This is My God

Have you ever had people ask you about your God? I most certainly have had quite a few. Typically, when the topic comes up, people fear away from it as they really don’t have a full understanding of who He is or what He means in our lives and He is missing from their hearts. This, in itself, is a truly sad statement but unfortunately a fact.

I would like to take a little time this morning and introduce you to my God. The creator of the Heavens and the Earth; the creator of man-kind and all that is in this world; the one who watches over us; tends to our needs; and, when we realize and repent from our sins, forgives us time and time again.

This is my God… let me know if this is your God too…

God the Creator

We have all been taught, “God is the Great Creator.” All that we see; all that we hear; all we can touch and all that we feel is by God. He has given us all things and, without Him, we simply wouldn’t be.

Unfortunately, there are those that don’t believe. They are the unfortunate ones who have not yet heard, realized nor understood. We often refer to them as “atheists,” and the scripture tells us…

Psalm 14:1 – “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

We are the fortunate ones. We are the ones that do believe as it was told to us in the Bible.

Jeannette shared a story with us one week where she had heard and interview with someone on TV who stated, “God? How can I believe in a man who doesn’t have a Father?”

Well, obviously this person has never even opened the Bible. It very clearly tells us in the first chapter of the Old Testament…

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Silly, isn’t it? For we all know God as the Creator. As I mentioned earlier, He created the heavens; He created the Earth; He created all man-kind as well as all things on this planet.

So, it should be pretty easy to define… God made us all, men, women and all the animals that roam this Earth. Therefore, it was HE, that created “Fathers!”

Meet My God

When I Feel Weak – God is my Strength

How often do you lose your strength? It may be our age, struggles we may be enduring or we’re just simply tired of all that life puts us through. Our bodies feel physically weak even though there may be nothing medically wrong with us.

Every time I am having these feelings, I turn to my God. I remember so many times in the past when I’ve called on him for strength and, as He always does, he delivered.

It is important for us to remember God when we’re feeling weak and remind ourselves of what He said.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I can “boast in my weakness” knowing that Christ’s power will rest on me!

I asked for strength and
God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

SO many times I’ve felt weak! What has my God done? Just when I think I’ve reached the end of my fuse… WHAM! God puts another challenge before me, but, He has always been there with me through each struggle.

Just the other day at work, I was feeling worn-down, tired and had no energy to get through my day. What did my God do? … We received a shipment at my office and hadn’t paid for “inside delivery!” That meant that the 100+ pieces of equipment on the truck needed to be unloaded by us.

Myself and a co-worker reluctantly took to the challenge. Oddly enough, when all the pieces were stacked neatly in our warehouse, my energy returned.

This is my God… revitalizing my strength through difficulties.

When I Feel Unwise – God is my Teacher

Have you ever felt as though you just don’t know what you’re doing anymore? How about times when you’re in a group of people and they’re having a conversation on a topic you know absolutely nothing about? This happens all the time for me. I just feel stupid.

So, what does God tell me? How can I make myself feel better when I just don’t think I know all the things I should know? Once again, I remember what God had said in…

Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.”

I can’t tell you how many times at work I’ve felt stupid. Sometimes, I don’t even find the ability to fix even the simplest problems. What happens to me? God puts more difficult challenges before me that I might understand my own wisdom.

I asked for wisdom and
God gave me problems to solve.

Again, another work-related experience. We gained a new customer at the office but had no information whatsoever on what the credentials (username/passwords) were to get into their equipment.

We looked like fools and I fumbled around for a week trying to figure out how to get into these devices. In the middle of it all, their computer network crashed… all their employees had no means to access their data and they were going to have to close their doors until we could figure this all out.

Me? I said, “Oh great God… why would you stack this on all the other problems we’re having with this customer?!” More challenges!

Oddly enough, and with me and God working on the problems, it all became clear to me. I found the problem with the network and, in doing so, found another way into their equipment.

This is my God… He showed me that I wasn’t ignorant at all… I just needed a little “kick in the butt!”

 When I Want More Prosperity – God Employs Me

How easy is this one to talk about? Haven’t you, at some point, wanted a better house, car or motorcycle even though the ones you have are serving you just fine? We all want bigger and better things in our lives but are we aware of the sorrows that may accompany great riches?

Deuteronomy 8:18 – “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

He gives us “the ability to produce wealth” but warns us about our greed.

Proverbs 11:28 – “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”

And, if God has been good to you, turn it back around…

2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I asked for prosperity and
God gave me brawn and brains to work.

Okay, this is another work story but completely different company.

I had been with this job for quite some time when, during the launch of a new product, the company began hiring multiple people… all at a very high pay-rate with great company perks.

Me, no raise. I simply plodded along doing my job while watching all of these “Newbies” get richer. Again, I asked God… “Why can’t I have what they have? I’d like new and better things too! Why do they get all of these things when I’ve worked hard and long for many years?”

Well, time rolled on and within a matter of a few short weeks, all of these people were laid-off as they couldn’t perform what they were hired to do.

This is my God… He had given me the wisdom to do what I must, and only that, to perform my responsibilities rightly. This was soon recognized by my bosses and I received my raise.

When I Feel Afraid – God is my Courage

How often do you feel afraid? There are so many things in this world to be fearful of… war, terrorism, dangerous and evil people; and even simpler things like job stress, status in society and troubles at home. While the latter of these things do often occur, we should not let them get the best of us for our God is watching over us every day.

Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

He is with us! If you can believe in that alone, can you not see how brave you should be when addressing your challenges? We need to keep reminding ourselves of this simple verse from the Bible and know and understand of His presence with us through all our trials and tribulations.

I asked for courage and
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I have, as I’m sure you have too, been placed in many situations over the course of my life where I have been put in dangerous situations. I honestly feel it would be bragging to share some of those stories with you. But, what I’d like to do instead is give you this verse.

Whether they come from man or God. I always, without questioning, remember this verse from my Bible.

Philippians 4:13 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) – “Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.”

Yes, God may have put many challenges before me which might be considered as “dangerous” but, knowing this fact from my Bible, I have always overcome what had been put before me.

Whenever you feel afraid or in danger, remember this verse and know you are safe in the strength Christ gives you.

When I Feel Impatient – God Calms my Soul

In today’s world, we all want what we want and we want it now! I’m here to tell you, this simply isn’t the way God works as He tells us…

Isaiah 40:31 – “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 feel faint.”

“Wait upon the Lord!” God will provide for us. He gives us all that we NEED. Why hurry and rush for everything we desire here when we know God already has a plan for us and He will provide us what we need at the time He knows we need it the most.

Our God is a loving God and He wants us to be loving as well to all our brothers and sisters on Earth. But we need to remember…

1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud.”

I asked for patience and
God placed me in situations where I was forced to wait.

A short story on patience and a little about wisdom…

A little girl visited a farm one day and wanted to buy a large watermelon. She picked the biggest one she could find from the field and brought it to the farmer.

“That big one you got in your hands costs 3 dollars” said the farmer. The little girl responded, “I’ve got only 30 cents!” “30 cents will buy you a small watermelon” replied the farmer.

“What about that one?” asked the farmer pointing to a small watermelon in the field. “Okay, I’ll take it!” smiled the little girl. “Here’s your 30 cents but leave it on the vine. I’ll be back for it in a month.”

Pretty smart little girl. She knew her patience would be rewarded. By waiting one month, she could have a big, ripe watermelon for the price of a little green one.

Our patience pays off!

 When I Needed a Favor – God is my Friend

Have you ever just had an “ordinary conversation” with God? Like one you would have with a friend or a member of your family?

When my father was alive, I used to call him all the time just to talk about things that may have been troubling me, asking for his advice.

How about our friends? How often do we go to our friends for help? Sometimes, our friends are closer to us than members of our own families. This is just a natural thing in life as we tend to tell our friends more about us than we ever would our family. I’m not really sure why that is but, nonetheless, it does happen.

So, we ask our family and friends for advice and we ask them for help when we need it. Why then, being sons and daughters of a Loving God, would we not ask our Father for help?

Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well, with all God’s children, it rings true! As we said in many conversations in the past, we simply just need to believe!

Matthew 17:20 – “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”

I asked for favors and
God gave me opportunities.

A young man who was the only survivor of a shipwreck gradually drifted to an island. He had nothing to eat, no change of clothes and no shelter to sleep in or protect himself from the elements. He started praying to God to help him survive and make it through until such time he could be rescued.

As he wandered about the island, he came across a coconut tree with a lot of coconuts in which he would have food and drink. His only challenge? How to get them down. He eventually simply shimmied up the trees and brought them down one by one.

One morning, he woke up to find driftwood on the beach. This was a great sign as God had given him materials to build himself a shelter. He built himself a little hut and slept undercover for a few more days.

Now becoming greatly frustrated with no passing ships in sight he hit his knees. “Lord, why are you not saving me? I need your help or I will surely perish. Please help me get off this island and back to my home.” He heard nothing.

Now it was becoming a little colder at night. Worried that he might not survive the cold, he once again set about the island looking for something that might start a fire.

He soon came across some stones that he hadn’t seen before. Grateful, he gathered up stones and more driftwood to build himself a little fire to keep warm as he slept.

The next morning, he woke up to the smell of smoke. His little hut had somehow caught fire in the middle of the night. He quickly ran outside and watched his little shelter reduce to nothing but ashes.

Now, completely saddened and giving up on any possibilities that he might be saved. He again turned to God. “God, why have you done this to me? You’ve given me food, shelter and a means of staying warm. Why have you suddenly taken it all away?!”

As he rose from his knees he heard a boat approaching the island. At Last! He was going to be saved.

One on the boat, he asked the crew members, “How did you know I was there? I’ve been there for so long and no other ships came.” To which one of the crew responded, “We saw your smokescreen from the ocean and followed it here.”

God gives up opportunities to help ourselves!

 When I Feel Un-Loved – God Shows me His Love

This is my favorite! Life beats us down regularly. Family and friends hurt us, not necessarily intentionally, but it does happen; we are taken for granted at work; and when we walk in a crowd we’re treated as just an obstacle to overcome.

Were you ever lonely, without a friend, family or a significant other? That hurts doesn’t it! There is nothing that makes you feel more un-loved than feeling completely alone.

We need to remember… no matter how unloved we feel or how lonely we may be, God Loves us and will raise our spirits with His Loving hands…

1 Peter 5:6-7 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

“Humble ourselves!” There is something we never talk about, right? 😉 Stay humble, believe in our God and be reminded again in…

1 John 3:1 – “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Our God truly Loves us, and all that He asks, is that we Love Him back and Love each other. That’s it!

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

I asked for Love and God gave
me troubled people to help.

Shortly after the death of a woman I loved, I became downtrodden and greatly depressed. I wandered through each day not even wanting to make it to the next. For me, life was at its end.

I prayed for love and awaited God’s response. What did my God do?

I began going to the Sunrise each morning to try and find inspiration. I hadn’t really given up on God, I was just seeking greater encouragement.

If you’ve ever been to the beach during the early morning hours you may understand what I found there. I found many others who were struggling and seeking the same inspiration I was looking for and often started-up conversations with them just to try and understand our similarities.

Not all believed in God as they were never taught of His glory. I found out I was the fortunate one. I knew and believed in my God and was able to bring some comfort to these troubled people with His words and began to understand what His love was all about.

I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.

This is my God. I hope you enjoyed meeting Him this morning although I’m sure you’ve probably already met. Please remember all that our Father does for us and recognize when His signs come to you. You will never be abandoned by God!

• When you’re faced with difficulties… God is building your strength.
• When you’re challenged with difficult tasks… God is trying to teach you.
• When you look to prosper… know that God has given you the wisdom and the ability to earn it.
• When you’re frightened and put in dangerous situations… trust in God as He is trying to give you courage.
• When you’re waiting for things to come to you and become frustrated when they don’t come now… God is teaching you patience.
• When opportunities are placed before you… God is giving you favors.
• When you’re dealing with troubled people, family or friends… God is explaining to you what love is all about.

Go with God; be good to one another; always stay humble; always be kind… God Bless!