He Knows

It’s a few weeks until Easter, and many of us will celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection, just like we do every year at this time.  However, I want to look at the circumstances up to Jesus’s death, to remind us that he is “acquainted” with our grief and humanity in every way.  This should encourage us when we pray, that he listens, knows, and understands.

We’ll start with Matthew’s account.

Matthew 26 states that “they”  “schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.”  And we find out later as we read that even those who were closest to him were among those who schemed – namely – Judas.

Sometimes it’s those who are closest to us who becomes the ones who hurts us the most.  And this leaves a deep wound that often is left open our entire lives.

Jesus knows when our own family and friends betray us, and he knows that it hurts.  It’s the worst kind of betrayal.

When you pray today, remember that Jesus too was betrayed.  In fact, he’s the only one who really knows your grief and can do something about it.  He knew his father loved him, and he wants you to know that too. That knowledge enabled him to love those who betrayed him, in spite of their actions.

If you have been betrayed in the worst of ways, pour your heart out to the One who knows…and has the power to heal.

Faithful & True

This is the last day of our devos on the word “call.”

Revelation says,

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

Jesus knew his calling, and he knew what he was called.  He was God’s son, called to earth to fulfill God’s love for us – to die – conquer death – and offer that same resurrection power and life to us – his children.

Jesus said that he’s coming again.  And because he is called Faithful and True, we can bet on this fact.  We can bank on it.  We can rest in it. We can hope for it.

All of the injustices that have afflicted us on this earth will one day be righted, because God is a righteous judge.  In fact, his eyes blaze like fire against all who dare to come against him.

The robe he wears is one dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

You want assurance in this life?  You must believe and worship Jesus.  There is no other name by which we can be saved.  There is no other one in whom we can place our trust…and never be ashamed.

He’s coming – on a white horse. 

Your Prince is coming.  Your Father loves you.

He is called Faithful and True.  And you are called his child.

What We Are

I John 3 says, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

I’m not sure that any of us really gets the depth of the love our Father has for us.  I know that I don’t.

When things get rough, bad things happen, prayers go unanswered, our minds wander, we think God must be mad at us, doesn’t care, or is punishing us for no good reason.

These verses say that our Father lavishes his love on us and call us his children – and “that is what we are!”

As earthly parents, we love our children the best we know how, which includes feeding them food they may not like, teaching them ways they may not understand, and insisting that they discipline their lives by going to school and eventually to work, which they may not enjoy.  However, we’re the parents and we know what we must do in order to raise our children to be healthy, functioning adults.

Why then, would we expect anything different from our heavenly Father?

In fact, his ways are perfect, when ours are imperfect.

Today, let’s open our eyes and see his great love, realize that we are his children, and rest in his awesome parenting skills.

Called You Out

I Peter 2:  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

More names that God calls us – chosen, royal, holy, special, his possession…

WOW.

When we hear other names in our mind like “worthless, failure, slacker, etc.” this is not God’s voice.

This is huge for many of us, if we can realize this one truth.

Once Jesus calls us to himself and we believe, all of those derogatory names we’ve heard in our minds or heard others call us no longer define us.  That is NOT who we are.

Listen to all of the wonderful descriptions God has for you.

And then declare his praises.  Lift up his name.  Thank him aloud.  Shout for joy.

You are no longer in darkness, beaten down, and destroyed.

You are in his wonderful light where he sees you pure and holy, because of his Son!

Window Wall Art

This is supposed to just be wall art, but I'm hanging two of them horizontally above large windows in my kitchen as window treatments - they look so nice!  From Pier One!

Called God's Friend

James 2  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Remember old Abraham and his courageous act of faith?  It’s one I’m not sure I could ever do – that of offering my child as a sacrifice out of obedience to God.  Yet Abraham did it.

Abraham was so convinced of God and his purposes and plans, that he obeyed him blindly, not knowing the outcome of his obedience.

And for that reason, Abraham got credit to be called God’s friend.

When we believe God and obey him, we too are a friend of God. 

He calls us friends. He calls us sons and daughters.  He calls us trees of righteousness. He calls us holy.  He calls us brothers.

In other words, we are family, made complete in Him.

Don’t just believe in God.  Read his word and obey it.

There’s no greater combo than faith and works – and then to be called a friend of God.

I am a friend of God.

He Will

I Thessalonians 5: …May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

I can’t even comprehend how it is that Jesus came and died for our sins, paid our debt, and we became blameless. But it’s true.  Our entire being – body – spirit – soul – is preserved blameless until Jesus comes again.

Isn’t that incredible?  We don’t need anti-aging creams to preserve us, or pills to take to increase our likelihood of making it, or money stored up in banks to assure our success.  He did it all.

God called us to himself, and like the Good Father that he is, he is faithful to keep us from falling.  He has promised to keep us.

And with extra emphasis, we are told, “He will do it.”

God knows that we have people in our lives who have promised things and never came through.  But God is not like “those people.” And he wants us to know Him.

His promises are sure.

His promises are true.

His promises are complete.

Heavenward

Philippians 3: But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

An interesting phrase is in these verses where it says God called the writer “heavenward” in Christ Jesus.

We are reminded here to forget what is behind – the past – the regrets – the failures, and to strain toward what is ahead.  What's ahead is the prize – heaven.

God has a plan for our lives which doesn’t just end here on earth.  In fact, everything he orchestrates in our lives has an end result of heaven – living in the place where he resides – where all is new again.

Often our struggles here seem unbearable, never ending, and absolutely puzzling, but when we turn and press on towards heaven, we suddenly put things into perspective.

Our lives here on earth are short.  They are like grass that fades, here today and gone tomorrow.

But instead of that sounding like something sad and final, it’s actually joyful and eternal.

God has called us heavenward.  So why do we look horizontally so much of the time?

Everyone

Romans 10 says, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

This is an invitation to all who read to hear the voice of the Lord calling their name, and to respond by calling back to the Lord.

Just what does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord?” 

The second half of the passage explains.

We cannot call on him if we do not believe in him.  In other words, in order to call upon his name, we must believe that he is who he said he is – Jesus the Son of the Living God – and then we can call out to him and be saved.

There are many we meet daily who have never called on the name of the Lord, and it’s simply because they’ve never heard of his great love for them.

It’s up to us to be the hands and feet and voice of Jesus to those we meet.

What are we then saved “from” when we call upon him?

We are saved from death…and brought into life.

What better gift is there?

Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.  And tell those who haven’t heard about Jesus, so they too can call upon him and experience life.

The God Who

Romans 4 says…He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

Remember the story of Lazarus?  Jesus called to this dead man, and called him back to life. In other words, he called the one who had no breath to sit up and breathe again.

That’s who our God is.

He calls into being things that are not.

He can call your lost child by name and bring him home.  He can call sick family members to be healed, when doctors give no hope.  He can call a friend to check on you when you’re feeling alone.  And he can call provision for you and yours, when your pockets are empty.

That’s who our God is.

He gives life to the dying.  He gives sight to the blind.  He gives strength to the weary.  He gives a smile to the frowning.  He offers a hand to the fallen.  He strengthens knees that are weak.  And he opens the ears of the deaf.

That’s who our God is.

Whatever it is that IS NOT, call on God who brings that which is not, into that which IS.

Friends

John 15 says, You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

If you’ve watched shows on television or at the theater about servants who serve their masters, you’ve seen the distinct separation between master and servant.  The servant is not to be privy to the master’s affairs.

In these verses, Jesus says the Master’s affairs are exactly what he wants to share with us – his servants.  And in learning the master’s business, we then are called friends, because our Master shares everything with us.

Our Master appointed us, called us, and sends us – to bear fruit – eternal fruit.

As we choose to obey our Master’s commands, he calls us his friend.  And friends share intimately as they walk together in life.

It’s in that intimate relationship that we learn our Master’s business and ways, so that when we pray, we already know his heart and wishes, and we receive just what we need.

Obey Him, learn his business, bear fruit, and ask Him for all things.  It is his good pleasure give you your desires, and to call you “friend.”

His Voice

John 10 says, The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

In this illustration the shepherd knows his sheep by name, calls them, and leads them.  He leads by going ahead of them by example, and the sheep follow because they recognize the shepherd’s voice.

I think it’s awesome how Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. I can’t think of a more peaceful picture than that of a shepherd leading his sheep.  And to think, he knows us all by name!

But just as important as it is that he knows our name, it’s paramount that we recognize his voice and follow him.

If a stranger calls out our child’s name, we teach him to turn away and run.  However, if our child hears our voice, we teach him to come and obey.

The best way to know and recognize the voice of the Shepherd is to know his character, and that comes by reading his word. 

Not sure whose voice you’re hearing?  God doesn’t condemn, attack your character or shame you.  God loves, draws you into his arms, and whispers his good plans and hope for your life.

He knows your name.  Do you know his voice?

Called

Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Did you know that when you chose to follow Jesus, it was because he called you to himself? 

He calls everyone to know him, because he loves us all.

Did you know that the same authority he gave the 12 who followed him on earth, he gives to us who follow him now?

Did you know that you have authority to drive out impurity from you home, and banish sickness from your doorstep?

If your home is overrun with all sorts of hardships right now, and you know Jesus as your Savior, then he has called you to walk with him.

Stand up in faith, clean your house, and claim healing for your family.

Jesus loves you and wants to walk with you, enabling you to do all things through his strength.

From the Pit

Lamentations 3 says, I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit.You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”

How many times have you felt like you’ve fallen into a pit and can’t climb out?  It sometimes happens daily, doesn’t it?

However, there is no place too deep, too distant, or too dark where he cannot hear our call for help.  God never closes his ears to our cries, when we call out to him.  He doesn’t turn a deaf ear.

No matter how far we’ve fallen, how deep we’ve sunken, or how far we’ve strayed, there is no place we can go where  God cannot find us and rescue us.

And when he hears our call, he comes near, and says, “Do not fear.”

Often when we’ve fallen once, we fear falling again. 

Call out to him and listen for his voice.  It won’t be the one telling you how sorry you are for falling.  

It will be one the whispering in your ear to trust him, while he lifts you towards the light.

Great Things

Jeremiah 32 says This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Let’s look at this scenario here. 

The Lord of Lords, the Creator of the Earth, the One who established the heavens, the Lord God Almighty asks something of us:

Call to me.

The Lord wants to hear our voice, listen to our heart, and not only listen…but answer.

But wait!

He doesn’t stop there. He says if we call, he will answer and tell us great things, unsearchable things that we don’t know.

Is that incredible, or what?

God wants to share his thoughts with ours, because our thoughts are nowhere near his thoughts.  He wants to show us things that bring us life and bring him glory.

Call to him.

Then treasure the things you hear him say.

Before You Call

Isaiah 65:24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

It’s impossible for our friends to answer their phones before we call them, because they have to hear the ring, feel the vibration, or see the phone light up, in order to know there’s an incoming call!

However, God isn’t like a cell phone.  He knows our desires (after all, he made us) before we even call on his name. And yet, he says for us to call on him.

And while we are still speaking his name, he’s already listening to our heart and preparing an answer.

When I call a friend, they have no idea what I’m going to talk about, and they often formulate their answer based on the little bit of information I give them, without seeing the whole picture.  And their answers are not always helpful. In fact, sometimes they hurt.

God isn’t like our friends, either. He knows and sees the whole picture, so we can rest assured that when we call, his answer is the right one – the best one – one that brings life.

Call on him.  And rejoice that he’s already answering and hearing…