First of all, we answered the question “How do we acquaint ourselves with God”… we found the answer to this question was two-fold:
- By learning about Christ we can acquaint ourselves with God.
- Since Christ is no longer physically present on the earth, we should look to the Word of God to learn more about Christ, and by association, learn about God as well.
Secondly, we answered the question “Why should we acquaint ourselves with God”… we found a two-fold answer to this question as well:
- Our text promised “peace” to those who are acquainted with God. With peace, we can withstand the must violent storms that life can bring our way. Peace takes away worry and discord among those who serve the Lord.
- Our text also promised “good” or “grace” upon those who become acquainted with God. With grace we can be assured of victory in our spiritual battles, as well as continued the strength to serve in any way in which we are called. With grace, not only is our life on earth secure but our eternal life as well.
In this study, lets take a bit of time to see a few things the Word tells us about our God…
THE SCRIPTURE:
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. (Job 22:21)
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! … Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isa 40:9-31)
THE STUDY:
In Isaiah 40: we find the prophet Isaiah attempting to show the people of Judah the true God of all mankind. (note: “Behold your God” – vs 9 sets stage for rest of Isa 40:) Isaiah was faced with a very difficult problem. How can He describe a God who is so great that He cannot be described? It is an extremely difficult situation. Our God is so great, our human minds cannot comprehend His greatness.
Isaiah’s solution to this difficulty is to use earthly comparisons to help the people of Judah, and us, understand the greatness of God….
So as Isaiah phrased it; “Behold Your God”…
- He is a compassionate, caring, Shepherd
- He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- He is the great Creator of all nature
- Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
- He is all-knowing, the Origin of all wisdom and understanding
- Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
- He is the Sovereign Lord and King of all nations and kingdoms
- Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
- He is deserving of all worship… no sinful man can please Him with the works of man’s hands.
- And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
- He is unequaled by any false god.
- To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
- He has been revealed to mankind since the beginning of time through His creation.
- Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
- He holds ultimate authority in heaven and earth
- That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
- He is a God that judges sin
- Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
- He is indescribable.
- To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
- He is sustainer of all His creation.
- Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
- He knows us better than we do… none can hide from Him.
- Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
- He empowers and enables those who seek His face.
- He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Now we can understand why the Bible says…
Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. (Psa 86:8-10)
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION
For the Christian….
As we consider our Lord’s greatness let us appreciate Him for saving us and caring for us along life’s pathway. Let’s have thankful hearts this Thanksgiving season knowing He has intervened in our lives and our past present and future is secure in Him!
“So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations. (Psa 79:13)”
For those who have never trusted in Christ…
Please keep in mind this same great God has sent His Son to live life on earth and die on a cross so that anyone who comes to Christ might receive forgiveness for the times they have failed God. Come to Christ realizing you can do nothing to save yourself from your sin. Look to Him, realizing He is your only hope of forgiveness and a secure future in Him. He promises that He will not cast you aside. And as you approach this Thanksgiving season you can have a new sense of security, joy and peace knowing you have been forgiven of your sins…
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Joh 3:14-18)
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.(Joh 6:35-40)
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To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com
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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
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