Who God Is and Who We Are
Café Menu for Monday, April 27, 2015
Today’s Special is: The Vanity of Taking God’s Name in Vain
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Dawn Neely
Main Ingredient:
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Exodus 20:3 & 7 NAS
Entrée:
Prior to our salvation experience, and accepting God’s grace and mercy, this is how He found us…
The Bible describes man’s righteous deeds as “… filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6b NAS).
Romans 3:10-18 reminds us that we are all under sin.
Verse 10 “As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one.”
Verse 11 “There is no one who understands.”
Verse 12 “All have turned aside, together they have become useless. There is none who do good. Not even one.”
Verse 13 “Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they keep deceiving us.”
Verse 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
Verse 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood.”
Verse 16 “Destruction and misery are in their paths.”
Verse 17 “And the path of peace they have not known.”
Verse 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Don’t you wonder what God saw in us?
We stand before God in such need. But there are two little words in scripture that always bring a smile to my face and glory to my soul… “But now.”
This is who God is:
But now, in Christ Jesus you who were formally far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13 NAS
But now, there is no fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.
Isaiah 41:10 NAS
But now, you are precious in my sight, since you are honored and I love you. Do not fear for I am with you.
Isaiah 43:4 NAS
But now, the Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I have hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him. To the person who seeks Him.
Lamentations 3:25 NAS
The contrast between God and man produces a great divide. Yet, He loves us. He desires to have a personal relationship with us. He closed that gap with a cross.
We serve an awesome God. A loving God. A God who accepted us just as we were but loved us too much to leave us there. He has transforming power to take my feet from the miry clay and set them on the solid rock.
God is love, all mercy, compassion and truth. We defame our God’s holy name not in words only but by living a life that is devoid of thanksgiving and service. To take God’s name in vain is to deny His deity. We owe Him our lives. We owe Him our devotion. We owe Him honor and glory and praise!
Take Out:
If we’ve ever thought of God as a genie, a sweet grandpa, or an insurance agent we have the wrong idea of God. God is unchanging. He is Yahweh. No one gave birth to Him. He has always been and will always be.
That is the kind of God we need. A mighty warrior, jealous for His children, and victorious in battle.
Rest from doing things your way. The Lord is our Shepherd.
Dessert:
Dear Gracious, Holy Father, We humbly bow before you as the hosts of heaven, proclaiming “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty who was and who is and who is to come.” (Rev. 4:8). Forgive our sins and lead us to paths everlasting. Help us to honor You in word and deed until You come again, or call us home. Amen
© 2015 by Dawn Neely. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Monday, 27 April 2015.
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