In Hosea 4:1-3, the Lord brings a charge against the nation of Israel. He tells them that, " there is no truth, or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. " Because of this there is a lack of restraint in the land. This means that people do their own thing; whatever comes to their mind, whatever evil plan they may have, they have a lack of self-control. They act without thinking. Hosea tells us that swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery have become common place things in Israel. Mercy: The Fruit Of Compassion "Mercy is the fruit of compassion," someone once said. In other words, when I have compassion for someone, when I recognize their suffering, I will do something about it. What I do is an act of mercy. Someone with no mercy would be unrelenting, unsympathetic, or hard towards others. Mercy takes many forms: feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting those in prison, and giving drink to the thirsty—whether physical water or the water of life-—God's holy word. Sometimes, mercy may be as simple as giving someone the benefit of the doubt. God's mercy towards us is shown by our Father when He sent His Son to die for us on the cross (Romans 5:8-9) even though, because of our sin, we deserved punishment. He died so we would not have to face an eternity without God. In Lamentations 3:23-33, Jeremiah tells us, " The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. " God's mercies never come to an end. Thank you Father! We know mercy comes from God and is given to us by Him, but God also wants us to treat our fellow man with mercy. Jesus says that you will be blessed with mercy if you show others mercy (Matthew 5:7). To know God's mercy is to be kind and tenderhearted, not just honest and upright. When people sin against us, hurt us, defame us, and abuse us, are we merciful to them, remembering that we also at one time were like this to God Himself. When we see people suffering, do we shake our heads and say, "Oh, how terrible!" but do nothing? How are we actively being merciful to others? A Society Without Mercy A society without mercy is nowhere I would want to live. An indicator of where our culture is headed is in the movies we watch. Between 2010 and 2020, there were 138 movies about revenge. Revenge is as far from mercy as one can get but it seems that revenge stories are quite popular. Our society is consumed with violence. The prevalence of gang violence is fueled by revenge, not mercy. Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant In Matthew 18:23-35, we read the parable of the unforgiving servant. The servant had had a great debt forgiven him by the King, but someone owed this same servant a debt. The forgiven servant threw the man in prison and did not forgive his debt. It is not just a lack of forgiveness that this servant is guilty of but a lack of mercy. Great mercy was shown to him and yet he did not give mercy to someone else who owed him a debt. When the master finds out about this, he says, "Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ Matthew 18:33 The master, we are told, delivered the unforgiving servant over to the torturers until his debt was paid. Jesus then tells the disciples that God will do the same to us if we don't have heart felt forgiveness for our brothers. Forgiveness, compassion, and mercy are not suggestions that God gives us; they are requirements. A Society Without Truth A society without truth is a frightening thought. If each one of us has our own truth, if each one decides what is right for them, then society falls apart. If there is not a greater good, no foundational laws to build our society on, then how do we even have laws? The characteristics of society are shared standards, values, and beliefs. Without truth, what do we share? How can we have a society? For someone who does not know truth we understand that they are a liar and we know who their father is - the Devil, because the Devil is the father of lies. He is the great deceiver from of old, the trickster, the one who whispers to you, "How can this be wrong when it makes you happy?" or you may hear him say, "Your truth is just as valid as someone else's. Do what you want. It doesn't matter." We know the Bible tells us that Jesus is truth , but this does not just mean that what He said was true, it means much more than that. It means that Jesus, in the flesh, was literally truth. To know God and Jesus is to know truth. The more we know of God the closer we will draw to what is the only valid truth. Knowing truth, which is agreement with reality, comes from knowing God. No Truth, Mercy Or Knowledge Of God Truth and mercy spring forth from a knowledge of God —not just an intellectual knowledge of God but a heart knowledge of God. Not just knowing that God exists but knowing the attributes of God and that He desires us to also have these attributes. We learn to know who God is by spending time with Him. We spend time in His word and in prayer, we spend time with other Christians, and we share our faith stories. The more we know who God really is, the more our lives will show truth and mercy to others. As we read further, we read the well-known verse that says " His people will be destroyed for lack of knowledge. " (Hosea 4:6). God says knowledge of Him was willingly rejected by the people. The people actually chose not to know God. Even sadder, the ultimate punishment that God promises for this is that He will leave them alone. What a terrible thought that we could, as a nation, have no mercy or truth because we have forgotten God to the point where we no longer have knowledge of Him; and then that He would leave us alone to face our consequences with no sense that He is near. We should all pray that a true knowledge of God increases in our nation and along with that, mercy and truth. We don't want our nation left alone by our Father as Israel was.

David writes in beautiful Psalm 139 that God is all knowing or omniscient (Psalm 139: 1-6). He knows everything about each one of us individually. God is everywhere or omnipresent. He is everywhere and He is with me individually at all times. God created everything that is and He created me specifically . Unlike the way many view God as being some uncaring, unconcerned force in the universe God is presented to us in this Psalm as a very personal God. Our God is concerned about everything we do. God Knows Us God knows our thoughts, the ones we have now and all that we will ever have. He sees our obedience and He sees our sin. Even the words on our tongue are known before they are spoken. This fact alone should give us pause when we use idle words that are vulgar or unkind. God Sees Us God sees us and places a hedge, a kind of protection around us (verse 5). A camera peering at us from a traffic light might make us feel uneasy but God watching us is like the watchful eye of a loving parent. He watches, not so that He can say, "Gotcha", when we fall, but to be there to pick us up and help us try again to get things right. God Seeks Good David believes that all this knowledge that God has is " too wonderful for me " (verse 6). God knows him better than he knows himself. God seeks only good for His children. God's Presence is Everywhere In the next verses, 7-12, we learn that God is everywhere! He is the great creator, but He is not His creation. Wherever we find ourselves in life, God is there with us. We can't run from Him. We can't hide from Him. For David, God's presence was a light in the darkness. It is this light we should walk in . David knew that God's right hand would hold him come what may. Before You Were Born, You Mattered In verses 13-16, David tells us that God knew us while we were still in our mother's womb. David remarks that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. How very true this is. As science learns the complexities of the human body and how it all works together, we know Who it is that fashioned us. And David speaks of a book, a book in which is written all of our days even before our birth. You are important to God, even before you were born, you mattered! God Thinks of You Personally In verses 17 and 18, David is overwhelmed at the thought that God thinks of him personally with love and concern. The creator of the universe notices and knows His children. How often people feel privileged to have a celebrity give them just a tiny bit of attention. How then should we feel knowing that our great Creator thinks of us, protects us, guides us, forms us and loves us with an everlasting love that is divine . David Wants God to Know Him In verse 23, David begs God to search him and know him. He asks God to reveal his true self to him, even the wicked parts, so that in verse 24 David can be led by God in the everlasting way. The way of righteousness and holiness that David knew would lead to life everlasting with the Father. Asking God to show us our sinfulness is a difficult thing to ask God for. We may not like the answer we get. A Loving and Caring Father So to those who believe in nothing or in an uncaring, absent God; that is not the God of the Bible. The God that Christians believe in, the one true God, is a loving and caring Father. A Father who sent us His only Son to die for us and rose to life to make a way for us to live with Him forever. He called me loved, praise His holy name. Enjoy Shane and Shane singing, Psalm 139, Far Too Wonderful. Psalm 139

1 Corinthians 13, often read at weddings, is not just a beautiful description of love. Paul wrote this passage to admonish the Corinthians for arguing over spiritual gifts, emphasizing that the most important thing is love for God and others. What Is Really Important - Love What gifts has God given you? Are you faithful to Him? Are you patient? Are you kind, merciful, or wise? Which gift do you value more? In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us that if we have enough faith to move a mountain, we are nothing if our faith is without love. If I am gifted in speech with other languages or divinely eloquent, but don't have love it sounds like " sounding brass or a clanging symbol ", in other words, it's just noise. Giving everything to the poor, even sacrificing our lives, gains us nothing if we don't do it in love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). If a gift is used without love it is of no value. To God, love is more precious than anything. God Is Love It is interesting that God is called love but He is never referred to as hope or faith. He is the God of hope. He is the source of our faith. Faith and hope are for us personally, but love is for our neighbors. Love is to be shared with others as God shared it with us. First John makes it clear that God is the embodiment of love (1 John 4:8). Living Out Love The next verses (4-7) describe how we live out God's love. The one who loves is long suffering, kind, not envious, not proud, not rude, not provoked, doesn't think about evil things, and rejoices in what is true. Does that describe you? This is the love God wants us to have. Who do we love in this way? Unconditional Love Paul is speaking of ' agape ' love, which in the Greek means unconditional love, love that is not determined by what someone does for us or says to us. It is a love that will lay down its life for another because Jesus taught us by example that that is what we should do. It is the kind of love we should have for God because this is His love for us. Peter Has Unconditional Love In John 21, Jesus asks Peter if He loves Him. He asks Peter twice if he loves him with ' agape ' love. Does Peter love unconditionally? Jesus also asks Peter if he loves Him with 'phileo ' love, brotherly and friendship love. Peter is about to embark on his life's work and Jesus wants to know if he is ready. Does Peter have the greatest of the three? Does he have love that is unconditional? Does he have the love of a brother? Peter answers yes! Faith, Hope And Love Are Eternal Whatever gifts we have in this present life they will cease. The things that remain, Paul tells us, in the next life will be faith, hope and love. These we will have throughout eternity (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). Our faith and hope in God will continue in the next life and His love, which is our love, will be perfected. Love Is Greater Than Faith And Hope Most famously, Paul says that of faith, hope and love, " The greatest of these is love. " (1 Corinthians 13:13). What? Love is greater than faith? Love is greater than hope? The foundation of Christianity sits on our faith and hope. In fact in Hebrews 11:1 we are told that " faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. " They are intertwined. But what of love? Why does Paul say it is the greatest? According to the Pulpit Commentary, " Love is the greatest, because it is the root of the other two; "we believe only in that which we love; we hope only for that which we love." Love is the expression of our faith to others. It is our love that brings Christ to others. We are a letter from Christ to the world (2 Corinthians 3:3). Our Most Powerful Weapon In today's world we are seeing Christians more frequently come under verbal and sometimes physical attack. How should we respond? Do we think that people who aren't Christians will act like Christians? That is very naive. This huge emphasis Paul places on love doesn't mean Christians have to accept evil. What it means is that we face evil with the most powerful weapon we have—love. Bless Our Enemies Jesus Himself tells us how to face evil. In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus says to love our enemies, bless people who curse us, be good to people who hate us and pray for our persecutors. The Greek word bless means to praise or speak well of a person. It means to give thanks for them. Jesus on the cross is our role model; He didn't rain down curses on His murderers, He prayed for their forgiveness. He loved them. Persecution Produces Character The things that people do to us that mean us harm, whether through ridicule or violence, can be used for good for those of us who are called " according to His purpose " (Romans 8:28). In 1 Peter 1: 6-7, Peter tells us our trials can be a source of rejoicing because they refine us and show us our faith is genuine. Paul, in Romans 5:3-5, says that persecution produces perseverance, character and hope. James 1:2-4 echoes Paul, when he says that trials develop maturity and character. Trials help us grow in trust of God. These sound like character traits that I should actually want. The Holy Spirit Teaches Us To Love Romans 5:5 explains to us that our hope isn't disappointed, because the Holy Spirit has poured the love of God into our hearts. In our own strength it would be impossible to respond to evil with selfless love, but with the Holy Spirit living in us we can do it. We can move past the hurt feeling of being ridiculed, and step out in faith and hope to love the unlovable. And when evil touches us physically, even unto death, we can pray for the Holy Spirit to help us love as Jesus did. Pursue Love Paul finishes these thoughts in 1 Corinthians 14:1 by saying that we should " pursue love ". Love is to be sought after earnestly, with diligence . It is to be sought after with commitment, practice and sacrifice. This implies effort, a lot of effort on our part, to become the loving people of God that He desires us to be. We don't just give up when we try to love people who persecute us. We pursue that love like a hunter after his prey. Dear Father, Help me to love as you loved. Help me to realize that without love anything else I do is useless and of no value. Thank you for loving me. Please give me the grace to be able to love unconditionally those who would harm me in any way. In Jesus's name, Amen

Jesus is called many names in the New Testament. The name He referred to Himself as the most was Son of Man. Over eighty times our Lord calls Himself this. Interestingly, His disciples never referred to Him in this way. This is a deeply significant name that tells us something about the character and person of Jesus. The Old Testament Use of 'Son of Man' In the Old Testament, Ezekiel is referred to as son of man. The difference is that in the New Testament, Jesus is called 'the' Son of Man. Where Ezekiel was merely a human, because he was the son of a man, Jesus is The Son of Man. Jesus is unique. Jesus is the only sinless, perfect man. 1 John 4:2 tells us that Jesus didn't just come as some spirit being, but as a human in the flesh. Jesus’ Humanity and Divine Mission Jesus was fully human. He was born of the virgin Mary and conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus's earthly father Joseph had no part in this miraculous event. The Son of God, in order to reconcile the world to Himself, became a man, the Son of Man. To picture the God of the Universe stooping so low as to become a physical man is almost beyond our ability to grasp. This is the degree to which we are loved. Our God has become one of us, walking among us, living as one of us, to die on a cross and bear our sins. His suffering was predicted in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Jesus, the Suffering Servant Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man who would suffer, be rejected, and rise again (Mark 8:31). The One who had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). He taught his own disciples that He would be killed but rise again in three days (Mark 9:31), even though they didn't fully comprehend what this meant. It was difficult for them to imagine, as it was the Jewish high priest, how the Messiah could be the suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) and the King of Glory. Jesus, the Son of Man at His Trial Because Jesus could forgive sin (Mark 2:10), raise the dead (John 11:38-44), cast out demons (Luke 11:14-26), and execute judgment (John 5:22), He was God. At His trial before the Sanhedrin, Son of Man was the title He used to prophesy that they would see Him sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on a cloud (Mark 14:62). This connection between God and the clouds is seen many times, especially in the Old Testament. Jesus was referring to Himself as their God who would come again as the judge of the world. This ended the trial because in the minds of the Jewish high priest this was blasphemy. Blasphemy deserved death. Jesus Fulfills the Daniel Prophecy It would have been obvious to the educated Jews of the day that when Jesus referred to Himself as 'the Son of Man' He was referencing Daniel 7:13-14. In Daniel's vision, Daniel prophesies about one like a son of man came who was given an everlasting kingdom. This was a prophecy of the coming Messiah. The Jewish people never viewed the Messiah as God. To them He was simply a righteous man who would bring peace to the world and reign over a united Israel. So when Jesus uses the same name as in Daniel, Son of Man, He was declaring the prophecy fulfilled. The Messiah had come but not in the way that was expected. The Unexpected Form of the Messiah Jesus humbled Himself by coming to earth, not as a glorious ruler of a world where all things praised Him, but as a seemingly unimportant son of a carpenter from the small town of Nazareth. The Jews at the time simply could not imagine that God would come in so lowly a form to reconcile man and God, and then return in the future as Lord of all. Disciples’ Growing Recognition of Jesus When the disciples first followed Jesus it was as students of a teacher. But after calming the sea they exclaim in Matthew 14:33, "Truly you are the Son of God." Then, as their eyes were opened to who He really was, Peter declares in Matthew 16:13-16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus tells Peter that only God could have opened his eyes to this truth. In John 14:9, Jesus plainly tells the disciples that if they have seen Him then they have seen the Father. Even after Jesus's resurrection, when He appeared to the disciples, they thought they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:37). In Luke 24:45, the Bible says Jesus opened His disciples' minds to understand that He fulfilled what was written in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. They understood that He truly was the Son of Man and the Son of God. The Title of Christ and Its Significance The title, Christ, means the anointed one or the chosen one. In other words, the Messiah, who would bring deliverance to His people. Jesus had been anointed with oil on several occasions, but the most significant anointing He received was from the Holy Spirit at His baptism. What many Jews did not realize was that the greatest need they had was not for a military deliverer but for One who could deliver them from sin. Once that task was accomplished, then when the time is right, Jesus will indeed return as the mighty hero of His people to usher in a new age. Will He find us living as a vessel of honor (2 Timothy 2:21)? Reflection on the Return of Jesus This makes me think about our present time. So many learned people are so sure about how Jesus will return and specific events that must occur, but could we, like the Jews, perhaps not see everything as plainly as we think we do? The Lord will return. He will come again, but specific details about when or how this happens may not be exactly as we think they are. The Mission of the Son of Man In Luke 19:10, Jesus explains the reason He has come, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." It is not as a simple human that He has come, it is as the Son of God and the Son of Man. Jesus, both fully human and fully divine, in every way is our perfect sacrifice. He is the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. And at the same time, the Son of Man who lived as one of us and reconciled us to God. Jesus also came to teach us how to love like He does. The only Son of God, having become the Son of Man, makes many sons of men the sons of God. - St. Augustine Jesus Came to Serve, Not to Be Served In Mark 10:45, Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve . He has come to give His life as a ransom for many. This is God, come down to show men what loving God really means. We care for others because we love. That is our main purpose on this earth, to show God's love to the world, to become like Christ . We are to serve and care for others before we care for ourselves, just as Jesus did. The Coming Kingdom of Jesus By His death and resurrection He has become our eternal mediator between God and man. In Luke 17:21, Jesus tells the Pharisees that, "For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (NIV) Even now, Jesus is our King and is in our midst changing the hearts of His believers. In John 18:36, Jesus says His Kingdom is not of this world. We also are a stranger in the earth . His Kingdom will be fully established at the End of Days when He comes in power and glory to rule and to reign with His saints. Just as Revelation 11:15 says, “the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” . Today when we turn to Him for our salvation, we are being brought into His kingdom and out of this world. One by one we become part of His kingdom. Oh, but when He returns, then it is, that every knee will bow and tongue confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

Wilderness as God’s Classroom What wilderness are you traveling through? Is it a wilderness of physical suffering, mental anguish, or spiritual darkness? Why does God allow this for His children? God told the children of Israel that they were allowed to stay in the wilderness so "that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end " (Deuteronomy 8:16). That time spent in the wilderness after fleeing Egypt allowed the Israelites to learn to trust God completely. They were wholly dependent upon Him for everything. From the crossing of the Red Sea to the provision of manna to the water from the rock, everything they needed for survival was provided by God. Can God provide? Absolutely! Divine Provision in the Wilderness But now it was time to leave the wilderness and go into the Promised Land. It was a good land where they would lack nothing. And at the end of the day, when they had " eaten and are full " what should their response be—to bless God (Deuteronomy 8:10). After learning their lesson in the wilderness, now they need to be obedient to God. They need to accept the abundance He has blessed them with, realizing in humility that it only comes from Him. But what happens? In the midst of their wealth and prosperity they forget. They believe they have achieved it all by their own hands with no help from God (Deuteronomy 8:17). The Danger of Forgetting God This is the danger we all face. We go through difficult times and in the midst of them we reach out to God for help. In His graciousness He provides for us. He saves us mentally, physically, and spiritually. We know it is His work. We know that without Him we would still be in the 'desert'. But time passes. After a while things go well again. We see success in our careers, our health, our children, and our relationships. We forget that we needed God. We think we don't need Him anymore. It's as if He were a 'rabbit's foot', an object we only need when we want good luck. Like a genie's lamp, we only rub it when we want good fortune. Our pride swells in our accomplishments. "I did it!" we say to ourselves. We may tell others that God has blessed us but in our hearts, sadly, we tend to secretly believe it was really all our own efforts. Then we put ourselves ahead of God. We worship money, power, or success. We don't have a physical idol that we bow before but it is an idol nonetheless. Idolatry of Success The Israelites were warned that if they did this they would be punished just as the nations that were falling before them in battle. God had told them that those nations were punished for their evil and not to believe that God was blessing the Israelites with success because they were righteous (Deuteronomy 9:4). But if they became evil then they would receive the same fate. We can't assume that this applies to all nations. But we know there is a price to pay for disobedience on a personal level. Navigating Spiritual Wilderness: Trials and Trust In this part—navigating spiritual wilderness: trials and trust—we’ll explore how God’s loving discipline shapes our character and draws us closer to Him. Deuteronomy 8:5, tells us " You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. " It is for our own good that we are disciplined. We see the same thought in Hebrews 12:6, " For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. " If we are God's children, we can absolutely expect to have our 'wilderness' experiences. Because we belong to Him, His desire is to produce spiritual maturity and holiness. This comes for us, as it did to the Israelites, by learning to trust Him in everything and learning humility through our suffering. Christ’s Example in Trials Lest you think that is harsh, look at Hebrews 5:8, " though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. " Jesus was perfect—sinless—yet His human nature still learned obedience through suffering. He is our perfect role model for us as humans. He learned as we must learn. This doesn't mean He was lacking obedience, but it shows His total participation in the experience of being human. It was also to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the suffering servant (Isaiah 53). What was Jesus' response to being in the wilderness? The Israelites wandered forty years; He was there for 40 days. Jesus was totally trusting in God to care for Him. Though tempted He did not fail the test like the Israelites did. His humility and His obedience never wavered. The Israelites could not seem to look back and see that God was always faithful to them. They doubted His love and care for them. Jesus did not. Repeating the Same Mistakes The tragedy would be if we suffered trials and then learned nothing from them. How sad if we endured trials over and over again and still were unable to appreciate that God had provided for us. Has your life been spared? Have you had job opportunities provided for you? Have you found the love of your life? If we don't appreciate that it was God who gave us those things, how many trials will we have to go through before we do? When we look for satisfaction somewhere other than God, we will never find it. Is money the answer to all your problems? Is the praise of men something your heart desires? Is having power over others crucial to your idea of success? Can these things bring happiness or fulfillment, perhaps briefly, but in the long run they will fail us. Remember that the trials that come our way are for our good. They are to teach us what is truly important. Do we learn how to suffer well? Listen to what 1 Peter 4:19 says, " Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. " The good that is produced is endurance, endurance produces character, and character hope (Romans 5:3-5). Eternal Perspective in Trials On that day that suffering ceases then we will see what we have hoped for—our blessed Savior. In Him the pain, tears, and anguish will be no more. Until then we should look to our God who made Heaven and Earth and who brings us help (Psalm 121:2). We hope in the good our pain produces, even if we can't see it. If God is for us , we need not worry. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 reminds us that we shouldn't lose heart. Our troubles achieve an eternal glory. Our eyes are fixed on the eternal, not the temporary. Is our faith genuine? Trials can tell us. It isn't too late to " Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of His glory and grace. " - " O Soul, are You Weary and Troubled? " by Helen Lemmel (1922). Be blessed by "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" by Hillsong Worship. Click here .

We are created in the image of God, imago Dei in Latin. (Genesis 1:27). Such a beautiful and profound statement. Yet it is a hard to understand concept. No other of God's creations are said to have been made in this way. We are image bearers of God whether we are a Christian or not. All of us have been created by Him to reflect Him. Trinity and Our Threefold Being God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While there is only one God, He exists as three co-equal and co-eternal persons. Although you and I have three parts as well, body, soul and spirit, (1 Thessalonians 5:23) it is not a parallel to the Trinity. The Trinity is three persons, not three parts, whereas humans are one person with distinct aspects. We have a fleshly body that decays and returns to the ground. At the resurrection our mortal bodies will be transformed and united with our spirit and soul, just as Jesus was physically resurrected from the dead. The soul is who we really are. It includes our emotions, our wills and our minds. It is immortal. It is not the material part of you. God has been and will forever be eternal as a part of who He is. We become immortal only because of His actions. God is eternal but our soul had a beginning. And lastly a spirit that should be in relationship with God. As God is spirit this is how we become like Him. For the redeemed, the spirit returns to God in peace; for the unredeemed, separation remains. A man whose spirit doesn't belong to God is considered spiritually dead (Ephesians 4:18). One whose spirit belongs to God is considered spiritually alive (Colossians 2:13). It is because of God's mercy and the Holy Spirit working in us that we are brought to life in Christ (Titus 3:5). Have you ever felt this inner longing for the presence of God? Another way we reflect the image of God is through our characteristics. By God sharing His own breath with us at creation, we are unique in all of His creation. Even though we live in a fallen world, humanity still has a universal sense of what is right and what is wrong. This comes from God. We are creative beings. God created everything that exists but in our finite way we also create—art, literature, and music. We can love and do so in a very altruistic manner. We can sacrifice ourselves for those we love. We have been created to live in relationship with others. Just as God desires relationship with us, we are told that it is not good for man to live alone (Genesis 2:18). In Eden we had a perfect relationship with God but now that is marred by sin. The very reason Jesus died on the cross for us. God has free will and so do we. Nothing constrains God from doing what He wants (Job 36:23). Our free will is not omnipotent like God's. We live with certain rules because of our physical nature. We can, however, choose evil over good if we desire. The fact that God cannot lie or sin is not a limitation of His free will but is a fact of his very nature. Fall, Redemption, and Restoration In the beginning, with Adam and Eve, our image perfectly reflected the image of God but when sin and death came into the world that image was altered. It is harder to see that likeness now than it was back then. In fact, it is impossible to see it clearly without the saving action of Jesus on the cross. Jesus restores us back to that first image. When our sins are forgiven God doesn't remember them any longer. But remember, we all bear God's image. Whether we are handicapped, of a different racial, political, or ethnic background, or even a different sexual identity, we are all still made in the image of God and thus have value. We should extend love to all. This doesn't mean being accepting of sinful behavior, but remembering that we have all fallen short of the glory of God. We should try to see God in the faces of those around us. Jesus is our perfect example of an image bearer. He lived in total obedience, perfect love, and complete humility. As Colossians 1:15 tells us, " He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. " Hebrews 1:3 explains that He " is the express image of His person. " Jesus says in John 14:9 that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father. How To Understand Being an Image Bearer of God After our salvation, how can we understand being an image bearer of God? How do we live as an image bearer? Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we are being transformed in the same image as Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. And in Romans 8:29 Paul tells us we have been " predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. " We see the truth in this as we grow in sanctification. Sanctification is the process of being set apart or made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit. We see more fruits of the spirit in our lives. We find it easier to reflect God to the world. Do you see your fruit growing? Do you see more patience, more love, or more faith? Our purpose as image bearers is to show the glory of God to the world. We are to live in relationship with God and with others. We don't just receive the free gift of salvation and the love of God to keep to ourselves. This gift is to be shared with those around us. We live to serve as He came to serve. We have been created for His glory . Idolatry Versus True Image Bearing It is interesting to think about the ancient religions of the time. In these religions, idols of gods were fashioned and worshipped. These idols were in the image of their human makers or sometimes animals. They were actually without any power. As Jeremiah 10:8 tells us, " A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine. " But our God created us in His image. When we create idols we are attempting, in a mixed up way, to imitate God. It shows that we don't understand God. A created idol was believed to contain the essence of the god that it represented. It didn't necessarily look like the god but it contained the god's power and authority. Are we not also a container that God has filled with His Holy Spirit for those who love Him. The indwelling Spirit certainly does not make us divine, but it empowers us to live in union with God through Christ. But how distorted of an image of God we become when we put ourselves on a throne to be worshipped. Selfishness, pride, ego all point to idolatry of self. How many 'selfies' do we need? We are far from the image we should be. We look for the God who we are supposed to reflect. Yet the promise we have, if we follow Jesus, is that we will have a transformed life becoming the image of the Son of God (Ephesians 1:3, Romans 8:32). All of us are image bearers of God. This is how we were made. We are the closest the created world will see to what God is really like. No image or idol can be a representation of God because you and I are His image bearer. Not perfectly, of course, but in part. Because we have been made in this way we have value above all of creation. Future Hope: Becoming Like Him At the end of the age, when we go to meet God, we can have the same hope that John expressed in 1 John 1:3 when he says, " Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. " We were created at the beginning in His perfect image, became fallen and sinful, His image marred, and then accepted Jesus and grew in His likeness, to knowing as John says, " we shall be like Him. " As Christians we should be constantly growing in the image of God. We should be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). When we look in the mirror hopefully, prayerfully, everyday we will see growth in sanctification. Every day we will see more of God looking back at us than the day before. Every day our lives will give more glory to the God who loves us. Dear Heavenly Father, Remind us that we are your image bearer, as are those around us. Help us to grow to be more like your Son. Increase our obedience, humility, and love. We thank you and praise you for our special place in creation. In your Son's name, Amen

We don't have to do life alone. Our lives are a work in progress. We progress towards becoming more like Christ. Like the child learning to walk. When the child takes his first step and falls, the parent doesn't say, "That's terrible, can't you do better!" No, the parent picks the child up, pats him, says good job and let's try again. Our Father is much like this. He is patient, kind and loving. He sees our attempts. He knows our sorrows and pain. He lived as us once. Just as a child learns to walk by imitating their father, we grow spiritually by following God's example with childlike trust and perseverance. Imitators Of God Likewise the child doesn't think, "Well I will not try to walk, because my Father can walk perfectly and I will never be able to do that." The child tries to walk, why? For one reason, to please the Father because he loves Him so much. We try to walk our Christian walk because we love our Father. Not because we think we can be perfect, but we want to try to be as much like Him as we can be. We are His body in this world, sent out to show His love , to show His grace , and to show His kindness to others. Of course sometimes we fail so miserably, but He forgives and tells us to keep trying because, guess what? We aren't alone. He is there to help us. His Spirit encourages us and reminds us we are loved and we belong to Him. Galatians 2:20 says in part, " It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. " Solid Food To continue the analogy a little further. If I had a 5 year old who was unable to walk and could only crawl that would be a very scary, troubling thing. Especially if the 5 year old had never even tried to walk. Yet we have Christians who say things like, "Well I have only been a Christian for 5 years so I don't know much about the Bible." Why do we think that is acceptable? Shouldn't we be striving from day one to live more like Christ? We need to rid ourselves of strife and jealousy so that we can be ready for "solid food", not just the milk that an infant would drink. We have learned our simple Bible stories about Noah, and Adam and Eve, and Jesus feeding the 500; but now we need to dig deeper into the stories. Dig beyond the simple obvious message and dig into the deeper meanings of the Bible. "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" I Corinthians 3: 1-3 (ESV) We Need To Work We live today in a world that says even church must be entertaining, all about feelings, to the point where sometimes it is difficult to know if you're at a rock concert or a service worshipping the Holy God. Too often people only want to hear feel good sermons, uplifting messages and more about God's love. We need to hear this, but we also need to hear about sin, sanctification, repentance and judgment. Studying the word takes work, time, thoughtfulness, prayer and dedication. It takes becoming a diligent Christian . We thank God and we praise Him for His great love towards us. But to better grasp that love we should be learning everything we can about Him. To become more Christ like ourselves we definitely need to be in church regularly, we need to read the Bible, read good quality Christian books, listen to quality sermons and try to get in a small group with others where we can share the blessings that Christ has blessed us with. We need to grow in obedience and the way of truth . Spiritual Growth We need to see growth in our lives. We need to see more fruits of the spirit being displayed. For some of us it can be a very slow process, but God will never leave you alone just hoping we can get closer to Him, no! He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us, to be our strength when we have none. "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." Ephesians 5:1 Wow! Think about that statement, "imitators of God"! Overwhelming, isn't it? But what else does he say? As beloved children we must be like children who imitates a father who loves them with an everlasting love. And as we begin to imitate Him, so we will become more like Him. Our walk will be more like His, our thoughts more like His, and our words more like His. Thank you, Father, for letting us be your beloved children.

What pleases God? What is it that you and I can do to bring joy to His heart? Let's look at some of the characters in the Bible that God describes in a way that we know pleased Him. As we explore the lives of those who pleased God, we’re drawn to a central question: how can we please God? What are Biblical traits that delight Him? Humility in Moses and David Humility marked the lives of Moses and David. Despite their positions and influence, both recognized their deep dependence on God. Moses didn't call himself humble; God did, in Numbers 12:3. David, in particular, was called “ a man after God’s own heart ” (Acts 13:22) not because he was perfect, but because he humbled himself in repentance. Faith and Obedience: Abraham & Stephen Faith and obedience were defining qualities in the lives of Abraham and Stephen. Abraham trusted God’s promises even when they seemed impossible, and Stephen boldly obeyed the Spirit—even to the point of death (Acts 7:54-60). Growing Faith Through Personal Trials Personally, living through various trials, miscarriages, cancer, and sometimes just daily living in my marriage and raising my children, has all increased my faith. I have seen God work in my life in small things and in miraculous ways. I have learned to trust God and I pray I always will. Righteousness in Noah and Job Other biblical figures, like Noah and Job, were described as righteous or blameless. Their commitment to living upright lives in corrupt times set them apart. The Bible tells us that Noah " walked with God " (Genesis 6:9). The closer we walk with God the more righteous we will become. God’s Special Favor: Daniel, John, and Mary Then there were those whom God described with loving approval: Daniel was called “ greatly beloved ” (Daniel 10:11) and the disciple John was the one whom Jesus loved. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was “ highly favored ” (Luke 1:28). Each of them had a unique closeness to God that pleased Him. Fear of the Lord: Joseph, Obadiah, Nehemiah Still others, like Joseph, Obadiah, and Nehemiah, were commended for their fear of the Lord—a reverence that shaped their decisions and helped them maintain their character. Joseph's fear of the Lord was the reason he was merciful to his brothers (Genesis 42:18-20). John the Baptist—and Us And Jesus Himself said there was “none greater born of women” than John the Baptist. Yet He immediately followed that statement with a promise: that anyone in the Kingdom—even the least—would be considered greater. That includes us (Matthew 11:11). What Scripture Says Pleases God The Bible gives us more than just character examples—it directly tells us what pleases God. Psalm 149:4 says, “The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation.” Psalm 147:11 tells us God delights in those who fear Him and those who hope in His steadfast love. We learn that God is pleased with uprightness (1 Chronicles 29:17), with doing good and sharing what we have (Hebrews 13:16), and with obedient children (Colossians 3:20). Most importantly, Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please God because faith is the foundation of it all. Impossible Yet Possible: Pleasing God Sometimes, we look at God’s holiness and feel discouraged. How could we ever live up to such righteousness? But the truth is, pleasing God is not impossible. It’s not about being flawless—it’s about walking in faith, humility, obedience, and love. God has made it clear that He wants worship that is true and from the heart. He despises worship that is for show or is just done from duty. God desires a relationship with His children, much like our human parents want with their children. God wants to communicate with us. The Bible records people hearing the audible voice of God but that is the exception, not the rule. God speaks to us in many ways, through His Word, through worship, music, prayer, and events that happen to us. It is our duty to listen and be obedient so we can please Him. What a blessed thought to realize that Jesus prayed for you and I. In John 17:20-26, Jesus prays for us that we may be one, just as He and the Father are one. This oneness, in love, will be proof to the world that we belong to Him. Being one in spirit and in truth allows us to please God. Pleasing God Out of Love When we align our lives with what He values, when we fear Him and hope in His mercy, we bring joy to the heart of God. And through Christ, we are made acceptable in His sight. We don't do works to please God; we please God when we do good works. What we do in this life as a Christian, we do out of love, not duty. And not because we are trying to earn our salvation. We don't make God love us, He already does. How Can We Please God? Biblical Traits That Delight Him How do we go about pleasing God in our daily lives? How do we display faith, humility, obedience, generosity, and fear of the Lord. There are many ways. Practical Faith: Generosity Generosity - we can give, not just to our church, but to charities and to people in need. We can donate anonymously, ensuring that our giving is done with humility. We can give, not just money, but also time. We can volunteer in a multitude of places. We can serve in our church, even if it is in a small way. We are to be generous to all . Practical Faith: Obedience Obedience - Check yourself. Where are we lacking in obedience? Are we not spending time with God? Do we need to have more focused prayer? Do we need to join a Bible study to learn more about God? We all need to listen more to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we ask Him, He will show us where we need to be more obedient. Then we have to do it! Wisdom and understanding are the blessings of obedience. Practical Faith: Humility Humility - Count others as more important than yourself. It is so easy to get upset when we feel disrespected or unheard. When we think we are 'better' than someone we know that is sinning, do we remind ourselves that " such were some of you " as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:11. And can't we all do better? When the unpleasant task or job is requested do we look around for someone else to do it, instead of stepping up ourselves? Practical Faith: Growing Your Faith Faith - The Bible tells us faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Our faith grows as we dig deeper into the Word of God. Faith allows us to trust God under all circumstances. Faith gives us courage to speak up for God when others won't. Faith should make us want to share God with others. Practical Faith: Fear of the Lord Fear of the Lord - The Bible says that the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord (Proverbs 9:10-12). This is similar to the fear we have toward the parents we love, not because they would ever harm us, but because we love them so much we don't want to hurt them by being disobedient. We hate sin, just as He does. We approach God, not flippantly, but with the awe and respect He deserves. We know that if we truly love Him and are called according to His purpose that only good will come from the things that happen to us. Childlike Faith – Humility, Trust, and Obedience In Matthew 18:3, our Lord says, " And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. " What does He mean to be like children ? Children naturally have traits like humility, trust, and faith. They are less concerned with the opinions of others and more focused on pleasing their parents through love and obedience. These childlike qualities reflect the heart that God desires. When we approach Him in this way, we bring Him delight. Questions for Today Today, if God could speak to you would He be pleased? What areas of your life do you feel like God could say, " Well done my good and faithful servant " (Matthew 25:23)? If we would strip away our pride and plead with Him to show us where he is not pleased with us, then we could make a plan on how to improve those areas with the help of the Holy Spirit. Empowered by the Holy Spirit We don't follow Christ alone. We don't live our lives for Jesus with no help. The third person of the Trinity lives within us. It is He that will help us please God. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us! Unbelievably, incredibly, and fully and completely true. Enjoy Scripture Song Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) " But Without Faith ". What a sweet way to memorize this verse! People Also Ask: What does it mean to "diligently seek Him"? Diligence means: a way that shows care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties. Our duty is to seek God. We don't do this as an after thought or as something we do only when we feel like it. Seeking God is a priority, something we do with concern, care, and thought.

The Symbolism of New Clothes When we put on new clothes, we often admire our new look. Our old clothes were torn and ragged; they couldn't impress anyone. They were nothing other people would have admired. No one would want them. Colossians 3’s Portrait of the Old Self Colossians 3 tells us, as Christians, what our old clothes looked like. For some, their old clothes were, figuratively speaking, "sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed " (Colossians 3:5). That old self , the one before Christ, was prone to sinful behaviors that had to be removed from us such as " ...anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lies " (Colossians 3:8-9). Clothed with Christ: Our New Identity That old outfit belonged to someone enslaved to sin. Now, as holy people, we put on our new clothes, because we are clothed with Christ . Our new master is righteousness. These new clothes will include compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love (Colossians 3:12-14). We will have the peace of Christ in our hearts, and we will be thankful for all His blessings and grace towards us. The Lurking Temptation of the Past But sometimes, we look in our closet and see those old clothes, pushed way to the back, but still there because we never completely got rid of them. We start to remember, "Oh, that dress, I remember how much fun I had when I wore it." Or, "That shirt looked good when I went to the bars." The old thoughts come back. The old ways start to look good again. We see past the dirt, the holes, and the slovenliness and are fooled. Resisting the Pull of Sin Because we are human we will experience temptation. Sin will still call to us. A friend once told me the pull to drink again was sometimes overwhelming, but when he considered the cost to his soul, he was able to say no. Have you ever felt that pull? Do you think my friend felt envious of those who drank too much? Why We’re Warned Not to Envy Evil Proverbs 24:1-2 tells us, " Do not be envious of evil men. " Psalm 37:1 repeats this admonition, " Be not envious of wrongdoers! " Why would the Bible have to remind us not to envy evil people? Because in this world evil is often rewarded. Murderers become internet sensations, sexual immorality is rewarded, liars advance in their careers, and greedy people often become extremely wealthy. But these people are slaves to their sins. From Slavery to Sin to Slavery to Righteousness In John 8:34, Jesus says, “ Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. " When sin is our master, it desires obedience. We gradually lose the ability to say no. We become addicted to our sin, whether it is anger, using profanity, lying, or whatever. The Holy Spirit frees us from being mastered by sin. When we follow Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us the ability to say no to sin. Instead of a slave to sin, we have become a slave to Christ and God's will. We no longer " practice sin ." Paul says in Romans 6:18 that we have become " slaves to righteousness ." Forgiveness When We Fall Short As we grow in righteousness, we will have an increasing ability to resist sin. But when we fail and give in to sin, 1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins Jesus will be faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from them. Our relationship can be restored. The Seriousness of Sin and the Gift of Grace Remember that forgiveness does not give us a license to sin. We do not have a cheap grace but a costly grace . A high price was paid by our Savior for our forgiveness. Until repentance and forgiveness happen, though, sin damages our relationship to God. It causes a separation. Without Christ that separation can lead to death. God's free gift to us is eternal life but the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The old wardrobe had to be paid for. Wages have to be earned, gifts do not. Our new identity, our new clothes so to speak, is not earned but freely granted. Choosing Life and Its Rewards Since God is life, by choosing sin, we have chosen the opposite of life. Death will come to us all; but to those who know Jesus, death is the beginning of life everlasting with God. For those who have chosen sin, their wages are separation from God for all eternity. Sin causes pain on this earth and results in eternal pain. Choosing life brings rewards. What rewards do we have in this life for following Christ? These garments don’t just look different—they carry the fragrance of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15) and bear the fruit of the Spirit: peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, self control, faithfulness, and gentleness. What a beautiful life these words describe. This is not a life lived in chaos because chaos is not of God. We have hope because of Christ. So many people live miserable lives because they have lost all hope. They see no meaning in their life. We have God's blessing and promise to provide for our needs. And eternally, we can't imagine what joys await when we go to be with our Savior. The One Who Walks with Us As Christians, we are not promised an easy life, nor a carefree life. We aren't promised riches or constant health. But we do have a promised One who is closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). The One who loves us and always wants what is best for us. We may have to sacrifice to do His will, but we will do so happily knowing what He gave up for us. The Deception of the Enemy So why would we ever look back at that old life and want to return? Why would we want to wear those old clothes again? The Devil is a liar. He whispers lies to us, tempting us to return, telling us he can bring us true happiness when he cannot. He tries to make us believe that God doesn't really love us, or that if He did, He would let us have 'fun'. Satan wants us to fit in with the world. He certainly doesn't want us to fear the Lord . Your New Identity in Christ: Discard the Old Self Proverbs 8:13 tells us, " The fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil. " If we are staying close to God, praying, reading the Bible, fellowshipping with other Christians, and hearing His Word preached, we will have the tools we need to resist the Devil. We will hate evil. The Holy Spirit within us empowers us to hate evil and resist temptation, He convicts us of sin, guides us to what is right, and gives us a desire to be more like Christ. When temptation strikes, remember your new identity in Christ and discard the old self every day. Hating Even the 'Small' Sins Psalm 97:10 declares, " O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. " We may die at the hands of evil people in this life but ultimately we will be preserved and delivered. Do we truly hate evil? Do we tolerate it in our own lives because we think our sin is so small it doesn't matter? We have to hate our small sins as much as our big ones. It is easy to hate murder, lying, or adultery. But do we hate sloth? It might seem harmless to sleep in a few mornings, but what may God want us to accomplish with those extra hours of rest. How about gluttony? Are we physically harming ourselves with that extra burger or slice of cake? Do we hate gossip? Do we hate the pride we have in our own accomplishments? In so many ways the evil one tempts us to think that those sins don't matter so much. He tempts us to believe that God will just look the other way when we indulge in the so-called small sins. The Call to Holiness and Obedience But it is God who tells us, " Be holy for I am holy " (1 Peter 1:16). Those are high expectations! To do so we have to be aware spiritually and mentally. We have to have self control. In a world that emphasizes expressing yourself freely, that is an unpopular concept. 1 Peter 1:14 reminds us to be obedient children, not living in our ignorant old ways, being enticed by sin. Like Proverbs and Psalms said, don't be envious of sin! He goes on to say in 1 Peter 1:22, that we should love each other. And not just a little bit, but " fervently " Peter says. Be Doers Finally, Ephesians 2:1-10 tells us to figure out what pleases God and do it! We don't just pretend, we don't just talk; we do. James 1:22 reiterates this by emphasizing action over words. He says, " Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. " As faithful Christians we must resist the Devil's deception and our own self-deception. A Final Encouragement to Stay Clothed in Christ So when we put on our new clothes for Christ, let us pray that we are more than mere words. Pray that the Holy Spirit empowers us and fills us with our new life in Christ so that we will never go back in the closet hunting for those old clothes from that old life. God bless us all.

A Psalm of Mighty Praise Psalm 18 is one of the longest Psalms in the Bible. In it, David expresses gratitude to God for saving him from his enemies and praises God for rewarding his righteousness. He speaks of God as "my strength, my rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, stronghold, and the horn of his salvation." God actively delivered David from evil. Among these titles in this Psalm stands a much different word, a tender word: " gentleness ." David tells us that it is God's " gentleness that has made me great " (Psalm 18:35). A Surprising Title: God’s “Gentleness” (עֲנָוָה) This is the only place in the Bible where God is described in this way. In Hebrew, the word for gentleness is anavah, which means humility, meekness, or to condescend. The word doesn't imply weakness but rather strength that is under control. Echoes in the New Testament Centuries later, Jesus gives an example of strength under control. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus describes Himself as meek and lowly, or in some translations, gentle and humble. The Greek for gentle there is praus . In 2 Corinthians 10:1, Paul appeals to the Corinthians " by the mildness and gentleness of Christ ." Here the Greek term is Epieikos . This was a legal term which means one who has the power not to exercise that power, but to show compassion. He comes, not as a judge who condemns, but with mercy. God’s Gentleness Has Made Me Great As David looked back at his life, he saw the many opportunities where God could have withheld His gracious hand toward him, but instead, the Lord treated him with tender gentleness. As the youngest son of his father, he wasn't even in the line up for Samuel to be anointed as the future king. Yet Samuel, knowing there was one more son, asked for him. Jesse called David from the field and Samuel recognized this young unassuming shepherd was to be the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). When David was being chased and threatened continuously by Saul, God gave him the gentle blessing of a dear friend, Jonathan. When David first entered Saul’s court as a harpist, Jonathan, the king’s eldest son, immediately recognized God’s hand on David and “ loved him as his own soul ” (1 Samuel 18:1). As Saul’s jealousy turned to murderous rage, Jonathan repeatedly warned David of his father’s plots and helped David escape by hiding him in fields and clefts in the rock (1 Samuel 19–20). He was a friend that loved at all times . Their friendship exemplified sacrificial love: Jonathan risked family and kingdom to support the man God had chosen, and David never forgot that loyalty. When David and his troops were insulted by Nabal, he threatened to destroy Nabal and his household. God graciously sent Abigail, Nabal's wife, out to bring provisions and beg for mercy, thus preventing bloodshed. When Nabal died ten days later, David made Abigail his wife (1 Samuel 25). Till the end of his days, David was able to see the gentle workings of God over his life. Modern Glimpses of God’s Gentleness When we look at our own lives, don't we see the same? Can you see a young woman, failing at her life, who reads the Word of God and realizes for the first time ever that God really loves her? It's as if His arms are wrapped around her, holding her tight as she sobs. Can you see an old man, dying and alone, calling out to Jesus in His final moments, expecting rejection, but instead Jesus welcomes him home with forgiveness and love? This is the gentle God that David sees. That gentleness allowed David to become great. It placed him in the position of king. In our lives, do we see the graciousness, the gentleness of God towards us? Wrath and Rescue: The Dual Portrait How interesting that David describes God's wrath with words like these, " The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils " (Psalm 18:15). David is describing the rebuke of his enemies. He says, " The Lord thundered from Heaven " (Psalm 18:13). But it isn't in fierceness and wrath that David has been made to be great, no, it is in gentleness. David describes earth shaking wrath, but it is gentleness that lifts him up. Why was David delivered from his enemies? Because, he says, God delighted in him. Righteousness, Mercy, and God’s Actions David attests that he was a righteous man, who kept the ways of the Lord and had committed no iniquity. David is not claiming perfection. He is claiming that his heart has been for God. David says God will be merciful to the merciful and that if we trust Him He will be our shield. David tells us that God has made him the head of nations and subdued his enemies. But notice that David isn't saying that he has done these things. He is saying God has done it! David repeatedly blesses, thanks, and praises God. He praises the Lord for raising him up when God could have chosen not to. When Mercy Meets Discipline David also experienced the judgment of God when he was caught in the sin of adultery and murder. God is gentle and merciful, but willful sin doesn't go unpunished; not even for the king of Israel. We pray that God will have mercy on us . Reflecting on Our Own Stories God could choose to punish me for every single shortcoming. He could judge me for every flaw, but instead he chooses gentleness. Yet when he disciplines me, he still welcomes me back with gentleness. How many times have we been far from Him and in hindsight seen His gentle hand working? He has provided for us: bringing healing, a better job, a spouse, children, even when we were far from Him. Why would He do this? So we can look back and say, "Ahh, my Father was gentle, bless His holy name! He didn't repay me as I deserved." Pride vs. Humble Service Some say that this Psalm seems to show an arrogant side of David, as if he was saying he was totally deserving of the blessings he received. But repeatedly David says it was God who " sent , took , drew him , delivered him, and brought him ." In this Psalm, David calls himself " the servant of the Lord ." David acknowledges in verse 27, " For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks. " David knows the proud will fall, but the righteous will be blessed. God’s Shield for All Who Trust In Psalm 5:12, David says, "Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." Do we see the Lord's favor around us? When bad things happen, do we still acknowledge that God's favor is our shield? When Jonathan died, David mourned, yet in his sorrow he remembered how God’s gentle favor had always shielded him—even in his closest friendships. David knows God's way is perfect. He says that " The word of the Lord is proven ." And then he says something very striking. He says that God is a " shield to all who trust in Him " (Psalm 18:30). Not just to King David is God a shield, but to all — to you and I and all who trust in Him. A shield protects, it is a defense against enemies. But we must do our part; we must trust God . Proven Promises & Our Response We can trust because, as David tells us, God's word is proven. Over and over we see it in our own lives and the lives of others. God's way may be difficult, God's way may be long, but it brings about His perfect will and He treats us with gentleness, meekness, and humility . He treats us the way He wants us to treat others. Where we could be harsh and unloving, He wants us to be gentle and kind, meek and lowly. In Titus 3:2 Paul reminds those who follow Christ, "t o speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. " We used to be the opposite of these things, but Paul says that when " the kindness and love of God appeared " we have been made heirs to eternal life. Not because of our righteousness, but because of His mercy. Has God made us great through His gentleness? What could be greater than this, that the God of all gentleness invites us to reign with Him? Revelation 3:21 says, " The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. " You and I will be granted the right to sit with Jesus on His throne. We may not be able to fully grasp this promise, but I know that it is true because of the gentleness, love, and mercy of God. The refrain to an old hymn, "Gently, Gently, Kneel and Pray" by Thoro Harris reminds us: Gently, gently shine the stars, Gently grow the flowers, Gently smiles the love of God, And His love is ours! People Also Ask: What does the phrase, "the horn of my salvation" mean? A horn was symbolic of strength, greatness, and power. In Psalm 18:2, calls God (Yahweh), " the horn of my salvation ". We see Jesus referred in the same way in Luke 1:68-69. The salvation of Jesus is great indeed, as He forgives our sins and grants us eternal life. Just as Paul tells us in Romans 1:16, the gospel is " the power of God unto salvation ."

Why Spiritual Self‑Examination Matters We live in a world where it’s easy to coast through life without asking hard questions. But Scripture calls us to pause, reflect, and examine our hearts before God. This isn’t about self-condemnation—it’s about growth, repentance, and becoming more like Christ. Paul’s Command to Examine Yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5) The apostle Paul asks us to do this very thing with regard to our walk with Christ. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, he says, " Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. " Have you ever tested yourself to see if you are in the faith? How would a person go about doing this? Examining Communion Practice in Corinth Prior to this Paul also instructed the Corinthians to examine themselves about how they were taking Communion. Communion in the Corinthian church had become just a time to gather and overeat; its real meaning seemingly forgotten. The rich were overindulging while the poor sometimes went without. Paul is asking them to think. Is your heart in the right place? Are you remembering the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? Is there unconfessed sin in your life? Paul tells them, " For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves "(1 Corinthians 11:29). Reflecting on the Prodigal Son (Lamentations 3:40; Luke 15) In Lamentations 3:40, we read, “ Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord. ” Examination should bring us back to our first love. It should be a way that we grow by repentance and the forgiveness of our Father. In the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:17-20, the son is standing in the midst of the pigs and Scripture says, " When he came to his senses... " Sometimes examination is like that. We get far away from God, but then we 'come to our senses', realize we need to seek forgiveness, and return. Assessing the Fruit of the Spirit in Your Life One way to determine if we are in the faith is if we see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We know we can't be perfect but are we growing in sanctification? Are we becoming more like Jesus? Are we more loving, less angry, more patient, more kind, more gentle, and do we have more self-control? Do we show a more joyful and peaceful attitude towards the difficulties we face? We need a servant's heart . Augustine’s Insights on the Examined Life In his  Confessions , Augustine dedicates a section to what he calls "The Examined Life." Augustine sees the change brought about in his own life due to Christ. He also realizes that without the Holy Spirit this change would not be possible. In our own strength we couldn't make these changes, but with the Holy Spirit the impossible becomes possible. Biblical Self‑Examination: A Path to Transformation Augustine talks about people who claim to be so weak because "we're just human," they simply can't avoid sin. That excuse falls short. The Holy Spirit makes a transformed life possible—this is the heart of biblical self-examination: a path to transformation that begins with conviction and leads to renewal. When we become Christians, we don't simply know about Jesus and His example, but we should desire Him and love His example, just as a child wants to grow up to become like a parent because they love them. Paul tells us in Romans 5:5, " the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. " This love brings transformation. Faith in Action: Going Beyond Knowledge (James 1:22–24) This isn't change for the sake of change but change that will allow us to be a light to the nations. Our change is demonstrated not by the fact that we read our Bibles, or memorize a verse, but by our love in action . James 1:22-24 explains that it isn't enough just to hear the Word, we have to do it. We act on it. If we don't, James says, we are deceiving ourselves. Practical Self‑Assessment: The Job Interview Analogy If you have ever been on a job interview you know that a common question asked is, "What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses?" This is the question most people dread because it requires us to do an honest self-assessment. It requires us to admit we have strengths, which for some people is very difficult, and it makes us look at our failings, which almost everyone hates to do. Acknowledging Spiritual Gifts, Not False Humility Some of us fall into false humility, thinking we can't have any strengths for Christ. But this is not true. We all have gifts. Acknowledging that a gift is just that, something given to us that we did not possess, allows us to accept that we do indeed have strengths in Christ. Confronting and Overcoming Personal Failures Our list of failures is often daunting. It is scary to admit that we have hung on to certain areas of life, literally resisting the Holy Spirit as He desires to change us. Maybe we like letting it all hang out sometimes, telling it like it is. Maybe we enjoy worrying because it makes us believe we really care. It's much easier to avoid self examination and just rock along pretending we are something we're not. Nominal vs. Authentic Faith: Are You Genuine? If more people would examine themselves as Paul asks them to, some might realize that they have no true relationship to Jesus. They are good because that's what nice people do. They go to Church because they always have. They made a profession of faith long ago and were baptized but it was just something you did and not something your heart desired. Their heart was never changed. It wasn't real. Self‑Judgment and Discipline (1 Corinthians 11:31–32) 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 explains that we must judge ourselves rightly. We should welcome the discipline of the Lord because by it we grow in sanctification. It is good to pray and ask God to reveal areas in our lives where we have weaknesses. We often like to think we are a better Christian than we really are. The Psalmist knew this. Heart Examination Prayer (Psalm 139:23–24) In Psalm 139:23-24 he says, " Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive path in me, and lead me on the everlasting path." David invites God to do what he himself cannot—see into the hidden places of his heart. This is the kind of humility we need when we ask the Holy Spirit to show us what we’ve ignored, excused, or misunderstood about ourselves. When the great prophet Isaiah was confronted with the purity and holiness of God, he exclaimed, " Woe is me, for I am undone " (Isaiah 6:5). But our gracious God took away his iniquity and purged his sin (Isaiah 6:7). And so He will do for us, if we truthfully repent. Repentance Through Holy Spirit Conviction Ask the Holy Spirit to show you your sin. For example, many of us speak casually without realizing how we treat the Lord’s name. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to your mind each time you speak like this, and He will. When we examine ourselves we should come to a place of repentance. It is not that we just know that we commit certain sins and feel sorry for it, but we turn from them. Daily Spiritual Self‑Examination Practices Self-examination isn't just a "one and done" thing. As Christians it should be a daily occurrence. We must face the truth about ourselves honestly, looking at our lives with humility. We need to look at our lives and see where pride has influenced us to think we are living a holy life when in reality we are not. Identifying Hidden Sins and Blind Spots Each of us will find areas that need improvement. Some people will have no problem with sexual sins but will have difficulty loving others as they should. Some will have no problem with overindulging in alcohol but will have difficulty controlling their tempers. If we examine ourselves properly we will see what we need to spend more time praying about and seek change. Maybe we have sins that are hidden even to ourselves. Forgiveness for Hidden Faults (Psalm 19:12) Psalm 19:12 prays that God would forgive hidden faults. These are the sins that we haven't even admitted to ourselves that we indulge in. Whether we knew about it or not doesn't absolve us of guilt. Only Jesus can do that. Keeping Focus on God’s Love and Grace When we inspect ourselves be sure to remember the focus is ever on God. Too much time spent just thinking about yourself isn't productive; it can even become depressing. We will never 'measure' up compared to the holiness of God. Always keep in the forefront of your mind the fact that God loves you. He died for you while you were still a sinner. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God began a good work in us and it is He who will bring it to completion. David’s Prayer for Everlasting Guidance (Psalm 139:24) The great King David, who had such a relationship with God that God called him a man after His own heart, pleads with God in Psalm 139:24. Here He asks God to lead Him, the great King of Israel, the mighty warrior, as he seeks God's guidance to the way everlasting. This is our goal. To be led by God in every decision we make, in every path we take, and in every interaction with others we have. God is so gracious to us. We examine ourselves, knowing He is there to correct us and train us in His ways with love and forgiveness. People Also Ask How can we tell the difference between conviction and condemnation? Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and leads us to repentance, growth, and restoration with God. It is specific, hopeful, and grounded in God's love. Condemnation, on the other hand, often comes from the enemy or our own self-doubt. It is vague, shame-inducing, and drives us away from God. Conviction says, “This needs to change, and I will help you,” while condemnation says, “You are a failure, and there’s no hope.” Biblical self-examination helps us recognize conviction as a path to transformation, not a reason to give up. Romans 8:1 reminds us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Would Jesus say that you have great faith or little faith? Jesus scolds the disciples several times for having little faith. We read about these examples in Luke 4: 14-20 and 12: 28 and in Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; and 16:8. Each time the "little faith" is not connected to healing. In the examples in Matthew, each one has something to do with not having faith that God will care for us. The disciples didn't have enough faith to believe that God would provide for their basic needs. They didn't have enough faith to believe that Jesus would save them from the storm. Peter didn't have enough faith to believe that if Jesus told him to come to Him that he would be able to do it. They possessed too little faith to believe that Jesus could provide bread for the multitudes even though they had seen Him do this before. Little Faith In spite of the little faith of the disciples Jesus was there for them. He still supplied their needs in spite of their little faith. How often does this happen to us? We worry over our daily needs, we fret over the storms that come our way, both literal and figurative, we are fearful that we can't do something that Jesus has asked us to do and even though we have seen Him be faithful to us countless times we question if He will be there the next time. Great Faith And what of those with great faith? Only twice does Jesus mention the great faith of people, once in Matthew 8:10 and again Matthew 15: 28. Both of these were connected to healing. Both of these were non-Jews. One was the Roman centurion and the other the Canaanite woman. Neither of these people probably knew any scriptures, none were trained in the law of Moses, but what they did have was great faith. They knew Jesus was the Son of God and capable of doing anything. More Faith Than Anyone In Israel The Roman centurion is even said to have had faith, according to Jesus, more than anyone in Israel. The centurion was a commander. He knew a leader when he saw one. He knew a leader only had to say the word and the thing would happen. If you read carefully, you will see that the centurion did not ask Jesus to heal his servant. He just presented the situation to Him. By faith the centurion knew that if Jesus wanted to heal his servant, He would do it. Jesus continues in Matthew 8: 11-12 to say that many will come into His kingdom from afar. Many will be part of His kingdom that people don't expect. They may not be learned, they may not know all the religious traditions, but what they will have is great faith. Humbly And With Faith When the Canaanite woman comes to Him in Matthew 15, she also does not ask for healing. She presents the situation, but with total faith that if He wants to heal her daughter by ridding her of demon possession, He will do it. He doesn't answer her immediately. She must wait. She pleads for help, kneeling humbly before Him, and her unspoken request is granted. She had to wait, but her faith did not waver. Does waiting make us doubt? Faith Of Others Sometimes it is the great faith of others that makes the difference. In Matthew 9:2, we are told, "Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”" (NIV) Notice that Jesus saw " their faith". Not only were the man's sins forgiven but he was healed as well. Thank God for the faith of those who helped bring him to Jesus. Do you have friends who care enough to bring your problems to Jesus with you? There is a power in that. In Luke 5: 20, we read another story of a paralyzed man brought to Jesus by his friends. So determined were they to get their friend to Him that they lowered him through the roof of the house down directly in front of Jesus. What does Jesus say, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”(NIV) Again, Jesus saw " their faith ". Once more the man's sins were forgiven and he was healed. Oh how precious to have friends so persistent, so helpful, so dedicated. Jesus Marvels Twice in the New Testament, once in Mark 6: 6 and also in Matthew 8:10, the Lord is said to have marveled. To marvel means to be filled with wonder or astonishment. In Mark 6: 6, He marveled at the lack of faith in his hometown. Without faith few miracles happened there. In Matthew 8: 10, it was the centurion's great faith He marveled at. Would it be possible for us today to astonish Jesus with our faith? Great Faith Or Little Faith Faith is a gift from God that comes from hearing His word. Faith reveals who God really is and the deep and powerful message of life that He brings to the world. Great faith is possible. Remember the promises of Christ. Remember God's faithfulness . Remember He is truly our loving Father.