God Wants to Show His Power in You

David declared, "My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them" (Ps. 139:15-16). Before you were born, God knew you and your days were "fashioned." God set forth a plan in eternity just for you. He speaks to you and calls you for that purpose.

"But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth" (Ex. 9:16). God speaks to you because He wants to show His power in you and declare His name to the world through you. Isaiah adds: "The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, 'Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand: That I will break the Assyrian in My land, and on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders'" (Is. 14:24-25). As it was for the breaking of Assyria's yoke for Israel, so it is for us. God intends to accomplish His purpose in us, so He speaks to us and leads us in the way should go.

God also declared through Isaiah, "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure'" (Is. 46:9-10). Isaiah responded, "O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Is. 25:1). Understanding this truth, we should do as Isaiah did and give praise to God, knowing that He speaks to us to accomplish His pleasure.

God speaks to us and calls us to rely on Him in all things. When David fled from King Saul and hid in the cave, he said, "I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me" (Ps. 57:2). To that David adds, "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress" (Ps. 17:3). When we trust in Christ in all things, God speaks to us to prove our faithfulness. When we hear God's call and listen to His voice and do the things He asks us to do, living by His truth, He gives us the victory in Christ over Satan and sin. Amen.

To Know Him and to Be Like Him

Through His Word God's purposes are discovered. Study His Word and you will begin to understand what He desires for you—to "know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10, NASB). God's purpose is for us to be saved and "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29b). To know Him and to be like Him. That is what God wants for each one of us.

Consider Jeremiah's words, and pay special attention to the greater context of what he said. Jeremiah also makes clear the truth that God's call is on your life as a believer. The context of his words is his prophecy that the exiles will return from Babylon in seventy years. "For this is what the LORD says: 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will let Myself be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile'" (Jer. 29:10-14, NASB).

Jeremiah is speaking here of God's specific plan for His people Israel. His plan for Israel involves a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. His plan for Israel involves blessing all nations of all times through Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection the third day. Our forgiveness at the cross and our salvation in Christ is all part of that plan. So the application of these verses in Jeremiah expands to include all of us.

These verses go hand in hand. God says to us, "For I know the plans that I have for you" (v. 11). He also "has saved us and called us with a holy calling… according to His own purpose" (2 Tim. 1:9). So He has "called us" according to "the plans" He has for us. He has "called us" to fulfill His "plans" in us. Plans that stretch throughout all eternity. Plans for a special relationship with each one of us. Plans for us to become like Jesus (Rom. 8:29b). And all of this is revealed by His Spirit: "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:10a). Amen.

A Savior, Who Is Christ the Lord

"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12). Such was the announcement the angel gave to the shepherds who were "watching their flock by night" (v. 8).

The word that night when Jesus was born wasn't given to the king; it wasn't given to the High Priest. The angel didn't appear before the leaders of government or the religious leaders of the day. No, the angel appeared before a group of lowly shepherds to announce the birth of the Savior. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (v. 11).

Shepherds were a lowly group. They were looked down on with disgust. They were despised by most, many believing they were nothing more than liars and thieves. They were the last people anyone would expect to be the first to receive such a glorious announcement. No one would ever believe anything they said. Such was the belief of the day. Yet, it was precisely to this band of shepherds to whom the angel came to announce the birth of the Savior.

And where would they find Him? "In the city of David" (v. 11a). They would find Him in Bethlehem, the city of David's birth. Thus, these lowly shepherds were sent into the lowly little town of Bethlehem, a small town of littler to no significance. Again, the last place anyone would expect such a great event to occur. Surely the Savior would be born in Jerusalem or another great city. But no, He was born in a small town of no consequence.

But that is not all. The angel told them to look for a newborn baby: "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger" (v. 12). "In a manger" (v. 12b), a feeding trough for animals. The Savior of the world was born in a lowly stable out behind an inn. A dusty, smelly home for animals! That is where they would find the Savior. And they soon discovered that He was born to a lowly couple; a poor shepherd and His betrothed teenage wife.

But what was significant was who this baby was: "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (v. 11b). This baby would grow up, living a perfect life. He shed His blood and died on the cross, a substitute for you, paying the penalty for your sin, bringing you forgiveness and new life. Just believe in Him, in His death and resurrection and confess His name, and you will be saved. Can you trust Jesus today? Have a Merry Christmas! Amen.

In Christ You Are Redeemed

Understanding God's call on your life is crucial for every believer in Jesus Christ. God's call rests on everyone who is "in Christ." With fifteen occurrences, the key phrase in Ephesians is "in Christ" or "in Him." "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). In Christ you are both redeemed and forgiven. That is why Paul prayed "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Eph. 3:17).

When you trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior you are "in Christ" and "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). In Christ you are changed, and you become a child of God: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26). In Christ the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you: "The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Cor. 6:17).

Every true believer knows something about the salvation God has given them in Christ. They know the gospel message, "that Christ died" on the cross "for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3), "and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day" (v. 4) defeating death itself. They know they are saved by God's grace alone through faith in Christ: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). But what many do not realize is that when God "saved us" He also "called us… according to His own purpose and grace" (2 Tim. 1:9).

God's purpose for your life is far greater than you can even begin to imagine. It is beyond anything you have ever dreamed of. Listen to what Paul says: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9). God has plans for you that are literally beyond belief. And He reveals those plans to you by His Spirit as you need to know. Paul explains, "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (v. 10). The Spirit searches the depths of God's truth and reveals His purposes and His plans to us.

Again Paul explains: "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (vv. 11-13). That last phrase is rendered, "combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" in the New American Standard Bible (NASB). "Spiritual words" explaining "spiritual thoughts"—that is the inspired Word of God (W.E. Vine, M.A., Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia, no copyright], 1087).

You are redeemed in Christ. Therefore, you should live your life every day in Christ. As Paul says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col. 3:16). Amen.

God's Word Lights Your Path

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Every day the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer, speaks God's thoughts to us. He speaks to our inner spirit. Do you hear God speaking to you? You may not hear a verbal voice speaking out loud, in fact you most likely will not, but in your heart you should hear His voice calling every day.

Jesus said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come" (John 16:13). The Holy spirit within speaks God's truth to us. When it says, "He will guide you into all truth" (v. 13a), it refers primarily to Scripture. The main avenue through which God speaks is His Word. When we read it, study it, and memorize it, the Holy Spirit makes its meaning clear and understandable. He guides us in knowing the Word and He empowers us to live the Word.

The Bible guides us in nearly every aspect of life. The Bible says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Bible provides guidance in all things. It teaches us God's truth as to how we ought to live. It reproves us when we are doing wrong. It corrects us and helps get us back on track. It instructs us in the way we should go. "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word" (Ps. 119:9, NASB).

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Prov. 3:5-6). When you trust in Christ and seek to follow Him, He will speak to you and guide you in the way you should go. If you are listening, God is calling. Habakkuk understood this truth and he responded, "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected" (Hab. 2:1). When Christ was transfigured before him, Peter declared, "We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed" (2 Pet. 1:19). God is calling. You would do well to listen and take heed. Amen.

Jesus Seeks Those Who Are Lost

Consider the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Luke 15:1 tells us that "all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him." They knew they needed a Savior, so they came near to Jesus to consider Him and to listen to what he had to say. But "the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them'" (v. 2). So Jesus replied with two parables explaining why He sought out sinners.

Jesus said, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (vv. 4-7).

This is a great story, and so true. Some years back, I was pastor of a church in western Wyoming. Out on the hills, shepherds watched their flocks. Each shepherd knew his sheep and kept a close count. When one was lost, he went searching for it and would not rest until it was found. That is what God does. We are His sheep, and when we are lost in sin He searches for us and does not rest until He finds us and redeems us.

Then Jesus told a second parable: "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (vv. 8-10).

A virtual repeat of the parable of the lost sheep. When a coin is lost you search diligently for it until it is found. And when you find the coin you rejoice greatly. Again, this is a picture of God searching for lost sinners. He pursues His own. When they are lost, He searches for them until He finds them. When He finds them, He rejoices greatly with the angels in heaven as He redeems them. Both pictures are of a loving God pursuing the sinner who is lost and the saint who has strayed from the fold.

That is the way God operates. He pursues His own until they respond to His call and are saved. We are not saved because we seek after God. We are saved because God knew us from eternity, and He pursued us and called us to Himself. We are not saved because of our ability and faithfulness to find Christ and to keep hold of Him. We are saved because God is faithful to draw us to Himself and to keep us in Christ for all eternity.

2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" (NASB). He saved us because He promised to save us, and He is always faithful. We are not saved because of our ability to hold on to Him. We are saved because of His ability to hold on to us. Amen.

The Lord's Deep Knowledge of You

David penned a great psalm that details God's pursuit of man. The first four verses of Psalm 139 reveal that God knows us very deeply. He knows us better than we know ourselves. "O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether" (Psalm 139:1-4).

The Lord searches your heart because His desire is to know you intimately. He watches your every move. Even your thoughts are not hidden from Him, and He hears every word you speak. That should make you fully aware of the things you say and do. Knowing that God is watching should make you strive to be holy. Knowing that God is listening should make you watch what you say and how you say it.

The Lord is there for you every day. "You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me" (v. 5). His hand is on your shoulder to guide and direct you. He has "hedged" you in on all sides. He has put up a barrier between you and the enemy to keep you safe. You can trust Him, walk with Him, and depend on Him. He will see you through every trial, hardship, and challenge that life brings. What an amazing truth!

But David acknowledges that even this can be a hard concept to grasp. "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it," he wrote (v. 6). It is in times like this, times when we cannot quite wrap our minds around such truth, that we want to cut and run. But before you do, before you run from God and try to hide from Him, consider the rest of this psalm.

In verse seven David asks the question, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?" And he answers his own question: "Nowhere." He writes: "If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,' even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You" (vv. 8-12). There is nowhere to hide. Wherever you go, God will find you. He will pursue you until you come to Him. He made you and He wants the best for you.

Psalm 139 continues, "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well" (vv. 13-14).

The Lord established your days. He determined who you are and what you would do for Him, even before you were born: "My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them" (vv. 15-16).

God made and established you. He loves you and wants to fellowship with you. That is why He pursues you as He does. You are always on His mind. "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You" (vv. 17-18). Every morning when you awake, God is there. He is with you as He promised. "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (Heb. 13:5b).

Because God made you, because He loves you and seeks after you, you should have only one response—to seek after Him and to follow Him! You should flee from your enemies and be separate from them. Turn them over to God and let Him deal with the wicked. But as for you, have nothing to do with them.

Again in Psalm 139, David said it well: "Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies" (vv. 19-22).

Then David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting" (vv. 23-24). The same prayer should be on our lips! Knowing that God pursues us, knowing that He loves us, knowing that He will always be there for us watching over us, we too should ask God to search our hearts and cleanse us from anything that does not belong. We should seek God's face every day and trust Him to lead us in the way we should go, the way of righteousness, the way of Christ Jesus. Amen.