Edtucner, Author at Creation Beckons

Trust and Obey

Jeremiah 17:7 and Luke 11:28 Trust and Obey

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

“He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”

(NIV)

“Trust and Obey” is an old hymn with the famous refrain: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” The two Scriptures quoted above speak of the blessing for those who trust and for those who obey. So if we do both, we must be twice blessed.

But why should we trust in God? First of all, He’s the creator. If we can’t trust the One who created the universe, who can we trust? Secondly, God’s Word is creative. When He speaks something, it happens, so it is impossible for Him to lie. And thirdly, God is good. We can certainly trust someone who is good.

Okay, what about obey—why should we obey Him? In Jesus’ own words, we are blessed if we obey the Word of God. Jesus, as part of the Tri-une God, also speaks creative words, so it is also impossible for Him to lie. To be disobedient to God is to deny Him. And those who deny God will, after physical death, be separated from Him for eternity—not a good situation. Deuteronomy, chapter 28, gives a long and impressive list of blessings for those who obey God–follow His commands. The list goes on for fourteen verses. Conversely, the following thirty verses list the curses that will come upon those who do not obey God.

Okay, we have numerous reasons to trust and obey God, but I have not mentioned the best and most important reason to trust and obey God. God loves us! And because He loves us, He will do his best to bless us. Those who trust and obey God have accepted Jesus as Savior, and that’s the guarantee that blessings will follow. Some blessings will be given here on earth, but many, many more will be ours to enjoy for eternity. My advice is to trust and obey. Then joy in the Lord will most certainly follow.

Peace

Ephesians 1:2 Peace

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV)

This picture of the old-time plow and the floral bouquet growing beside it brings me a great deal of peace, and it helps me relax. This peace is good, but it’s not the peace Paul is speaking of in Ephesians 1:2. Paul uses this same salutation at the beginning of almost all his epistles. This is not a casual, “Peace, have a good day.” This is a peace sent from our Father God and endorsed by His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus personalizes this message in John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (KJV). In the world, peace doesn’t seem to last very long, but the peace from the Father and the Son lasts forever. So, today, I say to you, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Rocks Cry Out

Isaiah 55:12 The Rocks Cry Out

“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (NKJV).

God was not bashful when He created the earth and the stars. He went at it with grandeur and panache. The mountains are stupendous, and the valleys shine forth with the beauty of flowers, and there is a canyon so aptly named Grand Canyon. Look around you and see the many ways in which God has proclaimed beauty in a flamboyant manner. It’s as if He has said, “Look what I made just for you!”

There’s a song called, “This Is My Father’s World” that thrills me. It speaks of the wonders of His creation. In one verse it says, “I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas. His hand the wonders wrought.” It’s worth going to you-tube, finding it, and listening. I’m sure you will enjoy it.

God’s work in creation is almost unbelievable, but we can see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, and smell it, so it must be real. But His work in creation has not been His most amazing or the most beautiful. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a wooden cross so that our sins would be forgiven and we could fellowship with the God of Creation forever. He has shown His love for us by the sacrifice of Jesus, and he has shown His love for us by creating such a magnificent place for us to live.

God has not been quiet about anything He has done. He has been bold, and so should we be bold, be bold in praising Him, extolling His greatness, and making certain that everyone knows Him and returns love to Him. There’s another song that speaks of what we need to do. The song is called, “Praise Him! Praise Him!” What an appropriate title. The chorus of the song goes like this: “Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!” We need to be as bold in our praise as God was in creation and in the sacrifice that grants us forgiveness. PRAISE HIM! PRAISE HIM!

Filled with the Spirit

Galatians 5:22,23 Filled with the Spirit

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)

The water of Crater Lake in Oregon is among the purest there is. No river runs into it. All of the water in the lake comes from the sky as either rain or snow. And no rivers flow out of Crater Lake. There is a similarity in the source of the water for Crater Lake and the source of the purest things in our lives, those listed as fruit of the Spirit. There the similarity ends, however. The fruit of the Spirit is to flow out of our daily lives. Now, I’m sure that we can agree that none of us exhibits all of these aspects of the fruit of the Spirit–at least not all at one time.

In the old-time hymn, “Have Thine Own Way Lord,” there is a portion of the last verse that goes, “Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.” If we are truly willing to let the Lord have His own way in our lives, and we should be, then the traits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should be evident. In short, we should be blessed people who are willing and eager to allow all our blessings to flow through us to those we meet. Hey, I can do that to my friends, but do I do that to those I don’t appreciate or agree with? There is nothing in Galatians 5:22,23 that limits the use of this precious fruit of the Spirit. If we now read Romans 12:18, we find where these characteristics come into play. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (NIV). When we use the fruit of the Spirit daily, we will have done as we’ve been instructed in Romans 12:18. Then peace depends upon others and how they react. Not all will respond in a positive manner, and that’s when we need to “double down” on the fruit of the Spirit. God will notice and will appreciate our effort. Lord, give me strength to show the fruit of the Spirit to all I meet.

I Lift My Voice

Psalm 71:8 I Lift My Voice

“My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long” (NIV).

One of my favorite places to rest, relax, and praise the Lord, sometimes aloud and sometimes quietly, is by the banks of a river or stream. My spirits are lifted to a higher level when I can see the water flow by and hear the rush of the stream. If there is a waterfall, my enjoyment is even better. When I took this particular picture in Ohiopyle, PA, I got to enjoy the rush of the waterfall, the ripple of the river, the beauty of the trees, and the vastness of the sky. So much of God’s creation was right there in front of me to remind me of the Creator of the universe. Seeing it now makes me think of the praise song, I Love You, Lord. “I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you. O, my soul, rejoice. Take joy my King in what You hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.” It’s a simple and short chorus, but it expresses my feelings well when I am enjoying the greatness of His creation. My soul does rejoice whenever I lift my voice to sing to Him, and I want my Lord to take joy in it also. I know that He created us for fellowship, and He yearns to hear our voices and to experience the lifting of our hearts to Him in song. It doesn’t matter to God whether the singer has the velvet tones of Bing Crosby the rasping voice of Willie Nelson, or the voice of one who “can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” One doesn’t even have to sing to give God joy; just speaking His name or spending time in prayer will bring Him pleasure, also. I know someone who because of a physical problem, cannot speak, but I am convinced that God takes great joy when she thinks of Him or sends her thoughts heavenward. Communication from us to our Lord is always a “sweet, sweet sound in His ear.” He even likes to hear our complaints, and He wants to know our questions and our concerns. While our communication to God is most often aloud, His answers to us are very seldom aloud; they are most often received not with our ears, but with our spirits and our hearts. We need to learn how to listen with our spirits and our hearts. I have learned to recognize the knowing in my heart and the quickening in my spirit as the voice of the God of the universe who has taken note of me, and my heart rejoices in His presence.

On Earth Is Not His Equal

Psalm 113:5-8 On Earth Is Not His Equal

“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? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people” (NIV).

The Sequoia tree pictured above is majestic, and there are few trees on all the earth that equal this particular tree in either height or breadth. We can call it majestic because it stands out from all others. That’s quite an accolade for this tree—very few on the entire earth that can equal it. Well, our God is well beyond all that. As the Hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God says, “On earth is not his equal.”

Our God is majestic, there is nothing else we know that is as majestic as He. We are told in Psalm 113 that God has to stoop down to look on the heavens and the earth. That’s BIG. That’s MAJESTIC! But even with all His majesty, He takes notice of the poor and needy. He lifts the poor and the needy from the worst places on earth and puts them with princes. He doesn’t just put them with the princes, He seats them with the princes, making them equal with the princes of His people. Our God cares enough, loves us enough to take notice of each of us. In His eye, no one is superior to any other person. We are all equal in His sight. How can that be? We have different levels of learning, different abilities. How then, can we all be equal? To God it is simple. We are all in His presence because He raised each of us from sin to righteousness through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before we accepted Jesus, we were all equal in the one thing of importance to God—we were sinners. After we accepted Jesus Christ, we were all equal because we were now cleansed of sin and able to be in the presence of Almighty God.

The majesty of God may well be evident in His size and His acts of creation, but greater is His majesty in mercy and grace and love. Enjoy His love and blessing every day.

Rest In the Lord

Psalm 4:8 Rest In the Lord

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (NIV).

If I can lie down and sleep, I am certainly at rest. The Lord makes it possible for me to rest, to be in peace.

In a recent conversation with the Lord, He reminded me of the steadfastness of His love. He told me that I cannot earn His love, but I can never lose it, either. He gave it to me even before I was born, and it is mine as long as I live—and through eternity if I choose to accept it. He told me to rest in the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He also told me emphatically to tell others to do the same. So, “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” God’s Word to you is, “Rest in the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” He also told me, “Do that and all else will follow.” That was an intense and joyful conversation, one I will remember for a very long time.

God’s love is available to us from eternity past to eternity future. It is vital that we accept His love, accept the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. If we reject His love, then we have rejected Him and have rejected Jesus’ sacrifice. If we do that, there is no way possible for us to live in His love after our physical death. He will still love those who reject Him, but they will be separated from Him forever. Please be sure to accept the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus so that I will get to meet you on the streets of Heaven. I look forward to rejoicing with you over the love of our God.

God Is BIG (2)

Colossians 3:16 God Is BIG (2)

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

This is the last of the messages in the series of twenty adjectives that describe God. I pray that you have found them to be useful.

Mount Rainier is one of the biggest mountain in North America, but it is as a grain of sand on the seashore in comparison to the size of God. He created the entire universe, so He must be larger than the universe. In the past few weeks, we have used twenty adjectives to describe God. Perhaps they can give us some idea of the breadth and depth of God and the breadth and depth of His love for us. Here’s a quick review of the twenty adjectives we used. I’m certain you can come up with many more adjectives that describe our great God.

God Is Loving.

God Is Immutable.

God Is Merciful.

God Is Infinite.

God Is Generous.

God Is Omniscient.

God Is Peaceful.

God Is Just.

God Is Faithful.

God Is Holy.

God Is Good.

God Is Sovereign.

God Is Wise.

God Is Omnipotent.

God Is Compassionate.

God Is Self-Sufficient.

God Is Gracious.

God Is Spiritual.

God Is Glorious.

God Is Big.

Yes, He is all those and more, and the best thing to remember is that God Is love!

God Is BIG

Colossians 1:16 God Is BIG

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I wrote two different messages for this last entry in the twenty adjectives that describe God. Tomorrow I will post God Is BIG2. Be sure to check for it tomorrow morning.

Denali is the biggest mountain in North America, but it is a grain of sand on the seashore in comparison to the size of God. He created the entire universe, so He must be larger than the universe. The size of His creation is beyond comprehension, but there is one thing larger than the universe, and that is the love that God has for us, for you.

God created the Andromeda Galaxy for you.

God created Alpha Centauri for you.

God created the solar system for you.

God created the sun for you.

God created the earth for you.

God created oxygen for you.

God created apples for you.

God created green beans for you.

God created petunias for you.

God created mountains for you.

God created rivers for you.

God created water for you.

God created persimmons for you.

God created cotton for you.

God created elephants for you.

God created eagles for you.

God created goldfish for you.

God created horses for you.

God created maple trees for you.

God created copper for you.

God created diamonds for you.

God created cardinals for you.

God created sunsets for you.

God created colors for you.

God created you for Himself.

You’ve accepted all these things that God created for you.

Now it’s time for you to accept the best that God gave you.

God gave His Son, Jesus for you.

Jesus gave His life for you.

Accept these last two gifts and enjoy eternity with the great God who created all of this for you.

If you have accepted all of these I will see you someday in eternity.

God Is Glorious

Psalm 19:1 God Is Glorious

John 1:14

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NIV)

Glacier Bay in Alaska is certainly glorious in beauty. In this case, I would say that the mountains and the seas proclaim the work of His hands. I have visited 47 of the 50 United States, and this is one of my favorite places and views. The glory of God’s creation is certainly evident. When we take the time to stand and look at the work of the Creator all around us, we become convinced of the glorious nature of the One who created all that we see, but that’s just the beginning. After he created the fullness of the earth and inhabited it with plants, trees, animals, fish, and birds, He created mankind. He didn’t just create mankind, He created mankind in His image, and then He did a remarkable thing. He breathed life into the first man with His own breath, thereby making mankind eternal beings.

He created us for His fellowship, but He didn’t demand that we love Him or worship Him. He gave us free will so He could ask us to love Him and worship Him. Mankind rejected God’s love by disobeying the only rule in the Garden of Eden. He ate from the forbidden tree, the tree that would allow sin to enter the earth through mankind. By doing this, Man created a split between himself and God and was no longer able to live beside or with His Creator.

Then God showed His glorious nature even more than He did through creation. He provided a way for man to again fellowship with God. He sent His only Son to earth to live as a man, take on Himself all the sins of mankind, and accept the punishment for each and every one of those sins. The magnitude of His love for us was made manifest by this supreme sacrifice. This deed was much more glorious that the original act of creation. In creation, He created the universe out of nothing but His words, but at Calvary, He entered into this life and participated by giving Jesus’ own life as a sacrifice. He gave up something very precious to Him—His only Beloved Son. At Calvary, Father God had to turn His back on His one and only Son in order for the sacrifice to be complete.

The love of God is much more glorious than anything He did during creation. Thank you, dear God, for your glorious love.