“Let God be true, and every man a liar.” Romans 3:4
I want to be on your side, dear God. You are true. Your word is true. The gospel is true.
It’s inside
“A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, … No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly.” Romans 2:28
Just substitute “Christian” for “Jew” in the verse. It is what’s inside that counts. We are to live inside out.
Like and unlike
God is unlike us.
God is self-sufficient. (Acts 17:24-26, 1 Cor 8:6)
God is the Creator. (Genesis 1:1)
God had no beginning. (Psalm 90:2)
God has no end. (Psalm 102:27)
God is all-powerful. (Isaiah 46:10)
God is omniscient. (Psalm 139, Matthew 10:30, Acts 27:21-25)
But, even more important, God is holy and righteous. Perfect. Awesome. His name is above all names.
God is love His love is unconditional and sacrificial. (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:7,8)
And because God is also unchanging (Hebrews 13:8), the love that He has for us today is still the kind of love that John 3:16 talks about.
If that Bible verse really means something to us, we should have a holy desire to live for God and to pattern our lives after His character. This desire is not natural to us, because we are by nature sinners. Rather, it is supernatural, brought about by a new birth, as it were, into the kingdom of God.
Created things
“They …worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.” Romans 1:25
Served. What does it mean to serve created things? How important to keep in mind that the things I can see and touch are only temporary. They are certainly not worthy of worship. They are not worthy of service, either.
From first to last
“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last…” Romans 1:17
It’s all about being God-centered. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The First and the Last. The Author and the Finisher of our faith. Not just the author. The author and the finisher.
Standing at the edge
“And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.” Joshua 3:13
Standing at the edge of this new year, I am reminded of the story of the Israelites standing at the edge of the Jordan river, about to enter the promised land. It was for them both a beginning and an ending. The end of a long, weary journey through the wilderness. The beginning of a bright future in a new land filled with God’s promises. But to get to that new land, they would have to cross a swollen Jordan river.
The parallels for us are unmistakeable. The past year, perhaps a weary one, is behind us. A brand new year is ahead of us, filled with God’s promises. But it is not that easy. We all carry probems with us into the new year that must be dealt with. A Jordan river, if you will, to cross.
I love the verse that says when the priests stepped into the water, the waters of the Jordan parted, just as they had parted forty years before at the Red Sea. This is a picture of God’s faithfulness to a new generation facing a new challenge. Since God never changes, we should take heart as we step out into the new year, anticipating the faithfulness of an almighty God.
Who he really was
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” John 1:10
This is an amazing thing! He walked among men. He taught in the synagogues. He performed many wondrous miracles. He openly refuted the Pharisees. Yet the world did not recognize who he really was.
Can’t complain
“You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know evertying I do.” Psalm 139:3
The psalmist didn’t write these words to complain against an all-knowing, all-seeing God. He was rather expressing the wonder, the security, the peace in knowing that the awesome God of the universe was not just watching him, but watching out for him! Who could complain about that?
A wonderful invitation
“Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the eartrh and the heavens.” Psalm 148:13
A wonderful invitation to all creation – to praise the LORD. The Creator. The One whose name, whose character, whose eternal purpose is exalted.
In his beauty
“Your eyes will see the King in his beauty, and view a land that stretches afar.” Isaiah 33:17
What a wonderful promise! This verse is referenced in the the old hymn, “The Last Mile of the Way.”, written by Johnson Oatman in 1908.
If I walk in the pathway of duty,
If I work till the close of the day;
I shall see the great King in His beauty,
When I’ve gone the last mile of the way.
