Tag: One God

Posted on

One God

Daily Reading

2Samuel 22-24

Daily Thought

“So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, ‘Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” (2Samuel 24:2). David’s purpose in his census was to know the size of the nation’s army and its ability to win wars. He wanted to know how strong he was. “And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000” (2Samuel 24:9). 

That is a big army. King David was a song writer and his lyrics reveal his heart, both good and evil. “As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved,” from a song of David, Psalm 30:6. He liked the size of his army. This was evil. I’ll tell you why.

When David counted his soldiers, the king believed he had measured the strength of Israel, but he was using the wrong measure. David need count only one. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. He had let the size of his army supersede the strength of his God and David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done” (2Samuel 24:10).

We count our many gods in this world, gods of power, of status, of fame, of possessions, but I need count only my God and there is One. Any more would be less.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.” ~2Samuel 22:2-4

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, You are my strength. With you, I am are more than a conqueror. When I act on my own strength, I act on my own. Either I fail or my head gets big. Keep me from thinking I can handle the troubles and temptations of this world on my own. I can’t.

I must remember that when I am weak, that is when You go to work. I am strong, not because of what I am capable of, but because You are almighty.

Amen

Daily Question

What do you count on for confidence in your life?

Posted on

One God

Daily Reading

Numbers 1-2

Daily Thought

We count people, as best we can. “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head” (Numbers 1:2). Today, there are seven and three quarter billion people on this planet, more or less. Best guess is 100 billion people have been born since the dawn of the human race. Approximately 255 babies are born every minute. Right around 18,600,000 birthdays are on February 11. Those numbers are close enough.

God doesn’t guess. God does not know more or less, best estimate, approximately, right around, or just about. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). God knows exactly, by name. God knows you.

P.S. There is exactly one God.

Daily Prayer

God, Your care for me is wonderful and amazing. David wrote in his psalm, “Who am I that You think about me?” And yet You do. The God of the heavens and the earth thinks of me more than I think of him. Forgive me for that. May I walk with you all day every day.

Father, the value that You have placed in me, may I see that value in others. That each person is fearfully and wonderfully made, a work of art by You, my Creator God. Truly, God I love You as I love others, because they are Your workmanship. You have given me faith to believe in You, a certainty of hope for eternity, and You give me love, the greatest of Your gifts. May I give Your love to others.

Amen

Daily Question

Why is it important to you that God knows your name?

Posted on

One and Only

Daily Reading

Psalm 90–95

Daily Thought

Life is competition. There is always something bigger, something better, someone smarter, someone stronger. We are in a constant quest for improvement and achievement and growth.

It is true in everything, except one thing, our God. There is no God bigger, no God better, no God smarter, no God stronger. No other God.

Good can become better, and better can become best. Even best can improve, achieve, grow. But it all comes to rest at Ultimate, the Most High, the One and Only. There is a place of rest, one place, and only one place, where we do not strive for more because we cannot strive for more. The Hebrews call this Shalom, a place of wholeness and holiness, of peace and rest, “my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2).

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ~Psalm 91:1

Daily Prayer

Oh Lord our God, You are One, the One and Only God. You sent Your Son, Your One and Only Son, to seek and to save the lost. Me. All of us. Thank You for Your grace and love. Your love for sinners sets You apart from anything else. All love is measured by You, who, while we were still sinners, died on the cross for our salvation.

God, I pray that my love would grow to be as complete and sacrificial as Yours. May I love without strings. May I realize that I don’t need anything else because I can rest complete in You. Then my love will be pure, free of selfish motive.

Amen

Daily Question

The first of the Ten Commandments is “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3). Why did God put this first?

Posted on

any god will do

Daily Reading

2Chronicles 28-31

Daily Thought

Ahaz was the next king who “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2Chronicles 28:1). He crafted idols to the Baals and sacrificed his own sons in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. He borrowed indiscriminately the gods of the nations around him. Any god will do, “and he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree” (2Chronicles 28:4). He even adopted the gods of the Damascus after losing a battle to Syria, reasoning, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me” (2Chronicles 28:23).

Any god will do, it seemed, except the one God, the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of David and Solomon, of his own father Jotham, the Lord, the God of Israel. Ahaz broke up the furniture in that God’s temple, using the wood to make altars to his new gods, “and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord” (2Chronicles 28:24).

When any god will do, there is one God who won’t. Isaiah was prophet when Ahaz was king, and proclaimed the words of the one true God, “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols” (Isaiah 42:8). God does not play nicely with others. He does not share. “I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5). These are not words of petty jealousy, but the deep passion of love, familiar to us, “forsaking all others, I keep only unto you.” No flirting with others.

This was the first of the commandments, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3); the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5); and the cry of Israel, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This is how truth works. It is pure, it is holy, it is one. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). God stands alone.

Daily Prayer

My God, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, King of kings and Lord of lords, there is none like You. You and You alone are God, and You are my God, my first love. May my love be full and pure. All of life, a life abundantly full of love and good and justice and grace, is from You. I seek other ways at my own peril, and yet I do. The results are never good. Thank You for allowing me to run home to You again and again, and for greeting me with open arms again and again.

Each day will begin remembering it is Your day, a day You have created and sustained. I commit my life to You, to Your praise and pleasure. What a way to live!

Amen

Posted on

One God

Daily Reading

2Samuel 22-24

Daily Thought

“So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, ‘Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” (2Samuel 24:2). David’s purpose in his census was to know the size of the nation’s army and its ability to win wars. He wanted to know how strong he was. “And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000” (2Samuel 24:9).

“As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved,” from a song of David, Psalm 30:6. King David was a song writer and his lyrics revealed his heart, both good and evil. This was evil. 

David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people and David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done” (2Samuel 24:10). What David had done was count his soldiers. David believed he had measured the strength of Israel, but it was the wrong measure. David needed only count one. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). 

We collect many gods in this world, gods of power, of status, of fame, of possessions, but I count my God and there is One. Any more would be less.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.”
Another song of David, 2Samuel 22:2-4

This is good.

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, You are my strength. With you, I am are more than a conqueror. When I act on my own strength, I act on my own. Either I fail or my head gets big. Keep me from thinking I can handle the troubles and temptations of this world on my own. I can’t.

I must remember that when I am weak, that is when You go to work. I am strong, not because of what I am capable of, but because You are almighty.

Amen

Posted on

One God

Daily Reading

Numbers 1-2

Daily Thought

We count people, as well as we can. “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head” (Numbers 1:2). There are 7,700,000,000 people on this planet, more or less. Best guess is 100 billion people have been born since the dawn of the human race. Approximately 255 babies are born every minute. Right around 18,600,000 birthdays are on February 11.

Fortunately, God doesn’t guess. God does not know more or less, best estimate, approximately, right around, or just about. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). God knows exactly, by name; God knows you.

P.S., There is exactly one God.

Daily Prayer

God, Your care for me is wonderful and amazing. David wrote in his psalm, “Who am I that You think about me?” And yet You do. The God of the heavens and the earth thinks of me more than I think of him. Forgive me for that. May I walk with you all day every day.

Father, the value that You have placed in me, may I see that value in others. That each person is fearfully and wonderfully made, a work of art by You, my Creator God. Truly, God I love You as I love others, because they are Your workmanship. You have given me faith to believe in You, a certainty of hope for eternity, and You give me love, the greatest of Your gifts. May I give Your love to others.

Amen