Winding down our study of God's Names, I can't help be amazed at the intricate and detailed way God made His character known to us. We have only scratched the surface here, but I pray you anchor your heart to our Strong Tower, knowing in confidence He is abundantly sufficient for all your needs all the time!
"God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8
When I wander through the desert And I'm longing for my home All my dreams have gone astray When I'm stranded in the valley And I'm tired and all alone It seems like I've lost my way
I go running to your mountain Where your mercy sets me free
[chorus] You are my strong tower Shelter over me Beautiful and mighty Everlasting King You are my strong tower Fortress when I'm weak Your name is true and holy And Your face is all I seek
In the middle of my darkness In the midst of all my fear You're my refuge and my hope When the storm of life is raging And the thunder's all I hear You speak softly to my soul
RENOWN is a 4-week Bible study series. This week is God of Sufficiency.
If there is one resounding rhythm of my heartbeat in this study, it is how little I revere God.
The very God of Power whose voice splits mountains and whose whisper causes the earth to shake.
The distinct God of Character whose Holy presence causes the knees of kings to give way and whose love is deeper than a million oceans.
The only true God of Brilliance whose beauty is a collective of every vibrant and precious jewel on this earth and in Heaven.
In drawing near to Him, I am compelled to worship more.
Even with a heavy heart.
Even with my scattered mind.
Even with my back biting lips.
Even with my feeble hands.
Even with my stubborn feet.
I am not sinless, but I am called to sin less. To desire holiness. To desire His will over my life. If I am to acknowledge who He truly is my heart needs to heed His warnings more, to take bigger steps of faith.
Keeping God small, bottled up, figured out, and powerless over my abilities, trials, struggles and circumstances extinguishes His very presence in my life!
And so I prescribed myself one small dose of moving this knowledge from head to heart.
I wrote a doxology. A dox-olo-who? A declaration of the highest praise. An expression of deepest adoration. A acknowledgement of God's infinite nature. A prayer from my heart for His honor. Because of everything He is and everything I am not. I wrote it and am vowing to believe it, even on cloudy days when heavy weight of sadness keeps my head hanging low, because He is able to lift my eyes above the clouds where sun rays illuminate the expanse of Heaven.
A most fitting doxology for this Renown series comes from Jude:
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."
PROCLAIMING HIS NAME AND HIS LOVE
I wrote my doxology to God, Rav-Chesed (Abounding in Love) because that is my desire, to love Him with my whole heart, mind and strength.
GO DOXOLOGIZE!
My challenge to you, is to write your own doxology. Carve out sometime this weekend, ruminate on one of the names we've studied and write a prayer or create an art journal page. Pour out your praises for the glory and honor He is due.To align your heart with His, take time to worship Him for His renown and be inspired by this "Doxology" playlist!
"I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord." Psalm 116:17
This post is part of Imperfect Prose, a communion of writers and artists sharing stories of love and grace and You Create.
RENOWN is a 4-week Bible study series. This week is God of Brilliance.
I found myself at a loss for words studing God's Holy attributes. May this worship video stir your hearts for today's study and usher you into His courts.
The brilliant sunlit sky parted in a vision witnessed by Isaiah. As God pulled back the curtains of Heaven, the stage set a dramatic revelation that was utterly spectacular and completely beyond earthly description. Above Isaiah was the Lord, seated on a throne, and the train of His robe filled the temple with majesty. Seraphim flew by, covering their eyes, crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-6)
In humble posture, Isaiah could only tremble in reverent fear and confess, “Woe is me! I am ruined!”
I read the words over and over, desperately trying to invoke the mystery and awe of the moment when Isaiah’s eyes fell upon the Holy One. However, this sight is too glorious and inconceivable for my finite mind and limited senses to comprehend.
God’s holiness cannot be described within the confines of human language. Even the angels, who dwell with the high and lofty God, reverentially cover their eyes in His presence!
This is El Hakkadosh, Holy God.
The highest attribute ascribed to God is holiness. It is the only description of God that is tripled in scripture. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 4:8
Beyond what anyone can fathom, God’s holiness is simultaneously immaculate, compelling and fearful. It is essential to and inherently who He is.
To be holy is to be set apart, perfect and pure.
All of God’s attributes operate in concert with His perfect holiness.
His love is holy and perfect.
His righteousness is holy and perfect.
His redeeming grace is holy and perfect.
His Word is holy and perfect.
His wisdom is holy and perfect.
Read 1 Samuel 2:2 and Isaiah 40:25. How is God described?
God in all His pure majestic holiness is completely set apart from the rest of creation. To be holy is also to be separated from sin. When Isaiah was in the overwhelming presence of God, his immediate reaction was to plead guilty of sin and the sins of his people. (Isaiah 6:5) He was wrecked to the core.
The attractive beauty and mystery of Holy God, however, is found in response:
A seraph then flew to Isaiah, touching a coal from the altar of God to his lips, saying “Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.” (Isaiah 6:6)
The altar of sacrifice was a picture of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:26 says Jesus “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
Read Psalm 24:3-4. What does the Word say about entering into the Holy place of God?
Because of the absolute integrity and purity of God, He cannot look upon or be in the presence of sin. When Jesus was on the cross He cried out, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” For a moment, God’s back was turned to His Son because of the sin separating them.
I wonder if the angels of heaven were vigorously being held back by God, desperate to get to Jesus and save Him, ready to rescue at the command of the Lord of Hosts. It is a question that will remain unanswered this side of Heaven.
The plan ordained before the foundation of the world made a way for atonement and reconciliation of the sinner to Holy God. The sacrificial lamb gave His life on the altar of sacrifice. Through the covering of Jesus Christ we can enter into the Holy of Holies, a place reserved for clean hands and a pure heart.
My feeble attempt to explore God’s holiness will never compare to the reality of His nature.
My absolute response must be worship in spirit and truth. To understand the destruction of my sin and the source of my salvation.A response of complete reverence. A lifetime pursuit to imitate His Holiness as He continually sanctifies me through His Spirit. Peter exhorted in I Peter 1:15-16, “…be holy in all you do…”
In light of the awesomeness of God's holiness A.W. Tozer writes this prayer that resounds in my own heart:
Oh God, time is running, flying like a frightened bird. The bird of time is on the wing and has a little way to flutter. The wine of life is oozing drop by drop, and the leaves of life are falling one by one. Soon, before the Ineffable every man must appear to give an account for the deeds done in the body. Oh, Father, keep upon us a sense of holiness that we can’t sin and excuse it, but that repentance will be as deep as our lives. This we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.
Encountering God means revering Him for the Holy One that He is, falling before Him in humility and awe with a heart of gratitude and praise for the grace He has lavishly bestowed on us. Join the chorus of angels and sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy!"
RENOWN is a 4-week Bible study series. Thisweek, we study God of Character. View an overview of weekly lessons, begin week 1 or subscribe now to receive via email or rss feeder.
Note: I've moved Worship to Thursdays to provide a bit of space in between each name study. Tomorrow we'll ponder God's authority as we explore how David, Job, and Habakkuk cried out a petition so very familiar to us, "How long, Oh Lord?"
Last week in prayer, I asked God to show himself as Elohim. I desired to see His power afresh and connect my mind to my heart that He is truly a God of Power, mighty and prominent.
In the midst of a thunderstorm I tried to ignore, God allowed me to see HIm afresh. To feel raindrops bounce off my body, to be deafened by the claps of thunder and blinded by the radiant sun under a bright blue sky.
I have been in a hundred thunderstorms, but my expectant heart was rekindled. I remembered my prayer the night before. I want to behold your mighty power in creation, Lord. And I was captivated.
My Elohim is always here, showing Himself to me. I just need to look. And powerful He is! I bowed down in the middle of the back yard and this was the only song I could recall as God tipped the water jars of Heaven over me. Praise Him!
How Great Thou Art Performed by Crystal Lewis
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow in humble adoration And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art
RENOWN is a 4-week Bible study series.This week, we are studying God of Power. View an overview of weekly lessons, begin session 1 or subscribe now to receive via email or rss feeder.
I cannot help but end this week of rejoicing in worship. Talking about the rest of rejoicing, knowing the secure hope of seeing our Savior face to face and entering through His gates compel me to worship in His presence.
Soon and very soon My King is coming Robed in righteousness And crowned with love When I see Him, I shall be made like Him Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon I’ll be going To the place He has prepared for me There my sin erased My shame forgotten Soon and very soon
I will be with the One I love With unveiled face I’ll see There my soul will be satisfied Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon See the procession The angels and the elders ’round the throne At His feet I’ll lay my crown, my worship Soon and very soon
Though I have not seen Him My heart knows Him well Jesus Christ the Lamb The Lord of Heaven
Information regarding the October Bible Study Series, "Reknown" will be available on Monday. Not like y'all are on the edge of your seat waiting with baited breath and drumrolls, but since I had it in the calendar I felt like I had some 'splainin' to do.
Studying the Good Shepherd this week as part of our series on Rest, we saw that there is nothing we can do as sheep to be restored.
HE is the one that does the work. It's in His job description as Shepherd.
Weighed down by the heaviness of wool, excessive weight, or simply being too comfortable paves the way for sheep to become down cast. Our souls can become down cast and just like a sheep, we lose equilibrium, desperately fighting for a stance on solid ground.
Envision your Shepherd as Rescuer, who continually pulls you out of the miry clay and makes you stand firm. It's the way of Him and the habit of His love.
This song by Sherri Youngward is a beautiful illustration of our Good Shepherd who makes me rest to restore my soul.
RESTORE MY SOUL by Sherri Youngward
Lead me beside The water so still Let me catch my breath Let me drink my fill Let me lie in fields of green Where only gentle breezes blow I’ll reach out my empty hands For the cup that over flows
Restore my soul, Restore my soul, Restore my soul, Restore my soul
I’ve stood too long here in these shadows These valley walls are all I see I need the skilled eyes of my Shepherd Now my vision’s failing me
Then I will run and not be weary I will walk and not faint I will soar with wings of eagles In God alone is my strength
Surely goodness and mercy Will find their way to me And I will live with them forever I will have no more need
The Lord is my Shepherd He is my God I will live with Him forever I shall not want
REST is a 4-week Bible study series. This week is Rest to Restoration, beginning with Monday's Bible Study.
In this week's study on Rest to Reflection, we started out by looking in the mirror, beholding the reflection of our own sin-stained hearts that spur us toward knowing we need a Savior. We ended the study with the promise that we behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. God takes our scarlet sin and makes it white as snow.
This song, My Beloved by Kari Jobe, is a beautiful depiction of how God sings and rejoices over us. He sees no blemish on us and says to simply come to Him, to find rest under the shadow of His Wings.
My Beloved
You're My Beloved
You're My Bride To sing over you is My delight Come away with Me My love
You're Beautiful to Me So beautiful to Me
Under My mercy Come and wait Till we are standing face to face I see no stain on you My child
You're Beautiful to Me So Beautiful to Me
I sing over you My song of peace Cast all your care down at My feet Come and find your rest in Me
I'll breathe My life inside of you I'll bear you up on eagle's wings And hide you in the shadow of My strength I'll take you to My quiet waters I'll restore your soul Come rest in Me and be made whole
You're My beloved You're My Bride To sing over you is my delight Come away with me my love
On Monday, I shared in this post the story of how the Lord tenderly put the sound of melody in my heart the moment I learned my father was dying. In the stark, cold, dingy hospital waiting room, the chorus rang loudly in my mind as tears streamed down my face.
While I always sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" when I was younger, the last song I sang to my dad after his last breath was this one.
What I didn't know then, was the origin on this hymn. It was written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford who had been engulfed in tragedy. His son died several years prior, his business burned to the ground and all four of his daughters died in a collison at sea. He lost everything dear and sacred to him.
Yet somehow, by the rich grace of God, he knew the rest that comes with salvation. While crossing the Atlantic to reunite with his wife, he penned these words as his ship sailed passed his daughters final resting place.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know, It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain: It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life, Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul
