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Jesus Takes Time for You

Just one amidst the crowd! There are times in my life when I feel like a “no name,” just one amidst a large busy, clamoring crowd. I can feel that I have no outstanding characteristics or status that would draw anyone’s eye to me, let alone God’s eye. I feel I am just one, mixed in among the many, who seek being known, who seek God’s attention.

In Mark 5:24-34, we read the account of a woman who suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years, and her condition was growing worse.  Her status was low in her culture; she was a woman, and she was considered an outcast because of her continuous flow of blood (Leviticus 15:25-31).

One day she placed herself in a crowd of people who were seeking Jesus. This woman should not have even been within that crowd of people, because by her culture’s standard she was considered unclean. Yet, there she was, an unknown, unvalued, considered unclean, a face packed into the multitude.

Words that stand out to me in this passage are:  a great crowd followed Him; suffered for many years; growing worse; heard about Jesus; came up from behind Him in the crowd; touched His garment; felt the healing in her body; came before Him trembling; and He said “daughter.”

 No Qualifying Status
This woman was an outcast in her community because she had the continual flow of blood. She had no title, position of honor or respect. It is likely, that even her family rejected her. She had everything that would push people away, but nothing to draw people to her.

  1. It is an interesting contrast that the Holy Spirit records for us in this passage. Jesus was walking through the crowd on His way to heal the daughter of a man of status, title, and reputation, Jairus, one of the rulers of the local synagogue. Jairus was accepted in his community and regarded with honor. He was viewed as entitled to receive the attention and help of Jesus. Notice Jairus is referred to by name, but the “bleeding woman” is not. She is a no name, just a face in the crowd, not worth the time of day.

There are moments when I am calling out to God that I think, “Who am I? What do I have to bring that merits God’s attention to me?”  This story gives me a right perspective on the all-encompassing love of God, and how He views the value of each one of us, of each face in the crowd.

Down Low but Seen by Jesus
This woman knew she was viewed as an outcast. She may even have identified herself as that. Yet she had heard reports of Jesus, who He is and the power He has. She heard of this Son of God healing and restoring people’s lives, setting them free from their bondage. Her desperation, hope and faith moved her through the crowd to Jesus.

While she had faith, she approached Jesus with full understanding of her poverty of status and of spirit. Mark 5:27 states, “she heard of the reports of Jesus and came up from behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.” This woman just wanted to be in reach out touching distance.

What humility! What faith! This woman did not even stand face to face to plead her cause. She did not show her face so that Jesus could see her deep desire, the desperation and sadness written on her face. She did not cling to his hand and pull on Him! She approached from behind and stretched out her hand to touch His clothing! And Jesus, God in the flesh, sensed her presence, stopped, and looked for her in the crowd.

Seeing with Different Eyes
The scripture says that God/Jesus stopped and turned around in the crowd! He asked to see and meet who touched Him (Mk. 5:30). His disciples discouraged His knowing her, but Jesus persisted. Jesus took the time to look for her.

The scripture says that “he kept looking around” to see her (Mk. 5:32). The woman was healed the moment she touched Jesus’ garment. She knew it; she trembled in awe and fear. Jesus knew it and turned to see her.

Jesus looked at her with different eyes than the others. He did not have the censoring eyes of the religious community. He did not have the eyes of social superiority, even though He is God. He did not have the selfish apathetic eyes of the world. Jesus has the eyes of God, the eyes of welcoming love and kindness.

Jesus did not see this woman the way the crowds saw her, or even how she saw herself. Jesus did not look for her status, the titles behind her name, her position in the social or religious community, her connections, her list of achievements, her outer beauty, her age, or her appearance. Jesus saw a woman of faith, a woman in need of help and lifting-up.

Up to this point in the story, the woman had no name, and was on the fringe of acceptance in her community; but Jesus addressed her as “daughter,” a term of endearment and belonging.

I see this incredible scene amidst the multitude, the woman trembling with joy and fear, on her knees. I see Jesus turning his body fully towards her. Jesus reaching out his hand, helping her up, looking into her eyes, while tenderly saying “daughter!”

The Same Love for You
If today, you are feeling like “just” another face in the crowd, feeling uncherished, and not valued, stop because that is a lie! Look at truths in the scriptures which reveal God’s love and valuing of us. Do not rely on your own view of yourself, it is tainted. Don’t rely on the reactions and responses to you from others, because their view is tainted.

Study the scriptures and See God’s View of You
Read Mark 5:24-34 again. Put yourself in the scene as the bleeding woman. See His love. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow Hebrews 13:8.  You are not “just a blurred face in the crowd” to Jesus. You are valued and cherished by Jesus. He sees you.

God knew we would have difficulty seeing and grasping His love. I believe that is why the Spirit recorded and preserved Paul’s prayer for the believers in Eph.3.  This is a good prayer for us to pray for others and ourselves.

“May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:18-19

Ask God to Teach You

(Updated 7/24- Categories: Prayer and Intimacy with God)

Prayer is crucial to developing intimacy with God.  Engaging in prayer shows our desire to be in a genuine relationship with God.  There are many facets to prayer which lead us deeper into knowing God. The scriptures themselves help us understand how to pray; what to pray for; how God’s character is the basis for our faith and how His character reveals ways we interact with Him.

The “teach me/us” passages in the Bible lead us to pray in humility and dependence on God. When we ask God in prayer to teach us, we are opening ourselves up to God working His will in us. Asking God to “teach us” reveals if our heart is willing to surrender to God, Surrender is a foundational building block for developing intimacy.

Asking God to “teach us” comes from a humble heart that recognizes our need for God’s wisdom and help. It leads us to interact with God as close friends, and as His children.

Teach Us
The concept of God teaching us is throughout the scriptures. “Teach me, teach us,” expressions are throughout the text of the Bible.

In scripture we see numerous references to different things that men and women of God asked Him to teach them. Presented below are a few of these requests.

Teach Us Your Ways
Moses was a man of great intimacy with God, so much so that scripture reports that Moses face was radiant with light, reflecting the glory of God, when he returned from a time with God. Later in Moses’ life, after walking with God, gaining much knowledge about God and his law; and having many experiences, we still see Moses asking God to teach him.

If we look at the context, Moses seems to connect being taught by God with growing deeper in an intimate relationship with God.

In Exodus 33 Moses asks God to be able to see God. In a sense, Moses is asking God to teach him more about who God is. God answers Moses’ prayer by passing before Moses and allowing him to see the back of God’s glory.

Moses seems to have a deep relationship with God, yet he wants to know God more and prays to see Him more clearly and deeply. We see that even though Moses walked fervently with God, he knew he had more to learn and asked God to teach him. In Exodus 33:13, Moses prays,

“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” Ex. 33:13

 King David understood the need to be taught the ways of God, the ways God wants man to live. In Psalm 25:4-5 David asked God to teach him God’s ways and guide him. This concept of guiding implies a continual teaching and leading, not just a one-time experience. David connects learning from God with salvation.

“Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.” Ps. 25:4-5

Teach Us Integrity of Heart
David, who the scripture describes as a man after God’s own heart, shows humility by asking God to teach him His ways. David wants to know truths about God, His character, and His will (way), so that David can apply God’s truth to his life and relationship with God.

David asks God to teach him His ways and  to have integrity of heart.

 “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart
to fear your name.” Ps. 86:11

Our hearts are scattered by our seeking things for ourselves, such as power, position, titles, influence, relationships, or possessions. We can tend to seek these over God and over loving other people. It is important to ask God to teach us to have a oneness of heart that values God and other people. Our fleshly nature hinders us in having this integrity. Is not this in line with the 2 great commandments: loving God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength; and loving one another as Jesus loved us?

Teach Us to Follow You, God
It is difficult for me to understand the power of my own self will, but I am learning it is strong. I can misidentify self-will as creative thinking; as exercising freedom, or as merely seeking excellence in my performance.

Jesus understood the power of the “self,” and the need to be taught how to do God’s will. He knew it would be the thing that hinders us in following Him. So, Jesus commanded: “Then Jesus said His to disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mt.16:24

King David understood the need to learn to follow God’s leading. David asked God to teach him to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.

“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10

Teach Us How to Live
When King Solomon dedicated the temple to God, he prayed a prayer asking God for many things for the people. One thing he asked was for God to teach the people how to live.

“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.” 2 Chronicles 6:26-27

King Solomon was given great knowledge and wisdom by God (1 Kings 4:29-31). If this man prayed for God to teach his people how to live, perhaps we would do well to follow his example.

Teach Us to Pray
The disciples of Jesus saw the close relationship that Jesus had with the Father and so, they asked Jesus to “teach them to pray.”

“One day, in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord teach us to pray”  . . .  So Jesus told them, ‘When you pray, say’ …” Luke 11: 1-2

We notice that the disciples did not ask to have power to do signs and wonders. They did not ask for renown and reputation, or to be honored by men. The disciples saw the intimacy that Jesus had with the Father and they wanted to that kind of relationship with the Father.

Let’s Get Humble and Ask God to Teach Us
It is my conviction that as we relate to God and seek deeper levels of intimacy we will pray “teach me” prayers. As for me, these are some things I will ask God to teach me. As you can see from my list, I have much to learn.

  • teach me to see the pride and arrogance in my heart that leads me to do my own will;
  • teach me to trust God and wait on Him to work even in difficult and seemingly unfair situations;
  • teach me to listen to God; and to walk in step with His Spirit;
  • teach me to be more alert and aware of opportunities to obey God throughout each day;
  • teach me to see God’s value in me and others;
  • teach me to do the word of God and not just read it or hear it or agree with it;
  • teach me to love others the way Jesus did;
  • teach me to have a pure heart and a deep sense of honesty in all I do and say;
  • teach me how to speak God’s truth to others without harming them or being self-righteous.

What will you ask God to teach you? Please give this much consideration. Pray and note how this is deepening your intimacy with God.

 

Just One

Just One
Seed pod explosionSeed pod explosions set off chain reactions of growth. I watched a slow motion video of this once and it was breathtaking. The pod explodes, seeds fly everywhere. Seeds hit other pods and cause them to explode. Keep in mind that just one flying seed has the potential to create a new plant, with new pods and more seed. Just one seed has amazing life and growth potential.
(Photo credit: ifioridelbene.com)

Just one verse in the Bible can explode with truths about God! The other day I read Psalm 4, verse one, and it produced an explosion of truth seeds in my mind. These truth seeds encourage my trust in God, and deepen my relationship with Him.

Faith Building Truth Seeds
Psalm 4:1 is loaded with truths to produce life giving/life enriching faith.
“Answer me when I call O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” (ESV)

Seed 1: Speaking to God with Force
The term “answer me” in Hebrew is in the imperative mood, so the psalmist is giving a command to God.

This verb in the imperative mood reveals how intimate I can be with God. When I am in need, I can approach God with confident strength, boldly telling God to “hear my prayer and answer me.”

Through my faith in Jesus, I am brought into a personal relationship with God. There are times to revere God with praise and thanksgiving, and times I can be open and boldly demand his help. It is comforting to know that I can express my desperation in such a real and raw way and still be accepted by God.

Seed 2: God of My Righteousness
The psalmist through the inspiration of the Spirit refers to God as “the God of my righteousness.” This is a truth expressing who God is and who the source of my righteousness is. I can only approach God with an “imperative” when I understand that my righteous standing with God is his and is gifted to me.

God gifts me His “righteous” status through the redemptive work of Jesus, and therefore I am  able to approach God. Scripture bears witness to this.

  • God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21
  • And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:22
  • It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30

This “seed truth” that God is the God of my righteousness gives me security. My relationship with God is anchored in Jesus, the Son of God. It doesn’t depend on my up and down feelings or my up and down performance.

Knowing that Jesus is my righteousness makes me able to cry out “answer me. O God” even when I have messed up and don’t measure up.

Seed 3: God Gives Relief from Distress
Relief and distress in this verse are opposites.

  • In Hebrew the term for relief means “to expand; to provide a large space.”
  • The word for “distress” means “a narrow, tight place; pressed down.” This is similar to expressions we use when hard pressed like: “between a rock and a hard place,” or, “the walls are pressing in.”

Distress referring to those tight and pressing circumstances, come in many forms; inner struggles to trust God; frustrations with family members, friends, people; tasks at work; physical health challenges; failures; lost dreams, and so on.

The psalmist states that God has given him relief from his distress. There are many accounts in the Bible that describe what such relief looks like.

Psalm 23 provides a visual of this truth. God, our Shepherd, brings us into green pastures, leads us by quiet waters, restores our soul, provides safety in the dark/tight places, comforts us and follows us with His goodness and mercy.

Again, we see this truth in Psalm  18:19, “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

The truth that God relieves my distress gives me hope! God is going to bring me out from under the oppressive weight of my distress to a spacious place of inner peace.

Seed 4: God Listens to Us with Grace
The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer with ears of grace. The word “hear” in this verse means “to listen carefully.” God listens with attention and with the intent to help us.

Isaiah 65: 24 attests to this truth: “Before they call, I will answer, while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Even though Isaiah is referring to Israel, this passage reveals a truth about the character of God, which is His readiness to hear us when we turn to Him in faith.

Psalm 34:15 states this truth, “ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.” The apostle Peter may have been thinking of this very Psalm when he speaks this truth in 1 Peter 3:12a, “ For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…”

It is reassuring to know that God hears my prayers with attention, a readiness to listen, and intention to act.

Truth Feeds Faith
The Word of God is amazing. The Spirit uses the Word to bring us into a deep, intimate, knowledge of God.

Studying and meditating on just one verse can reveal many truths that bring life to our faith and  deepen our heart connection to God.

I encourage you to read verse by verse, word by word and ask God to show you wonderful things in His Word.

           “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your Word.” Psalm 119:18

A Heart for God – Psalm 138

This blog entry is from Bible Bytes a new page on words2encourage.

Psalm 138 is a very short psalm of only 8 verses, yet packed with wisdom. This psalm pours out from David’s relationship with God, and reveals characteristics of a heart for God. Some of these are noted here.

Wholehearted thanks to God (v.1) – “I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise…”.

Humility before God (v.2) – “…I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving=kindness and Your truth…”.

David acknowledges and values God as God. This acknowledgement of God as God is scattered throughout this psalm, (v.5b – “…great is the glory of the Lord…: v. 6 –“…for though the Lord is high He regards the lowly…”).

Acknowledging “God as God” is important to God. We learn this in Romans 1:20-21, God states that the downfall of men is to worship themselves therefore not acknowledging God as God and giving Him the thanks due Him.

Trust the goodness of God (v. 7) –– “… though I walk in the midst of trouble You preserve my life…” and v. 8 “… the Lord will fulfill His purpose for me…”.

David trusts that God intends good toward Him. David looks back on how God has answered his prayers before and how God delivered him in the past. He has learned to trust the truth of God’s steadfast love. David views himself as a work of God and God will not forsake that work (v.8).

As I read this I reflect on my relationship with God. I ask myself: Do I daily acknowledge God as God? If so, what difference does that make in how I live? Do I give God the thanks and praise due Him? Or am I just relieved when a prayer is answered? Do I have truths about God from His word and from His past interactions with me that I cling to in times of difficulty?

I encourage you to read Psalm 138 and let the truths therein
bless your relationship with God.

Thrive in Hope

Thrive in Hope
Recently I read a true story of a man who was trapped in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. It was almost too late by the time he and some colleagues knew what was happening and decided to get out. They made it to the 22nd floor when the building began to collapse down on them. He huddled down in a corner on the landing as the walls ripped apart around him. He thought of his wife and that he would never see his unborn daughter whom they had named Hope.

The last thing he felt was a blast of hot air coming down on him as the walls tore apart. As he was swept forward through thick debris, smoke, and dust, he saw patches of light, patches of hope. He woke up on top of a small chunk of the stairwell landing on top of a 7 story high pile of debris, alive looking up at blue sky. All others in that stairwell perished.

They call this man the 9/11/01 surfer, because he seemed to have ridden a wave of air out of certain death into life and Hope.

Hope and Associates
Hope is a beautiful word. It radiates life, light, joy, peace and promise of good to come. The Bible has much to say about hope.

In the Old Testament there are several words used for hope. In general it means confident expectation of good to be experienced. It often carries with it associations with of waiting, anticipating, looking forward to, and trusting in.

In Psalm 25:5, “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long;” the word hope carries with it the idea of constant waiting in expectation for God’s acting in our life.

In Psalm 33:18, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in His steadfast love;” the word hope has the idea of tarrying, waiting, remaining, abiding with expectations of God’s love.

Hope is a confident expectation. The expectation is so certain that it leads to praising God for its fulfillment, sometimes even before it is fulfilled. Psalm 71:14 expresses this thought; “But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more.”

In Psalm 71:5, we see that hope and trust are used in conjunction with each other: “For You, O Lord, are my Hope, my Trust, O Lord, from my youth.” Faith is at the heart of hope.

A New Testament, a New Language, a Same Hope
In the New Testament the concept of hope permeates the story of Jesus and the epistles. It is stronger in that the reason for hope, the author and fulfillment of all hope is a reality in our world.

The Greek word “elpis” is most often used for hope and it means a confident expectation of good; a joyous and confident expectation of salvation in every sense and eternal life.

Jesus Is Our Hope
Hope is the foundation to our relationship with God. Hope is Jesus Christ, Himself.

In Col. 1:27, Paul leaves no doubt as to who our hope is: “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

This hope is based on the resurrection power of Jesus: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3.  Hope is living and breathing.  It is God in Jesus Christ – “Waiting for our blessed Hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:13.

Why This Hope?
The very nature and character of God transmits hope. God is faithful, steadfast, true, righteous, loving, wise and all powerful. He always loves and works on our behalf. Let’s review God in action – Hope.
Hope is:

  • Jesus reaching out and touching the leper before he was healed (Mt.8:3). This gives me hope that he will touch me, all spotted, marred and deformed by sin, and make me clean.
  • Jesus calling the blind man to come to Him while everyone else tried to hush him (Mk. 10:46-52). This gives me confident expectation that He will hear me though other voices try to tell me He doesn’t, and that He will open my eyes to Him.
  • Jesus feeding 5,000 people from five loaves and two fish, while the apostles are counting their change and wondering how can we buy for so many and how can we get it here (Mk. 6:32-44). This inspires me to trust that God will supply all my needs and that He will feed me His Bread from Heaven and cause me to thrive, (John 6:51).
  • Jesus allowing a desperate woman to touch His garment as He passes through a crowd. He allowed power to go from His body to heal her, while others are annoyed that He asked who touched me, (Luke 8:43-48). This gives me confidence to know that in the busy-ness of life and the press of many needs, Jesus will take time to touch my life. His power will lift me up and purify me so I can stand before Him.
  • Jesus standing outside the tomb of His friend, Lazarus when all hope for life is gone. People are standing around grieving wondering why didn’t you come and heal him before the finality of death, as Jesus called His friend out of death to life. (Jn. 11: 30-44). Jesus has the power to call us out of the death of sin and give us new life. If you know your “self” and your sin, you know this is true hope.

Hope – the Anchor for Our Soul
My hope to live and thrive in this life is not contingent upon my knowledge, skills, looks, health, achievement or heritage, though I often try to make it that. My hope is in the living Son of God, Jesus.

Jesus was the very sacrifice with which He entered into the presence of God for me.  It is through His atoning work that I have hope. (Hebrews 6:19-20b – “We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner…”).

No matter how battered we are by life, we have hope. No matter how many waves we ride through life’s trouble, we have hope. No matter how often we sit on the debris of our life, hope abides. No matter how low or discouraged we are, we have access to thriving in the middle of it all through our faith in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Hope of glory.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow (thrive) with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

The God Who Stoops

I have a friend who has a habit of saying a certain phrase almost every time she prays publicly. It goes something like this: “Father God, I thank you that you stoop down to help me.” Or, she might say.” I thank you that you bend down to pay attention to me.”

I used to say in my head, “Stop that! Stop that! God is GOD. He does not stoop down. He is high and lifted up. He is the exalted, almighty God. He does not have to bend, stoop or lower Himself in any form.” Of course I never had the courage to say it, and I am grateful that I did not say it, because I have learned that it is true – God does make Himself lowly for us.

No matter how majestic and powerful God is, and He is, He is in all things a “humble” God! Maybe humility does not fit your profile of God, and I can understand why you think that, especially when you look at God’s creation power and intelligence; His mighty acts of leading Israel and fighting for them; healings; resurrections, and of course the power and love displayed in Jesus. His majesty and glory are impressed upon us when we read passages in scripture that describe what people saw when they saw God. Let’s look at a few of these.

God High and Lifted Up
Isaiah 6:1-5 records what Isaiah saw when he saw God: “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim, each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Such grandeur! The train of God’s robe flowed through the temple. I can’t imagine the heavenly beings. Even these beings covered their faces because of the glory of God. Isaiah was so blown away he said “I am lost,” which really means I am undone, ruined, destroyed, coming apart.

Ezekiel 1:1-28 records in great detail Ezekiel’s encounter with the living God. Let’s focus on verses 26 – 28; “…And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezekiel recorded the majesty he saw: the appearance of sapphire; gleaming metal (maybe like shining gold); the appearance of fire; brightness all around; rays of light as a rainbow, and the glory of God.  Ezekiel’s only response was to fall down before this great God.

Another account of seeing into the throne room of God is in Revelation 4. Reading verses 4 through 6, John describes the glory he saw with descriptors like: the appearance of jasper and carnelian; a rainbow with the appearance of emerald; lightning peals of thunder and a crystal sea, all indicating majesty, splendor and shades of the glory of God!

God Comes Low
It is true God is more majestic and awesome than we can ever think or imagine, yet God is humble! The word “humble” is used to characterize God in Psalm 18:35.

“You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand upholds me,
and your humility exalts me.”

The Hebrew word anava is used in this passage and it means: a lowly mind; modesty; meekness; humility and condescension (in the sense of lowering oneself to do something for another such as in God bending down to help us, as my friend mentions in her prayers).

Ps. 113:5-6 echoes this thought of God making Himself low on our behalf: “Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth.” (NIV)

The New American Standard Bible uses the words “humbles Himself” instead of stoops. In this verse the word shaphel means: to become low; to abase oneself; to be humble. So the psalmist is saying that God, who sits enthroned on high, lowers Himself to look into the affairs on earth; to intervene in the lives of men and to work on our behalf.

Proofs of God’s Humility
If you think about it, there are numerous examples of God’s humility in the Bible. The most powerful is in Philippians 2:5-8 states Jesus “emptied Himself” and took the form of a man and became obedient unto death, even the most humiliating death of crucifixion.

But, I want to look at an example of God’s humility that actually preceded Jesus becoming a man and dying on our behalf. Let’s look deeper into Ephesians 1:4-5. It is just one short passage that I think displays God’s humility in a powerful way.

“Even before God made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Eph. 1: 4-5 (NLT)

Before God created the world He, the majestic – all powerful God on high, deliberately made a plan to send Jesus into this world to die on our behalf in order to bring us into His presences as His sons and daughters.

God looked down through time and saw all the evil, the hate, the immorality, the deceit, the greed, the pride, and the selfishness of each one of us. He knew we would reject Him, ignore Him and worship ourselves over Him, yet in His great love, He humbled Himself and provided for our salvation. He sent His Son in the form of a man (in a body that could suffer, bleed and die) as the atonement for our sins. He lowered Himself to do all this so that we could come into His presence and have a relationship with Him.

God’s Humility and Us
As I walk in my relationship with the God , I see that He is constantly humbling Himself to work in my life. He is God and needs not to prove Himself to me, yet He proves His love and promises to me all the time. The God who is surrounded by heavenly hosts and angel armies takes time to know me and to support me in my daily struggles.

The God who is all knowing and is everywhere at once, listens to me and responds to my questions, and my calls for help. The God who created all things fixes my brokenness. The God of all power comforts me in my fears. The God of all purity and holiness understands my weakness and forgives me my sin. The God who has all rule and authority chooses to lift me up.

When I think about God’s humility it is too much to take in, nevertheless it is a truth about Him. I believe true humility is the off shoot of great love. This thought enhances my awe of God, and challenges my own sense of humility towards others.

Today, take some time to think about God’s humility in His relationship to you. If you cannot see it, ask God to open the eyes of your mind and your heart to see His great love which responds in humility to you.

Special Post:
At this time I would like to share a link with you. I have a friend who understands the majesty of God and who loves to thank God and praise God in song. She is making an album of praise songs. For more information on this check out the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1440539986/morgan-minsks-solo-album-praise