quieter life — teach us to say to our rebel feelings? Four words: “I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

‘I Shall Not Want’

Imagine you wake up with an instinctive love for comfort. You just want to move from bed to office to couch to bed without interruptions. You can’t be bothered by other people today, especially the needy ones. You need more rest, more me time. That hard conversation can wait until tomorrow. But then you stop and listen to that other voice, which teaches you to say, “When I walk into discomfort, I shall not want.”

Or perhaps you wake up feeling a deep need for approval. You just want others to appreciate you, listen to you, love you. You wish you were better looking, less awkward. You’re ready to laugh at jokes that aren’t funny and say things you don’t believe. But then that other point of view wraps its arm around your shoulder, and helps you say, “I have one Master to please today. When others reject or ignore me, I shall not want.”

Or maybe you wake up with a vague fear of coming trials. You just want to hold what’s precious in your life out of God’s reach. A crowd of what ifs runs through your mind, and you answer by searching for something to distract you. But then that larger, stronger, quieter life comes flowing in, and you find yourself saying, “When trouble comes, I shall not want.”

“Jesus spilled his blood in Golgotha’s dust so we could lie down in green pastures.”

The wild pack of loves, needs, and fears has rushed at you, but you have beaten them back with this four-word shove: I shall not want. You are ready to follow your shepherd wherever he leads. They may come back in the afternoon, or even ten minutes from now, but you know what to do. You plug your ears to their persuasions and remember, again and again, I shall not want.

And so on, all day.

‘The Lord Is My Shepherd’

Of course, the four words I shall not want possess no magical qualities. We cannot charm away temptation simply by saying them. Rather, they are powerful only insofar as we believe the words that come before them: “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). How do we know with confidence that we shall not want, even when our loves, needs, and fears say just the opposite? Because the Lord Jesus Christ is our shepherd.

Jesus spilled his blood in Golgotha’s dust so we could lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2). He laid his soul in the grave so ours could be restored (Psalm 23:3). He allowed the valley of the shadow of death to swallow him so that it might become for us the highway to heaven (Psalm 23:4). Every morning, he sets a table for us, filled with rich food (Psalm 23:5). Every day, he sends his goodness and mercy to chase us, surround us, and keep us safe till we reach home (Psalm 23:6).

As we entrust ourselves to this shepherd, he takes his rod and his staff, and trains our feelings to follow him: to love him, to need him, to fear him. He teaches us, day by day, that as long as we are near him, we shall not want. Even in discomfort. Even in rejection. Even in the valley of the shadow of death.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/no-i-shall-not-want

The Lord is... (part 3)

By Wendy Wood, CHCC Counselor

The Lord is…. My rock.

Psalm 18:2  “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Deuteronomy 32:4  “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

Isaiah 26:4  “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

The word “rock” in scripture refers to a cliff, a boulder, or a huge rock.  This is not a pebble or a small stone you would throw and skip on a lake. A rock is a solid, large, immovable object.  God refers to himself as a rock because large rocks don’t move. “A rock is battered by a storm and it does not bend. The waves beat against it but it does not fall.  Our weight presses down on it but it does not sink. That is our God: always perfect; always just; always faithful; righteous and upright; never unjust. So you can trust him and cling to him today, tomorrow and every day.”

“The Lord is my rock” means that when life seems uncertain, or when people betray you, or when everything around you is changing, God is sure, faithful and unchanging.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”  The Lord is dependable.  The Lord is the one constant in life you can always count on.  He is faithful and will never let you down. He is unchanging, so his ways and purpose remain the same in bringing honor to himself and working all things for the good of believers.  When your circumstances seem bad to you, you have a rock to depend on.  

This is what Joseph did when he spend over 20 years struggling in Egypt after being sold into slavery.  Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit, sold him to slave traders, covered his coat with blood and told their father he had been killed.  Joseph was falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown in jail. Joseph was forgotten in jail and left there an extra two years. Through all of this, God, the Rock, had a plan and was working all things for his purpose.  God had never left Joseph. God had never diverted from his plan. No one had thwarted God’s plan.  Everything was working out exactly as God ordained.  

In the midst of difficulty, suffering, false accusations, and fear of the unknown, there is a Rock you can lean on.  God the rock is unchanging, unwavering, solid, immovable, and constant. You can go to the rock for comfort and to find sure footing. When everything in life is shifting in your circumstances, lean on the Rock.

Another aspect of “God is my rock” is the title “cornerstone”.  

Matthew 21:42-44 says, 

“Jesus says to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes?”

There I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him”.

Jesus is the cornerstone.  A cornerstone is a huge rock that unites two masonry walls.  It is a stone representing the starting place. It is essential to a large building.  

Jesus is the rock of faith.  He is the rock of the church.  All believers must have Christ as the starting place.  His gospel remains essential to faith and a relationship with God forever.  Rejecting Jesus as the cornerstone means that you will be crushed by the weight of your own sin.  Jesus is the only way to God.  

Do you take time to think about the cornerstone of your faith?  Do you daily think about what Christ has done for you and that it is his completed work on the cross that gives stability and surety of your relationship with God?

God is my rock means that God is like no one else in His immutability, protection, and faithfulness.  Deuteronomy 32:31 says, “For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.” There is nothing that can replace God.  There is no one who loves like God loves. There is no one who gives grace like God gives grace. There is no one who rules justly like God rules justly.  There is none like Him! Sometimes we try to substitute other gods in place of God. We might believe that reputation, being loved by our spouse, achievements at work or school, having nice stuff, will provide the hope and peace that we so desperately want.  But, God is clear that nothing and no one can replace him. As creatures made by God, we were made to need him and depend on him. Nothing else can fill the God-shaped hole in our souls. 1 Samuel 2:2-3 says “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.  Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”  No one is like God. 

What are you looking to to be your rock?  Are you trying to depend on your spouse or your kids, or your job, or something else to give you stability and hope?

Only God is the rock that is dependable, unchanging, and who can withstand the weight of your hopes.