Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Jeremiah 9:24
But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord
The most important question that we will ever need to answer correctly is ‘who is God?’ Knowing and understanding the Lord, or not knowing or understanding the Lord will impact every area of your life for eternity.
People who do not know God, His heart, His values and His ways can be caught in the trap of agnosticism or even atheism… many are bitter toward God, others simply disregard Him, stating that they are not religious, not knowing that God is not religious either!
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WE HAVE IS THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD ARE TELLING US WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE DOES…
RELIGIOUS PEOPLE HAVE MADE THEIR OWN GODS ACCORDING TO WHO THEY THINK GOD IS AND WHAT THEY THINK GOD SHOULD DO.
WHO IS GOD? - GOD IS LOVE
1 John 4:7-8 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
I Corinthians 13:4-7 gives a great description of God… it talks about what LOVE is, and since God is Love, it shares many of the attributes and values of God in a beautiful way.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (AMP Paraphrased) - [God] endures with patience and serenity, [God] is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; [God] does not brag and [He] is not proud or arrogant. [He] is not rude; [He] is not self-seeking, is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; [He] does not take into account a wrong endured. [He] does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. [God] bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looks for the best in each one], hopes all things [remains steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].
HOW DOES GOD CORRECT US?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP) - All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
God corrects His children with His Word. He does not hurt us, or bring calamity upon us to teach us or to discipline us. He does not take things from us, make us sick, or allow lack to come upon us to get our attention, His Word is His rod of correction, His staff that points us in the right direction and His soap that washes us clean.
GOD DOES NOT HURT US TO TEACH US
ONLY GOOD THINGS COME FROM GOD
IF WE GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL, HE WILL KILL STEAL AND DESTROY – IF WE GIVE PLACE TO GOD, HE WILL GIVE US LIFE AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!
DOES GOD OVERRIDE OUR CHOICES?
NO, HE DOES NOT – HE DID NOT MAKE ROBOTS!
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) - Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
We get to choose how we are going to live and what we are going to do with our lives. Many times, God gets blamed the choices people make. People bring poverty, sickness and calamity upon themselves when they reject the wisdom of the Lord.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT GOD CANNOT DO?
There are three things that God cannot do…
1. GOD CANNOT LIE
Hebrews 6:18 (NLT) - So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
2. GOD CANNOT SIN
James 1:13 - Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
3. GOD CANNOT STOP LOVING YOU
Jeremiah 31:3 - The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
WILL GOD FORGIVE ME?
Matthew 18:21-22 (TPT) - Later Peter approached Jesus and said, “How many times do I have to forgive my fellow believer who keeps offending me? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “Not seven times, Peter, but seventy times seven times!
If the Lord required Peter to forgive seventy times seven, then how much more will He forgive us as many times as we need forgiveness… in fact, He already forgave you on the cross of Calvary… when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”, He was talking about you!
Ephesians 1:6-7 - To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
CONFESSION
“God loves me
God is love - He is kind and thoughtful,
He is not provoked and easily angered.
He does not take into account a wrong endured.
God does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth.
He believes in me and sees the best in me,
God remains steadfast during difficult times
He works all things together for my good,
God is for me and not against me,
God is good and everything good in my life is from Him!
I receive His love today, in Jesus Name!”
In His Amazing Love, Nick
