Challenge for 2022

My Determined Purpose is to Know Him - Hebrews 4:15

9:00 AM


 Does it comfort you to know that the Creator and Lord of the universe knows you personally? Every detail about you- your interests, your fears, failures, what upsets you and what brings you joy. He knows everything about you. But just how well do you know Him?

I decided to search out Scriptures that speak on just how well He knows and loves us this week and I pray these truths will bless you as much as they have me. 

He know you:

  • “The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought” (1 Chronicles 28:9). 
  • He regards you as “the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8).
  •  He can “empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,” King David wrote, “You knew my path” (Psalm 142:3). 
  • “He knows the way that I take,” declared Job (Job 23:10). 
He delights in you: 

  • “The Lord delights in you” (Isaiah 62:4). 
  • “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). 
  • “I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16).
  • “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm 147:11). 
  • “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. (Zephaniah 3:17)
He has adopted you and calls you His:

  • So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father’”. (Romans 8:15) 
  • God sought you. He searched you out. Before you knew you needed adopting, He’d already filed the papers.  
  • For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.(Romans 8:29) 
  • God sent Him [Christ] to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. ( Galatians 4:5)  
  • You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. — (Galatians 3:26)
  • The moment we accept His offer we go from orphans to heirs:  You are His heirs… (Galatians 3:29)   
  • Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
He Guides you:

  • “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23–24).
Protects you:
  • “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.” (Psalm 138:7)
  • “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalms 145:19)
  • “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)
Loves you: 
  • Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13)
O Beloved, I could go on and on. I've merely shared a teaspoon out of the ocean, sort of speak, of all the Bible has to say about our Savior's love and care for each of us. With the internet available to us these days it's easy to simply look up verses that speak of all His attributes and I hope you'll share more that are precious to you. 

I'd like to close with this quote from A. W. Tozer,  for I believe he said it best concerning Hebrews 4:15 ‘a high priest – able to sympathize’: 
 “Many men can be touched by the sorrow of another, but they are not touched with the sorrow.  It is one thing to see pain but another thing to be touched with the feeling of it.  Our pain, our depression, our trembling, our sensitiveness – Jesus was touched with these though he did not fall into sin that so often comes of them.  We must treasure this view of our Lord’s sympathy, for it may be a great support in the hour of agony and weakness.”

Jesus is our Great High Priest who knows all about us; who is able to sympathize with all we are going through and is forever before the Father interceding  on our behalf.

 Blessings, 

Sue

2 Corinthians 2

The Source of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1)

12:30 PM



Reading for Thursday: 2 Corinthians 1

Paul, who was well acquainted with trials, pain, suffering and discomfort knew where to find comfort. He didn’t turn to “creature comforts” which the world has to offer. He found his comfort, instead, from the source “ of all comfort”. Even in the midst of difficulty, his focus on God provided him with the comfort he needed to endure and also to be a comfort to others. 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (v3-4)

There is always purpose in any discomfort or trial that God allows us to experience. In fact, I’ve heard it said that every testimony involves a test. God’s love may help us be sympathetic toward others which allows us to feel compassion, sorrow, or pity for the hardships they are dealing with. But, by enduring difficult experiences ourselves, we can develop an even more important expression of ministry called empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes. For example, I can sympathize with someone who has lost a parent but I have not personally lost a parent and can only imagine what that experience is like. I can empathize, however with someone who has experienced their parents going through a traumatic divorce because I have personally experienced that. This personal experience allows me to connect with another at a more intimate level. 

Personal experience of hardships allows us a unique opportunity to minister to and comfort someone going through similar experiences.
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view -- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”  Harper Lee
Because God has comforted and guided us through our trial, we can then encourage that person to turn to God for their comfort and personal guidance. 

Some trials are extremely difficult and threaten to defeat us through depression, fear, anxiety and despair. These are the trials, however that can grow our faith the most because we have to learn to wholly depend on God. Paul knew such trials and he wanted to share that with others to encourage their faith and help them to endure. 
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (v8-9) I don’t know about you, but when I read about what Paul endured and how strong his faith remained it encourages my own faith tremendously. Imagine how encouraging it can be to others when we share our own faith building experiences. Paul also asked for prayer. Praying for others is such a powerful tool of support and comfort. 

God loves us and comforts us and in turn, we are empowered to comfort others. May I encourage you to view the trials you have endured as opportunities for you to minister to others. Your experience and empathy can be used to bolster the faith walk of another through their own difficult times. God wants us to connect with others, encourage their faith and use what we have endured to glorify Him.