Who Do You Get Your Beliefs From?

I love those who write blogs, make podcasts and create spiritual content on YouTube, however, we must be careful who influences us.  Is it the Spirit of God or man?  

What I mean is, God’s Spirit works in different ways on different people.  God is not obliged to reveal everything to everyone the same way.  Some people are led by the Spirit of God to keep the Sabbath and others haven’t been given this revelation yet.  No one should damage the conscience of another by calling them legalists for keeping God’s Ten Commandments, or whatever.  Each person is convicted and dealt with by God individually. 

To say that a person is wrong to keep God’s Commandments is to place yourself above the finger of God, and your convictions above the convictions God has given to someone else. The person who does this is treading on dangerous ground!

People should seek for themselves the knowledge and will of God. While we are encouraged by the faith and knowledge of others, we must not allow their beliefs to dictate our consciences.  Those who teach should be especially humble and willing to learn.  They should not think that only they know God’s Word above everyone else, which is the attitude of many pastors and teachers.  They refuse to humble themselves and step back and take a good look at what they teach.  Teachers of God’s Word should be very careful not to damage the consciences of others.  Jesus had something to say to those who would cause any of God’s children to stumble.  

If God’s Spirit has convicted you to keep His 7th day Sabbath Commandment Law, no one should tell you otherwise.  Our pastors and teachers will not be standing next to us when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  On that day, we will stand alone.  We should not be seeking our own righteousness.  God is the One who declares us righteous.

We should not base our knowledge of God or the Bible on what our beloved pastors and teachers tell us.  We must test everything they say.  Read the Bible for yourself and pray to God to show you how to obey Him.  Too many people don’t want to take the time and effort to study God’s Word for themselves.  Instead they prefer to write and or call in and get their questions answered from a well-known pastor or teacher whom they trust and admire.  

God says “Do not put your trust in earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.” (Psalm 146:3)  The Bible also says “…you don’t need anyone to teach you but God’s Spirit will teach you all things.” (1 John 2:27)

Remember, “Whoever says, “I know him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4)  Be careful who you get your beliefs from..the Spirit of Christ or man.

Fear is a Gift! | What’s Your Reaction to Danger?

Swearing? or Praying? What’s your response to danger?

Picture this.  You’re late for work and driving a little too fast for the road conditions.  You’re going around a corner onto a bridge and you suddenly start fishtailing out of control.  What do you do? Do you swear or do you pray?

No one enjoys being in life-threatening situations, it’s terrifying.  Fear, however, is actually a divine gift. It has two purposes:  

  1. Fear reveals what is in the heart.
  2. Fear provides an opportunity for faith to develop and grow.

How a person responds to fear depends entirely on what is in the heart.  

TIME TO DECIDE!

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!  For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.”  (Joel 3:14 NKJV)

There are 3 groups of people in the world today:

  1. Those who are loyal to Yah;
  2. Those who have sided with Satan in his rebellion against Yah;
  3. And those who haven’t yet made their final decision

Ultimately, only 2 classes of people will exist in the end: those loyal to Yahweh and those in rebellion against Him.  Yahweh uses fear to let us know what is hidden in the deepest recesses of our hearts so that we can prepare for the dangers ahead.

THE SIN RESPONSE

So how do you respond when your plane hits turbulence, the overhead luggage bin opens and the oxygen masks fall?  What is your reaction when a terrorist opens fire in the mall in which you are shopping?  What do you do when your child runs into the street centimeters from a speeding truck?  Do you panic or do you pray? 

These aren’t just rhetorical questions.  Revelation reveals that the mark of the beast will be enforced on pain of death!  How we respond to danger now reveals how we will respond to danger then.  The very threat of danger can be enough to lead anyone who wants to cling to sin to give up his or her principles and to compromise.  Compromise then becomes your response to the threat of danger. If compromise has been your habit, you will not be able to stand firm for truth when death is the price for faithfulness.

The act of compromising ALWAYS leads to sin!  Of course, when a person enjoys the sin and doesn’t wish to make a full surrender, this is what he or she is wanting.  The problem is when we continue to sin, even after being convicted that it is wrong, sin starts to lose its sinfulness.  This is the mind’s natural response to cognitive dissonance.  We feel uncomfortable when our actions do not agree with our beliefs.  Consequently, when a person doesn’t want to change his actions to agree with his beliefs, he is left with one alternative: He changes his beliefs to allow for the actions he doesn’t wish to give up.  This will eventually lead him to commit the unpardonable sin.  It is not that Yahweh suddenly stops drawing or convicting the heart, it’s simply that the heart becomes insensitive to the gentle leading of His Spirit and this inevitably hardens the conscience.  

THE FAITH RESPONSE

A person who wants to honor and obey Yahweh will have a much different reaction to danger.  Yes, he’s afraid, but that fear drives him to the Father rather than away.  The response of faith is to trust Yah’s love and claim His promise of protection.  When a person does this habitually, it becomes his automatic reaction to danger or threat.  

David said; “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.  In Yah (I will praise His Word), In Yah I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”  (Psalm 56:3,4 NKJV)

If you get to know Yahweh on a personal level, you will, when afraid, trust Him to work all things out for good.  You will look at times in the past when Yahweh has delivered you or others.  This will encourage you to claim God’s promises for your current emergency.  Then as you claim the promises, Yahweh will keep them and deliver you.  In your own life you will begin to see and experience miracles for yourself.  

Gratitude for blessings received will always awaken love in your heart for our Father, Yahweh.  Love in turn produces faith and trust.  This is why Yahweh allows bad things to happen to good people.  It’s not so that they will suffer, it’s so their faith in Him and their confidence in His love for them will grow.  As their faith grows, their gratitude and love grow, which only increases their faith.  It’s an incredibly beautiful cycle of God’s undeserved kindness (grace).  

THE DANGER AHEAD

In the days ahead, Yahweh’s people will see every earthly support cut off.  When the mark of the beast is enforced, you will have one of two options:

  1. Compromise your beliefs to obtain temporal security and receive the mark.
  2. Refuse the mark of the beast at the risk of imprisonment or death.

Only those who have made it a habit to trust in Yahweh under all circumstances will have the faith to stay true then.  

Fear is a gift!  It lets us know when we’re in danger.  It alerts us to the need to turn to Yah for help.  When we do this then His Spirit will raise up a standard against the enemy in our defense.  

“So shall they fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh will lift up a standard against him.  The redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, “ says Yahweh.  

“As for Me,” says Yahweh, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says Yahweh , “from this time and forevermore.  (Isaiah 59:19-21)

A tsunami of evil is coming.  Will you curse and compromise? Or will you pray and claim Yahweh’s promise and trust in Him to protect you?

The Character of God: Why is Obedience Important to God?

From Genesis to Revelation, God has a lot to say about obedience.  In the Ten Commandments, we see just how important obedience is to God.  Deuteronomy 11:26-28 sums it up like this: “Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed.”  And in the New Testament, we learn through the example of Jesus that believers are called to a ‘life of obedience’.

It’s important that if we don’t understand something in God’s Word, we should ask Him to make us understand and help us to obey.  That’s what the psalmist and others did!  Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders. (Psalm 119:27 CSB)  

A precept is a command or principle intended as a general rule of action; an order issued by a legally constituted authority to a subordinate.  God and Jesus are our authorities and we are the subordinates.  Jesus commanded us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking.   He didn’t tell us to seek man’s counsel. So why are we so quick to follow someone else’s opinion on biblical doctrine instead of just asking God to help us understand?  Do we believe that God will provide us with the answer?  Or could it be that we really don’t want the answer?  And what if we’re given wrong counsel by others?  Won’t God still hold us accountable for disobeying Him?  We will not be able to claim ignorance of God’s commands when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, which every person will do.  

A succinct definition of obedience is “to hear God’s Word and then act accordingly” and when God directs us to do something, we should just simply obey.   

Jesus Calls Us to Obey

  1. Jesus is the perfect model of obedience.  As his disciples, we follow his example as well as his commands.  Our only motivation is: love.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 ESV)
  2. Obedience is an act of worship.  While the Bible places a strong emphasis on obedience, it’s critical to remember that believers are not justified (made righteous) by obedience.  Salvation is a free gift from God and we can’t do anything to earn it.  We obey because our hearts are grateful for the unmerited kindness and favor we’ve received from God.  And this unmerited favor is called “grace”.  “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship Him.”  (Romans 12:1 NLT)
  3. Our obedience to God proves our love.  The books of 1 and 2 John clearly explain that obedience to God demonstrates our love for Him.  Loving God implies obeying His commands:
    1. “But those who obey God’s Word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him.  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5, 6 NLT)
  4. God rewards obedience.  Over and over we read in the Bible that God blesses and rewards our obedience.  God actually wants us to look forward to being rewarded by Him. 
    1. “And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”  (Genesis 22:18 ESV)
    2. But Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”  (Luke 11:28 ESV)
    3. “Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it.  If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave.  But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free.  God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.” (James 1:22-25 CEV)

By our obedience, we experience the blessings of living holy.  Only Jesus is perfect, therefore, only he walked in sinless, perfect obedience.  But as we allow God’s Holy Spirit to transform us from within, we grow in holiness.  This is called “sanctification”, which can also be described as growing spiritually.  Sanctification is a process by which we undergo all our life until Jesus comes and grants us immortality and complete holiness.  The more we read God’s Word, the more we grow in our obedience to God. And because we grow more holy, we experience great joy.  

“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of Yahweh.  Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts.  They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths.  You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.  Oh that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!  Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.  As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!  I will obey your decrees.  Please don’t give up on me!” (Psalm 119:1-8 NLT)

This is my prayer and my hope, that I will never be ashamed when I compare my life to God’s commands.  I want God to remove anything in me that offends Him.  And I pray that He will give me a clean heart and a loyal spirit.  I never want God to take His Holy Spirit away from me. (Psalm 51)

My desire is to receive Yahweh’s blessing and have a right relationship with Him. (Psalm 24:5)

Here are some excerpts from Psalm 25 that you can pray for yourself, too!

“O Yahweh, I give my life to you.  I trust in you, my God!  Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.  No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.  Show me the right path, O Yahweh; point out the road for me to follow.  Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in you.

Remember, O Yahweh, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past.  Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.  Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Yahweh.  Yahweh is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray.  He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way.  Yahweh leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep His covenant and obey His commands.  

For the honor of your name, O Yahweh, forgive my many, many sins.  Who are those who fear Yahweh?  He will show them the path they should choose.  Yahweh is a friend to those who fear Him.  He teaches them his covenant.  My eyes are always on Yahweh, for He rescues me from the traps of my enemies.  Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.  My problems go from bad to worse.  Oh, save me from them all!  Feel my pain and see my trouble.  Forgive all my sins.”  in Jesus’s name, amen. (Psalm 25 NLT)

How Can We Know the Bible is from God?

When Jesus was on earth about 2000 years ago, the people who heard him teach wondered if his teaching was truly from God.  Jesus answered them saying: “…My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from myself.” (John 7:16-17)

Some people claim that simply hearing Jesus’ teaching would never be enough. Some say they would have to see miracles before they could believe Jesus to be from God. Jesus went further to challenge his hearers to believe he was from God because of the miracles he had performed (John 14:11). Unfortunately, not everyone believed in Jesus when they saw these undeniable miracles?  Even when Jesus provided miraculous proof, many remained unbelieving. Jesus said the reason is because those who truly want to do God’s will shall know the truthfulness of Christ’s message.  

(John 7:17).

Actually, the Bible itself is sufficient proof for all who want to know if it’s from God. The Bible is self-authenticating. There is no need for additional proofs or miracles to establish the authority of God’s Word because it stands on its own. Within the Bible is the character and marks of being the Word of God. 

To prove something is a supreme authority, we’d have to appeal to that supreme authority alone. This principle of authority is stated in Hebrews when God made a promise to Abraham, “…since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.” (Hebrews 6:13)

The statement: All Scripture is God-breathed (inspired of God) and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.  (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) is powerful.  It says that the Word is inspired by God.  So while God used men to write down what He caused them to know, whether by visions, dreams or even audible sound, the contents and message are still from God.  It’s like an executive having an assistant type his words via dictation. While the assistant transcribed what the executive said, it’s not the assistant’s message, but the executives’. God dictated His Word to 40 men over a course of many centuries.  It’s interesting that almost all of these men didn’t know each other and lived many centuries apart; yet the Bible is consistent throughout.  There is just no way a composite book could have been written by so many men who wrote the same message, oftentimes repeating each other.  History teaches us about many events prophesied (predicted) in the Bible hundreds and even thousands of years in advance which actually came true.

A prophecy is when someone tells us what will happen in the future. In the Bible it means that at the time the verse was written, God was telling people what would happen in the future; and the Bible contains around 1,817 prophecies.  

Prophecies are very important to pay attention to because if someone claims to know the future but ends up being wrong, then they are liars and should not be trusted.  So, if we want to know if we can trust the God of the Bible we have to know if His prophecies came true or not.  Prophecies are also important because when they do come true, they give us proof that God is who He says He is.  And it proves undeniably that the Bible is the Word of God. What’s interesting about the prophecies in the Bible is that they have all either come true already, just as God said they would, or the time has not yet come for them to be fulfilled. But don’t take my word for it, look into this for yourself. When you study the prophecies for yourself it will help your own faith in God to grow.

Evidence God Exists and Indisputable Proof the Bible is True

Christians are convinced the Bible is true, because it will either be true or not and we will either be right or wrong.  Since we’re asked to believe in a God who is invisible to us, it’s not too much to ask for a little proof that He really exists and that the Bible is true?  Thankfully, God has provided indisputable proof He exists; that He knows what will happen in the future, and can control events taking place on earth. The evidence is found in the numerous predictions recorded in the Scriptures by the biblical prophets.  

We don’t need to have our every question answered before we can believe in God.  A jury doesn’t need every question answered before it can reach a verdict.  Most members of a jury don’t get to see a video recording of the accused person committing the crime.  They can just examine the evidence (such as the defendant’s fingerprints taken from the crime scene, or testimony from an eyewitness) to convince them beyond a reasonable doubt of guilt or innocence.  Even though the jury wasn’t there to witness the crime, they can determine if the accused was there or not because of the indisputable evidence.

The Old Testament prophets, who wrote certain books of the Bible, prophesied about specific events that would take place hundreds of years in the future. How is it possible for anyone to predict the future when it hasn’t yet occurred? The prophets claimed that they received their information directly from God, who told them what would happen. 

Jesus prophesied to His disciples about His own crucifixion and resurrection so they would believe after it happened. He said, “I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He” (John 13:19;14:29).  God made prophecies and brought them to pass to give us evidence so the righteous would believe in Him. The prophets died long before most of their predictions occurred and have been proven to be correct. Today, thanks to the meticulous work of scribes who carefully copied and preserved their predictions, we can look back on history and see that God’s prophecies were fulfilled exactly as they were proclaimed by the prophets. 

Let’s consider just a few prophecies which are confirmed by historical evidence:

  • The Flood of Noah’s Day:  When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and so they married all whom they chose.  So Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not continue with man forever, for he is mortal, his days shall be 120 years”.  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and afterward as well, when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men.  And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.  Then Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  And Yahweh regretted that he had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  So Yahweh said, “ I will wipe out man, whom I have created from the face of the earth — every man and beast and crawling creature that moves along the ground and the birds of the air — for I regret that I have made them.”  (Genesis 6:1-7)

There is archaeological proof that a flood of global proportions occurred. This can be seen in how the Grand Canyon was formed and in the layers of fossils found all over the world. In many parts of the world coal has formed from the deep layers of green vegetation all over the earth. Archeologists have found that these deep layers of vegetation could have only been formed by a global catastrophe (flood) which pushed trees and plants together in one place and over time produced massive amounts of coal.

  • The prophet Daniel prophesied of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24–27). He prophesied both the first and second coming of Christ. He also predicted that four world empires would successively arise over the span of hundreds of years— Babylon, then Medo-Persia, followed by Greece, and finally Rome (Daniel 2:31–45; 7:1–28). In Daniel 11:29–31, he predicted a king would arise and desecrate the temple in Jerusalem. This was fulfilled when Antiochus Epiphanes slaughtered a pig on the altar of the Jewish temple and erected an altar to the god Zeus in 168 BC.
  • The prophet Micah lived over 700 years before Christ. God communicated a specific future event to this prophet, which was recorded in the Hebrew Bible: “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). Out of all the cities in the world, Micah predicted that Bethlehem would be the location where the Messiah would be born. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy.
  • The prophet Zechariah predicted the Messiah would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, which was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus. The prophet accurately described the exact number of pieces, thirty not twenty-nine, and that the money would be silver, not gold.  He foretold that the money would be thrown in the sanctuary (not somewhere else), and used to buy a potter’s field (Zech. 11:12–13; Matt. 27:3–7). He also prophesied that He would be pierced with a spear in his side, which was fulfilled when the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear (Zech. 12:10; John 19:34).
  • The prophet Isaiah, writing 700 years before Christ, predicted the Messiah would be scourged (severely beaten with whips) (Isaiah 53:5; John 19:1) and buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matt. 27:60).
  • In Psalm 22, 1,000 years before Christ was born, King David described the crucifixion of Jesus, saying that His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16; Luke 24:39), including the fact that they would cast lots for his garments, which was fulfilled when the soldiers cast lots for His outer garments and tunic (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23–24). David also predicted that the Messiah would be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9; John 13:18), that not one of his bones would be broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:36), and that the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31–32).

This could not have happened by mere chance. Only a supernatural God could have inspired and fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible. The evidence is so compelling that it should convince us beyond a reasonable doubt. God has left His fingerprints on these prophecies so that you could know beyond a doubt the Bible is true.

The Character of God: What is God Like? How Does He Feel?

These are questions many people have asked.  In fact, most people find it difficult to know God and they have difficulty understanding why He does what he does, and why He doesn’t do things a certain way.  I believe the reason God inspired the Bible to be written is because He really wants us to know Him, to know His character.  If we really want to know how God thinks and how He feels, we have to read His Word, the Bible, and not only that, but  we must accept what He reveals about Himself. Jesus said the reason he came forth into the world was to show us the Father, our Father.  (John 14:6-7) 

So let’s consider some vital truths about God ~

1. God is not like us and He doesn’t think like we do.  I think this is the main reason people don’t understand God. Humans tend to want to put God in a box and we expect him to think like we think.  

2. The Bible says that God is love.  But a major problem is that people tend to think they know more about love than God.  So first, we must dispel our own thoughts and feelings about our Creator and learn what he reveals about Himself.  

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares Yahweh.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8, 9)

3. God is a Father.  A loving parent does things for a child that the child doesn’t understand.  So it is with God.  God loves, guides, protects and provides for us in ways we don’t understand.  As an infinite Being with infinite wisdom, God knows and understands things we cannot comprehend. We are wise when we bow to that knowledge rather than demand that He do things our way.  We must understand that since there is a physical world, there is also a spiritual world, a world that we can’t even comprehend.  We live in a material world, so our natural focus is primarily on our physical needs.  But God is beyond space and time.  His thoughts are always on the big picture.  Our thoughts are earthly and limited, whereas His thoughts are unlimited and unsearchable.  

“Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!   “Who has known the mind of Yahweh or who has been His counselor?  Who has ever given to God,that God should repay him?”  (Romans 11:33, 34)  

God’s thoughts are just way too deep for us!  “How great are your works, O Yahweh!  Your thoughts are very deep! (Psalm 92:5)  “Great is Yahweh, and worthy of our praise, no one can understand how great He is.  One generation will tell their children what you have done.  They will proclaim your mighty acts.”  (Psalm 145:3, 4) 

4. God is compassionate, merciful and kind. He really wants us to know Him personally.  He wants us to love Him and trust Him completely.  God tells us what he is like in the Bible.  The first thing Yahweh tells us about himself is that he is compassionate and gracious (generous and kind).  In the Hebrew Scriptures, order matters. Order is a clue as to what’s most important. The fact that “compassionate and gracious” are at the top of the list of Yahweh’s character traits means it’s the most important thing there is to know about him.  Moses asked to see God’s glory: 

 “Then Moses asked, “Now, please show me your glory (His manifest presence).  Yahweh answered, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, Yahweh, so you can hear it.  I will show favor to anyone whom I want to show favor, and I will show compassion (mercy) to anyone I want to show compassion (mercy).  But you cannot see My face, because no one can see me and live. There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.  When My glory passes that place, I will put you in a large cleft (crack) in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  Then I will take away my hand and you will see My back but My face may not be seen.”   (Exodus 33:18-23) 

“Yahweh is compassionate and merciful.  He is patient and full of love.  He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever.  We sinned against Him, but He doesn’t give us the punishment we deserved.  His love for us is as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion to those who fear Him.  And He has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.  As a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him.  For He knows all about us.  He knows we are made from dust…. But Yahweh from everlasting to everlasting, the loving devotion of Yahweh is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children – to those who listen to Him and obey His commands.” (Psalm 103:8-14, 17-18)

5. God knows all of us intimately and personally.  One of my favorite Bible chapters is Psalm 139.  This chapter reveals the very heart of God.  The Bible reminds us over and over again of the comfort and peace that comes from being known and loved by God. We are truly known and perfectly loved, even more clearly and so much more than we know of and love ourselves! In fact, it is often quite difficult for us to know ourselves well, to discern clearly our longings, needs, and deepest desires. What we think we need and actually need is not always one in the same. This is especially true in times of pain or suffering.  God knows us better than we even know ourselves. 

God knows us, totally and completely. He knows our thoughts, our actions, our choices, our desires, our fears and our dreams. He knows what we are going to say even before we speak.  We can hide what we are from others and sometimes even from ourselves, but we can hide nothing from God. Nothing about us can shock Him, because He knows it already. It’s no use to try to be something we are not, because He knows exactly who and what we are.  In a world that focuses on appearances, by the perception of success or of being in control, and by man-made expectations, our God knows us just as we are – He loves us and desires to have an intimate and personal relationship with us, despite who and what we may be. We can turn to Him in our sin, our greatest weakness, our foolish unbelief or our misguided choices. 

6. God promises us that if we seek him, he  will not turn away from us. Because God loved us much, He sent His Son into the world to die to make the way for us to be reconciled to Him.  From before the foundation of the world, God knew us, even before we were formed in the womb and thousands of years before we were even conceived.  

God has been with us every step of our lives. He uses every experience and every circumstance to draw us to Himself. There is not a single detail of our lives that He has not taken note of and prepared for.  God promises that He will work  “all things together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28)  His definition of good may not match ours and we may not see our struggles as leading to anything good.  That’s because we can’t see the future. We can’t know how God works in our lives or how our life experiences will impact ourselves and others. But God sees the whole picture. Lost in our disquieting thoughts, we can’t even fathom the higher plan of God. That’s why we have to trust His goodness when we don’t understand.  

When God allows sorrow and pain to enter the lives of His beloved children, it is because His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He intends to use our difficulties to conform within us the character of Christ. (Romans 8:29). He comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others with the comfort we’ve received from Himi. (2 Corinthians 1:4). His goals for us are higher than our goals for ourselves because His thoughts always have an eternal purpose. Our experiences are just small pieces in a giant puzzle that stretches across human history from beginning to end. We may not understand our part in the puzzle, but we can trust that God does. 

As we daily surrender ourselves to God, it becomes easier to set aside our earthly thoughts and allow His higher thoughts to guide our way.  

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding (knowledge).  Remember Yahweh in all you do, and think about what He wants, and He will guide your steps (give you success).  Do not depend on your own wisdom, but fear and respect Yahweh, and turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7 Amplified Bible)

So What’s the Problem?

The Bible proves it is divinely inspired by God, so why do most people still not believe it? The problem arises from the condition that Jesus explained in John 7:17.  Only the person who truly desires to do God’s will can see that Christ’s teachings are from God. The real problem is that sinful humans don’t want to do God’s will because they’re blinded by their sinful nature and the devil (2 Cor 4:4).  A person who is set on doing what they want will not submit to God’s authority, since they think it is foolishness (Rom 8:7). They love the darkness instead of turning to the light of God’s Word because it exposes their evil deeds. (John 3:19-20).

There’s no lack of proof for the truthfulness of God’s Word, rather the problem lies in the willful sinful blindness of people who continue to reject God. A sinner who asks for proof of the truthfulness of the Bible is like a man who made himself blind and who now demands proof for the existence of the sun. He can’t see the glory of God because the mind is darkened , which only he is fully responsible for (i.e. Rom 1:21; Eph 4:18; Matt 13:15; Titus 1:15; 2 Thes 2:10-12). The solution for this problem can’t come from within ourselves because we’re totally unable to give ourselves sight.  It can only come from God.

The Solution

God commands us to turn away from sin, which means to repent and believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness or our sins and to receive salvation. When we do this, God gives us His Spirit (which is also the Spirit of Christ) to live within us.  We are given a new birth into eternal life and we are made right with God. 

And if Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. (Romans 8:10 NLT)

Jesus is the only way we are saved and brought into a right relationship with God.  There simply is no other way.  God forgives us of our past and future sins as we continue obeying and trusting Him and Christ. It’s God who gives us the desire to do His will.  We then can clearly see the truthfulness of His Word.  Further, God sanctifies and makes us holy by the work of His Spirit in our lives.

Because the Bible is the very power of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Rom 1:16), the best way we can know what God is like and how He feels is to read it every day!  Think deeply about what you read and pray that God opens your eyes to see the very wonder of Him! (Ps 119:18).