Yahweh looks down from heaven He sees the whole human race;
From where He sits He watches all who live on the earth,
He who moulds every heart and takes note of all men do.
Each phrase says the same thing � the Lord watches over all of us, but in slightly different ways. You know why He wrote the Bible like that? Because He is trinity, the three in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each time something is said like that, each person of God is expressing the same thing, but from a slightly different viewpoint. 3 ways of seeing things, but a complete and absolute unity.
Ok so why all the analytical stuff, not my style you may say ;O) Well it is worth keeping eyes open to see the ways that the Lord reveals Himself, because in so many ways He loves to share the blessing of who He is with us. You know that because of who we are in Christ there are some amazing things, and although I spotted one of those it is only just over the last couple of days that I saw the trinity picture of how the Lord relates to us; Bear with me ;O) this is real awesome stuff, (I think so anyway). I know you probably already know some of it real deep; but when it all comes together and we see the three way love of God � WOW!!
Father: (Romans 8:16 and 8:29 � my baptism verse!) �The Spirit Himself and our Spirit bear united witness that we are children of God � We are the ones He chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of His Son, so that His Son might be the eldest of many brothers.� There are other verses � but as we read through the New Testament we discover that we have become the adopted children of the Father.
Because of who the Father is He loves us exactly the same as He loves His own Son (in fact He gave up His Son to the pain and agony of the cross for us). (Hebrews 12:2) We are TOTALLY accepted in the beloved. There is no power in heaven and earth that could make Him love us any less. When He looks at us, He sees us the same way as He sees Jesus. The blood of Christ has done this, we are in no way what we used to be, we are His, we are the apple of His eye, we are now the beloved of the Lord. Oh the amazing authority we have for doing good works, because He gives us that inheritance of His Spirit.
Son: (Matthew 21:12-13 and Psalm 69:9) �Jesus then went into the Temple and drove out all those who were selling and buying there; He upset the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling pigeons. �According to scripture�, He said �my house will be called a house of prayer; but you are turning it into a robbers den!� � �Zeal for your house devours me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.�
In 1 Corinthians 6:19 it says � your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you. This same zeal that Jesus had for turning the money changers out of the Temple in Jerusalem is the zeal that He displays to protect the temples which are us. His desire is to completely cleanse us of all idolatry, to remove from us everything that is not holy, so that within us the Holy Spirit may be able to dwell in all His fullness. The only time in the Bible that Jesus showed anger was towards the people defiling the Temple; and His anger now blazes against any defilement within us. His desire to have us for Himself alone is so strong.
Sometimes we suffer, sometimes it seems like everything is going wrong and it is desperately frustrating. He goes through every pain and every frustration with us; because of His determination for us to experience the depth of joy that there is when we are completely at one with His Spirit living in us. �It was for the joy that was set before Him that He endured the cross �� and that is as true now for us, as it was on that Friday. It is from pure love that He brings us to the place of yielding everything, so that we might share His glory :o)
Holy Spirit: (Genesis 1:2 and James 4:5) �Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep and God�s Spirit hovered over the water. God said, �Let there be light�� � �Surely you don�t think scripture is wrong when it says: the Spirit which He sent to live in us wants us for Himself alone?�
The Holy Spirit is that amazing expression of the Lord that brings light to the darkest of our situations. He is the one who truly appreciates the beauty of all creation. He knows every part of the Earth, He is the one who looked and saw that what the word of the Lord created was good. He is the one who takes such delight in everything that is beautiful, in everything that is lovely. And in all creation, He cannot find anywhere that is lovelier to dwell than in your heart. He not only comes to live, but comes to pour light in where there was only darkness before.
He comes with a love that is so jealous that it crushes His tender heart to share us with any other thing, with any demon, with any lies, with any fleshly desires. He wants to have a passionate love affair with us; but He will never force that, His desire is for us to willingly respond to the light and love that He pours into us.
One of the other things that has been becoming more apparent to me over the last couple of days is that the holiness of the Lord is not a weak soppy thing. Psalm 29 talks about how the word of the Lord sharpens lightening, shatters mountains, shakes the deserts and shows His power and splendour over the oceans. He is truly awesome in power, He tolerates none of His glory going to idols. He is the Lord who answers by fire in the time of judgement. He is the Lord who drowned all those Egyptians in the sea for daring to come against His chosen ones.
The Lord is truly mighty, and is truly just, is truly awesome in His power. We have such an experience of His mercy and grace, that we sometimes take it for granted and almost look at it as if He is weak because, out of His mercy He restrains His hand of judgement. But the sin in and around us does deserve His judgement, and He will one day release His anger; but it is that almighty power that He has put within us by His Spirit. As we relinquish all the impurity and unholiness in our lives, we don�t just get �cleaned up nicely� � He releases into us His awesome fire, we are able to speak that creative word of God and see Him act.
As we are in awe before Him, our faith rises to see lives touched without us speaking a word, our very shadows are enough to bring healing to the sick � that is what happened in Acts and in these days we will see so much more � blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, �cos they will be satisfied ;o).
Yeah I am a gentle Bear, I am a lover of the grace of the Lord, I love seeing His compassion towards folk, I love seeing His gentle healing touch, the whisper of His name that changes everything; but hey guess what? My heart desire is to know that fear of the Lord in my life with such intensity, that His love can break through to touch every heart. That miracle power surrounds everything that I do ;O)
Ummm � perhaps not the study you were expecting ;o)� I hope this has blest you anyways.