– John Calvin
There are two ways to ruin our relationship with the Giver of all things. The first is to ignore him and focus entirely on his gifts…. The second way is to ignore the gift and focus entirely on the Giver…. If the first temptation ignores the God who gives, the second refuses to let him be the God who gives.
– Michael Wittmer in Becoming Worldly Saints
“…but with great compassion I will gather you….
…with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the LORD, your Redeemer.
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
– Isaiah 54:7-8, 10
God offers us great compassion. Not just a little. Not just some. Not just the leftovers. God offers us great compassion.
God shows us everlasting love. Not just occasional love. Not just temporary love. Not just conditional love. God shows us everlasting love.
On the cross he showed that love. And on the cross he paid the price to bring us peace with God (53:5). And this covenant of peace cannot be removed, it cannot be cancelled, it cannot be annulled.
And so, even if the mountains and hills in all their stability were to disappear, he will not remove his love from us. He will yet have compassion upon us. Because of Jesus, nothing can separate us from his great compassion and everlasting love. So stand firm in his love.
Stop fretting that you will somehow lose his love – it cannot be removed.
Stop working, trying desperately to earn his love – he already loves you.
Stop grumbling about your life as though he doesn’t love you.
Stop sinning against this God who loves you so much.
Stop caring what world thinks of you – what does it matter if God himself loves you.
Stop looking for love in all the other places our world looks for love – you have already found the fountain of all love.
So stand firm in God’s love. Rest in his everlasting love & his great compassion.
The God of universe loves you.
So stand firm in his love.
God’s “weight” or glory is the greatness of who He is. His glory is the awesome gravity of His name, the infinite wealth of His divine attributes as is found in His holiness, sovereignty, wrath, grace, goodness, and so forth. Every aspect of His character is immeasurably heavy, incomparably great, beyond any human character or ability. Being absolutely perfect, God is awesome in every way.
– Steven Lawson in Expositor Magazine
Praise God who reigns and knows all things
The Lord God Almighty
He graciously pours out blessings
Forgives and shows mercy
He is the only one true God
Creator and our King
He scoffs at worthless man-made gods
And pagan worshiping
The Lord’s greatness let us proclaim
His praises let us sing
In all of life trust in His name
And serve the one true King
– From a sermon on Isaiah 43:8-44:20
(To the tune of the “O God Our Help In Ages Past”)
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
Grace Is Not A Thing – Jeremy Treat (TGC)
Consider several misconceptions and enemies of grace.
4 Reasons to Stop Obsessing about Heaven – Mike Wittmer (TGC)
And set your hope on the resurrection!
Does Your Facebook Rant “Honor Everyone?” – Trevin Wax
Think before you post!
God’s Tapestry – Tim Challies
God weaves the good and bad things in your life into a beautiful tapestry.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church celebrating God’s grace!
Perhaps our greatest need as we begin a new year is to behold our God – to be reminded of who he is. Isaiah 41 gives us just the glimpse we need:
Our God Rules Over All (v1-7) – God raised up Cyrus to end the Babylonian empire and usher in the Persian empire so the people of Israel could return to their land. Indeed he rules over each generation that comes along – he is the first and the last. And our God will rule over this year. God has a plan for 2015, and he will fulfill his plan. He has a purpose for your life this year.
Our God Cares About Us and Helps Us (v8-20) – God has chosen his people to be his servants, and he will be with us in 2015. He will strengthen us in our weakness. He will help us in our trials. He will uphold us in our need.
Our God Knows The Future (v21-29) – The gods of the nations cannot tell the future – they are nothing, a delusion, empty wind. But our God predicted the coming of Cyrus about 200 years before he came onto the scene. Our God knows the future. He knows what will happen in 2015. Nothing this year will take him by surprise.
Our God rules over the coming year. He knows what the coming year will bring. He cares about us and will help us this year. So let us set our gaze upon him, and trust him with the 2015.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love….
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us….
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him….
– Psalm 103:8, 11-12, 17
His love shines forth in his mercy and grace and patience toward us.
His love is higher than the heavens.
His love removes our sin.
His love lasts forever.
To those who fear Him.
Toward His people.
Not because we are great,
But because His love is great.
We are sinners; we are dust.
But he loves us anyway.
God loves us!
The Lord’s Passion For Us
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
– Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
Quotes on Knowing and Loving God – Trevin Wax
What Must You Leave Behind? Kevin DeYoung
Being True to Yourself is Living a Lie – Trevin Wax
These Precious Days – Tim Challies
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day knowing and loving God!
Brian J. Mikul 