Be still and know that God is God.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

God reigns. He is King over all of the universe and over all of our lives. He is in control of everything that happens. Therefore we don't need to worry. We don't need to freak out about life, about what happens next, about money or friends or family or anything else.

All we need to do is trust God. To be still and know that whatever happens, whatever goes on, God is the same as he always has been. He does not change and he is faithful to all his promises. That he is with us (his people, christians), he loves us, and he works everything for our good (Romans 8:28).

He will be exalted. He will work everything for his glory. That should be a comfort to us, because God is glorified in showing his love, mercy and grace to us if we have turned to him.

We don't need to worry about life. We don't need to get caught up in the countless tsunamis and hurricanes of woe that assail us. We don't need to freak out when the waters reach our necks. We need to be still and know that God is who he is. That he always saves his people - be it from or through death.

Be still. Trust Go
d. He is worthy of all praise. He is trustworthy. He is faithful.

Our Glorious, Awesome God.

Romans 11:33

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!

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Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How wonderful He is! How unfathomable, how awesome, how powerful! How perfect and holy!

We should be thrilled at who God is. We should be entirely overawed. His wisdom, His plans and ideas, His works are deeper and richer then we could ever fathom. They bring glory to Him and they work for the good, of all those who love Him - revealing His mercy, grace, love, patience, kindness, justice, holiness, perfection and peace to us. God has done more then we could even imagine or measure!

We should simply be over-awed at who God is. We should just stand and appreciate His work, His character, His love. We should just stop and enjoy it, glorying in it and glorifying him for it.

Yet so often we are disinterested. We shrug our shoulders and go back to work or to study or to our meaningless wealth or to our friendships. I do that constantly, in fact it is the rare occasion that I just bask in God's glory - it is very rare. But it is so precious.

The wisdom of God. God's wisdom is wiser then anything we can imagine, "the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:25). What did He decide to do? He sent Jesus, who was and is eternally God as a man, to suffer and die. To live among us, and to be murdered by us. Why? So He could save us, so He could forgive us for our sins, so He could reveal to us God's full character and so that He could love us. No, it isn't about us - it's about Him, but He did do it for us as well. What an awesome God!

What does this mean for us? 

• We can trust God! His wisdom and knowledge are unsearchable because we are so frail and ignorant. Therefore when things don't make sense, when we can't see how God is working, trust him! He knows infinitely more than us! We don't have to fret because He has promised to work everything for His glory and for the good of His people (Romans 8:28)
• We can "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil 4:4) because He has shown us His character and it is wonderful. Because He is infinite and unsearchable, yet has revealed himself to us, offering to save us even though we are ignorant and foolish. If we never lose sight of the awesome God we serve, then we never have reason to stop rejoicing, because we should simply be rejoicing in who He is, and that remains constant regardless of what is happening in our lives
• We need to be humble. God is infinite, His plans are so full, so deep, so rich, so perfect that they are unsearchable by us. Who are we to think we know better? Who are we to live in sin and rebellion to him? Who are we to ask why He does what He does? Who are we even to be noticed and loved by Him? Yet he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7) and in His mercy and grace He does call us to know Him and to ask questions. But we do that humbly, knowing that God is unfathomably more awesome then we can understand.
• Just enjoy God. Know His character and bask in the light of who He is. Pray for His help to do that, read His word so that you can understand it further. Just enjoy God for who He is!

God is in control and He works out everything to bring glory to Him in ways that we do not understand. His paths are more wonderful then we can understand, deeper and more glorious then we can search. We cannot comprehend all He does in the world around us, in our lives and the lives of others. But God knows what He does, and we can glorify Him that He is working through everything to bring about His good and perfect purpose. We can glorify Him for who He is, and we should do that.

Where is the Joy in your walk with God? Are you basking in who He is? Are you simply enjoying the God who created, sustains and saved us? Are you enjoying His creation, which sings his praises (Psalm 19)?

To God be the glory! Great things He has done!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Nat.

God hardens hearts for his glory.

Exodus 10:1-2

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Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”

"I have hardened his heart". We don't like hearing that. We like God being in a little box where he can do what we want and be all loving and all merciful without being just, without being pure and without using all things to glorify himself. Sure, if we believe the bible then we "believe" that God is just and in control, but do we truly know it? Or do we subconsciously just ignore those parts of the bible.

The Bible clearly says here that God hardens Pharaoh's heart. It seems clear to me from God's word that God is in control of everything. There are so many passages that establish that (I know many people disagree on that point, whatever you think about it, have a slid biblical basis for it and be ready to discuss it lovingly with those who disagree). Yet at the same time, we are completely responsible for our actions. I don't know exactly how that works out, but I know that God is God, his word is true and therefore bith of those things are true.

In the case of Pharaoh, God hardens his heart, but Pharaoh also chooses to harden his own heart. I don't know how that works - God does, ad I'll trust him with that knowledge. But the point of it is that by it God is able to show forth his mighty power, his just wrath against those who reject him and his infinite mercy, faithfulness and grace toward his people Israel. 

God is glorified even by those who reject him. In them he shows his perfection, justice, holiness and righteousness. Yet he is merciful - he wants all to turn to him and be saved. (1 Timothy 2:4)

We see a similar situation with Jesus. It was always God's purpose for Jesus to die and for the Jews, especially the Pharisees, to reject him. Yet at the same time those who crucified him are responsible and it was entirely their choice to do so. God was complete in control of events and those who did it were completely responsible for it, choosing to do it themselves.

In that situation a similar thing occurs: Gods justice and wrath against sin is shown, since Jesus takes it in our place (if we are Christians), and God's infinite mercy, grace and faithfulness are shown because by it we are saved. His power is also shown because Jesus rose again.

So what do we learn from this?

• We are completely responsible for our actions
• God is in control, so we can trust him. He will keep all his promises because he can. For example, he can and will keep his promise to work everything for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
• All situations are controlled by God to bring glory to himself. Therefore we need to trust him and give him the praise even if we don't understand why he is allowing things to happen as they are.

I hope that was helpful! It's one of those topics that is hard to think about and extremely confusing, but extremely comforting and encouraging as well.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Nat.

It's Not About You.

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Romans 11:17-21

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

 There are heaps of things that can be pulled from these verses, but the one I want to focus on today is that it's not about you. It's not about me. It's not even about us. It's about God, the root.

We are naturally very proud. When something goes right for us, we like to take the glory ourselves. For example, even though I know it is not true, I sometimes find myself thinking that I'm better than other people and that's why God saved me. No, in reality I am far worse than a whole heap of people. The only difference is that I'm saved by grace. There's nothing in us that makes us worth saving. God does it to show forth his glory.

The passage in Romans is directed at the Gentiles, warning them against pride. The Jews had rejected Jesus, and therefore they had been "cut off", and the Gentiles had been "grafted in". Paul is warning them against the mentality of pride, which says - "The Jews were cut off so we could be put in". No, in reality the Jews (as a nation) were cut off because they did not believe and they rejected God's salvation. It has nothing to do with us.

We like to think that everything is about us, and I think that's because everything in our culture (at least here in Australia) is telling me that it's all about Me. Because I'm worth it. No, in reality I'm not worth it - you're not worth it. We're vile sinners.

Something needs to change: We need to stop thinking that it's all about ourselves and we need to start putting our focus on God. It's a hard battle, because we constantly shift back to ourselves. We constantly, subtly get proud again and we don't even notice until we've fallen into the trap again. That's what I find at least.

Here are a few verses to consider in the light of all this:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

All glory to God! (Easy to say, much harder to actually give it all to him)
Nat.

Why Being Self-Glorifying Doesn't Make God Selfish.

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One question that has been on my mind of late is: How can God do everything entirely for his glory and not be selfish? Why is he allowed to glorify himself when we can't - isn't that pride?

Well in short, the answers to both of those is a big No. No, God isn't being selfish, and No he isn't being proud - not in the way that we understand those two words.

Before I try to explain that, we need to establish that God does everything for his glory. Here are a couple of verses - there are plenty of others, look around!

Romans 11:36

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

God created everything and sustains everything and works everything for his glory (See also Psalm 19 and Romans 8:28).

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

We are called to glorify God in everything we do because he deserves all the glory. (For some more verses check out this link).

The reason that God must glorify himself is because he is God. It is because he is perfect. To maintain his perfection he cannot commit idolatry - therefore he cannot worship anything other than himself or glorify anything besides himself.

God created everything in existence, he reigns over it all.
Only he deserves glory, and that's why he is not being proud in having it. For example. If I play piano for someone and they tell me that I'm a good piano player, then (assuming it is true) they aren't glorifying me or making me proud, they're simply telling the truth - it's what I do with that compliment that turns it into praise for God or pride in myself.

God created the universe and he deserves all glory. Therefore when we give him the glory we are just doing what should be done. God isn't being proud or selfish in demanding it of us, he's maintaining his holiness and his goodness.

"The righteousness of God is the infinite zeal and joy and pleasure that he has in what is supremely valuable, namely, his own perfection and worth. And if he were ever to act contrary to this eternal passion for his own perfections he would be unrighteous, he would be an idolater." - John Piper (Solid Joys App).

Here are three ways that this might apply to life and our walk with God

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• The gospel isn't primarily about you. In our consumeristic culture we are constantly told: "it's all about you" (I mean, it is all about me, right?). We're even told that in so many churches nowadays: "Jesus loves you", "Jesus came to save you", "Jesus wants to be your best friend". You know what? While those things do hold truth, they can get in the way of us understanding the deeper and fuller truths of the gospel. Satan can and does use them to make us focus on ourselves instead of Jesus and to get us to settle for less in our understanding of the gospel. The truth is that it isn’t a one or the other scenario – it isn’t that either God saved me because he loves me or he saved me to glorify himself. In reality both are true: Yes Jesus did die to save us. Yes he does love us. But he loves us for his own glory, to make his goodness, mercy and love known to us so we can glorify and love him eternally. He is glorified in loving us. The gospel isn't first and foremost about us. It's about God glorifying himself by providing a way for us to be saved. Don't hear me wrong: God does love us (John 3:16), he does care for us (1 Peter 5:7), he did truly want to save us. But he didn't save us because we are amazing. He saved us because he is amazing and we are completely wretched. That should be encouraging, because it means that it doesn’t depend on how good we are or what we can do for God. It depends entirely on what Jesus has done: we couldn’t do it ourselves. 

• Glorify God, not yourself. God calls for us to glorify him in all we do. Are you and I going to obey that command? We need to seriously think about this. We aren't saved simply for our own benefit, we're also saved for God's glory and we are commanded to glorify him. How can we do that? Praise him for all he has created, spend time in his word and in prayer, share the gospel, tell people of his mercies and his goodness. But in doing all those things be joyful and content in him.

• Be joyful at the privilege of being able to glorify God. We were created to glorify God and it is a privilege to do so. Be joyful in it and spend time doing it! This is something that I fall short on so easily - I get caught up doing stuff, being "godly" (bordering on legalistic sometimes), and I forget to just glorify and praise God. I forget to spend time enjoying his word and his creation. Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4). We need to spend time rejoicing in who God is.

I hope this has given you something to consider and think about, and I hope it's been helpful.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Nat.

Why do we exist?

1 Corinthians 6:20

You were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your bodies.

God created the universe for his glory. Every rock, every tree, every molecule of oxygen gas, every electron in every atom. Everything that exists was created by God to glorify him and to express his glory.

And yet we see in Genesis 3 that we sinned. We rebelled against God and stuffed it up. Adam and Eve ate the fruit when he told us not to, and every single human being since then has also rebelled against God. We no longer give him the glory, instead we try to take it all ourselves.

But instead of destroying us like we deserved, God made a promise to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15 -

And I will put enmitybetween you and the woman,and between your offspring and hers;he will crush your head,and you will strike his heel.”

God promised from the beginning to save us, to provide someone to crush Satan, sin and death. That's what Paul means when he says we were brought with a price. Jesus, who was eternally God, became a man. He lived among us, yet he did not sin, and he suffered and died in our place. He took God's wrath for those who turn to him - the punishment that we deserve because we sin against him and he paid for it in full. As a result we can be saved, and we can fulfil our purpose: we can glorify God again.

Why do we exist? Isn't that one of the biggest questions asked? We exist to glorify God, and we do that best by being satisfied in him, by being thankful and by praising him for his goodness.

If you are a Christian then you have been brought at a price - God (Jesus) became a man and died in your place. Then he rose again and now he sits at God's (God the Father's) right hand, interceding for us, still God and still retaining his humanity. We have been brought with a price that we cannot even begin to fathom. If that's true then the only response should be thankfulness which leads to obedience - glorifying God with your body.

Do you Glorify God in all you do?

Soli Deo Gloria.
Nat.

Creation Worships God. Do you?

Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world. 

 In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 "The Heavens declare the glory of God".

How true that is. All of creation sings God's praises. It proves he exists and it shows his character. God is most praised when his character is understood and praised. Creation glorifies God because he created it, he sustains it and he makes it continue.

God created the universe. Every atom, every cell, every piece of grass, every tree. Every human. God created it all. He is worthy of all praise! We should praise him for his marvellous creation, for his awesome deeds. We should see it and rejoice in the God who made it, and who made it for us to enjoy. Even though we have sinned and creation is corrupted, it is still beautiful, it is still declaring God's glory.

How does creation declare God's glory?

I had a thought about this once. I don't know if it's worthwhile, but everything is made up of atoms right? And, unless they're at absolute 0, they are all vibrating. Music is made up of vibrations at different frequencies. Therefore all of creation is in a way making music. Though we can't hear it, all of creation truly is praising God, making music to him.

If you have some time then take a look at this video by Louie Giglio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zWKm-LZWm4. It's pretty cool that creation does make noise, and to consider that it is declaring God's praises.

How does this apply to us?

It's all good and well to consider these things and to dwell on them, but they also have to be a direct challenge to us don't they? All of creation praises God. God created us as well. Yet there are so many people out there who don't even acknowledge God's existence. Who deny that he created, who refuse to praise him. There are also many who say God exists, but worship a false god, or simply refuse to worship the true God.

Here's the challenge: is that you? All of creation is praising God, declaring his glory. Are you? Do you believe the gospel? That we are all sinners, From Adam and Eve to us. That every person on earth is naturally living in rebellion to God because of our sin. Do you believe that Jesus, who is God, came to earth, suffered and died in the place of his people. He took our sins and God's completely just wrath for our sins so that whoever turns to him in repentance and faith will be completely forgiven? He also rose again, proving that he had dealt with our sins and proving that we can be totally forgiven. Proving that those who trust in him will also rise to eternal life in heaven. Do you believe that gospel?

The challenge for those to do is simple: Do you declare God's praises? Do your ell people the gospel? Do you take time out to just pray and to thank God for his wonderful mercies? Even if you can't think of anything else to praise God for, you can praise him for the salvation and forgiveness we have in Jesus and for his awesome creation. That's enough to praise God for eternity - start now!

I love this quote from Paul Washer, and it kind of ties in to these two points of application.

"Imagine this for a moment. God stands there on the day of creation and he tells planets to put themselves in certain orbits in space and they all bow down and say amen and obey him. He tells stars to find their place in the sky and to follow his decree to the letter and they all bow down and obey him. He tells mountains to be lifted up and valleys to be cast down and they bow down in worship. He tells the brave sea, “You will come to this point and you will come no further,” and the sea adores. And yet God tells you to come and you go, “No.” 

How wicked is our sin. And if it were only an act it would be terrible enough, but sin goes much deeper in the heart of a man. A man does not simply commit sin. A man is born in sin, vile and corrupt from the beginning.

Do you refuse to worship God? Do you refuse to submit to him and put your faith in Christ? All of creation praises him, all of creation submits to him, do you?

If the answer is no, and you continue to rebel then the result is hell. If the answer is no, but you turn to him then there is complete forgiveness and mercy. Jesus saves! If the answer is yes, then Praise God and never stop!