Psalms 97:1-2
The LORD Reigns
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Righteousness and justice in the Old Testament come from the same root word.  They are indistinguishable from each other.  God is righteous and He is just.  And because God is one being, His attributes (which we separate into  individual parts in order to understand them) are not separate in God.  His attributes are never in conflict with each other.  His mercy and love never quarrel with His justice.

The Bible teaches us that we were all born in sin and therefore deserve the punishment of God - death.  Only the atoning work of Jesus can change that.  God’s justice is perfect.  We either receive life by being justified through faith, or we receive death if we live for sin.  For those that have received life, Jesus said the following: 

John 10:28-30
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

Father, praises to You for your justice is perfect.  Jesus, praises to You for the cross that gives life to sinners like me.  Forgive me for ever questioning the justice of God.  I pray these things in the matchless name of Jesus.  Amen.

Psalms 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

The goodness of God is an attribute that is most often thought of, even to the exclusion of  other attributes.   God is good, He is kind, He is kindhearted and loving.  All of that is true, but even more so than we think.  For God to be good, He must be infinitely good.  There is no boundary to His goodness.  And if God is good, He must be perfectly good, perfectly kind.

So we often minimize His goodness.  

And on the other hand, we may reject other attributes of God.  How often have you heard people say that God wasn’t responsible for a disaster, because a good God would not do that?  I remember after 9/11, people were asking how God could allow something like that to happen.  And even some pastors responded by saying that God was not involved in it.  We can’t seem to accept that God is sovereign over all things.  He is a just God, but that is for a later discussion.

Oh Father, You are good beyond my comprehension.  Jesus your goodness brought You to the cross for our salvation.  Holy Spirit, You whisper good thoughts to me every day.  Praise God, praise the goodness of God.  Thanks be to God for I can take refuge in You.  Amen.

 

Psalms 147:4-5
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.

Completely grasping the concept of infinity is probably impossible for a finite human.  We try, but come up short.  God knows no ends, for if there was a limit to God’s existence, then He would not be perfect.  If his understanding was not without limit, then God wouldn’t be infinite.   

We try to put limits on God every day.  We question His word.  We think we know better than an infinite God.  We think our universe is infinite, because it is so big.  But God contains the universe and beyond.

Putting this limitation on God infects our prayer life.  Do we pray to an infinite God, a God without limit, perfect in goodness and love?  Do we pray to the perfect One?  Or do we assume by our petitions, that we know better than God?  Even though it is probably impossible, we should attempt pray to Him as we think infinitely about God.

Heavenly Father, You are without limits.  Your understanding is without limits.  Holy Spirit, as you work in my heart to sanctify me into the image of Jesus, help me to petition You in a way that brings You glory.  Forgive me when I don’t.  In the glorious name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

(First in a Series on the attributes of God)

Isaiah 14:12-14
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”

These passages from Isaiah refer to the fall of Satan, when Satan’s pride attempted to replace God by making himself the Most High.

But, isn’t that the original sin in our lives, too?  It seems that all other things that are sin are simply symptoms.  Symptoms of our attempt to raise our self to His level.  If we place ourselves where God deserves to be, then we can choose what is right and good.

Self-existence is an attribute of God that is not transferred to His creation.  I AM THAT I AM can only be attributed to God.  God is the origin of all things.  Jesus was clear that we must deny our “self”, deny our urge to replace God with ourselves.  It seems rather silly when you think about this attribute of God, to even attempt to put ourselves in His place.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Father God, You have always existed, everything is created by You.  Jesus, forgive my pride of self.  Holy Spirit, help me to deny my “self” and follow only You.  Amen.

    						

to be found by You, and known as yours
to possess by faith what I could not earn.

Thank you, Jesus. 

Psalms 100 (NASB)
1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100 is a model of how we might approach each day. It is a mindset that would transform us. It would transform a family, a neighborhood, a city, a nation, even the world. I was thinking this morning about how often I awake with this as my direction for the day. Sadly it is not often. But with His help and meditation on these five verses each morning, I am challenged to give thanks for His many blessing and to be joyful.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for my lack of joy. I am so blessed. I pray that your Holy Spirit will prompt me to meditate on this psalm as my waking thought and it would direct me throughout the day. Your love is everlasting and your faith continues for all time. I bless your name and give thanks for the One who is Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-5 (NASB)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

As this year comes to a close, I have heard many say how happy they will be when this year 2020 will be over. It’s as if by some mysterious way, the coming of the new year will somehow change the trials of 2020 and they will disappear, never to darken our lives again.

It is a hope that is understandable, but as Paul tells us in Romans 5, our hope doesn’t come from the circumstances of our surroundings, but by the Holy Spirit who pours out into our hearts the love of God.

We have peace with God. It is so much more amazing than anything that we can experience in our lives. It is permanent, unchangeable, more powerful than anything else.

Romans 5:8 (NASB)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God demonstrates his love for us, not in an easy life, but by the fact that even though we were separated from Him by our disobedience, He reached out and forgave us and loves us.

Father, thank You for our peace with You. I confess that I don’t exult in tribulations. I thank you, though, that it bring us strength and hope. As I walk with You each day, I pray that I would cling to the love that You have poured into my heart. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.