“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” (Exodus 15:1-3)

When Moses and the children of Israel sang this song of praise, they had just been rescued by a miracle. The Egyptian military had followed them when they left Egypt, and the Israelites knew they were in trouble. The LORD opened up the Red Sea for them so that they could cross it on dry land. Once all of His people were safe on the other side, the LORD let the water come crashing down on top of the Egyptian soldiers who were chasing them.

These Egyptian soldiers did not understand or care Who God was, and it cost them their lives. They did not understand or care that God protects His glory, and God protects His people. If they had believed the truth about God, they never would have chased His people down in the first place.

When you see it all capitalized in the Bible, the name “LORD” means “Jehovah” (juh-HO-vuh). It is a name full of meaning, and it is what God answered Moses when Moses asked what to call Him. It means “I AM.” In other words: God was, is, and always will be Who He says He was, is, and always will be. It is not for humans to change Him or to think of Him in other ways, or as less than He is. He is the King of the universe. He is not just a human being. He is all-powerful, everywhere at once, and all-knowing. Nobody alive compares to God. If people really understood and believed Who God is, they would not be surprised to read the Israelites’ song. They would not be surprised to learn that the LORD is a “man of war.”

The LORD is a warrior. He is willing and able to fight for the glory of His name and to fight for the good of His people. He is mighty. He is unstoppable. He is unbeatable. Clearly, the Egyptian soldiers did not know Whom they were up against. Or if they knew it, they did not really believe it.

That God is a warrior does not mean that He is only a warrior. Defending His name and defending His people are noble reasons for Him to fight. There are other sides to God. Many verses teach about God’s compassion, His love, His wisdom, His longsuffering, His generosity. Being a “man of war” is only a part of Who God says He was, is, and always will be.

The Israelites’ praise song reminds us that our God is strong and sovereign, unable to be conquered. It reminds us that our God is willing and able to show rebellious enemies Who is really in control. It reminds us that God is bigger than any problem or enemy we could ever face. He will take care of us and He will see to it that His name is magnified as it should be.

The LORD is willing and able to conquer the enemies of His glory and His people.

My Response:
» Do I act like an Egyptian sometimes, forgetting or refusing to believe that God was, is, and always will be Who He says He was, is, and always will be?
» Am I trusting and obeying the sovereign and all-powerful God of the Bible?

The post The LORD Is a Man of War appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

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“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:23-24)

The crowds that had gathered around Jesus were shocked and probably a little frightened. A man had brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus. As soon as the boy met Jesus, he fell to the ground, rolling and foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the father how long this problem had been going on. The father replied that the boy had had the demon since he was a child. Sometimes the demon threw the boy into fire or water as though trying to destroy him. If you can do anything, please have compassion on us, and help us, the father pleaded.

Jesus’ eyes saw right into the man’s heart as He said, All things are possible to him who believes.

The father knew that he had unbelief in his heart. He said to Jesus very honestly, Lord, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief.

Jesus rebuked the demon and told it to come out of the boy – and with an awful cry, it did! For a moment, everyone thought the boy was dead. Then Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. He was healed – free from the horrible demon that had tortured him all his life.

Is there anything in God’s Word that you have trouble believing? God says He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). But maybe you have prayed for an unsaved grandparent or friend for years. Nothing seems to be happening. God says He will complete the good work He began in you when you were saved (Philippians 1:6). But maybe it seems like you will never be able to conquer the sin of losing your temper. Or maybe you long to be free from fear – fear of the dark, fear of a certain person, fear of being home alone, or fear of giving oral book reports at school.

Maybe it seems God is not keeping His promise, and that He will never help you change. You can trust God’s Word. If you doubt it, even a little, confess your unbelief to God. Just like the father in Mark 9, tell Jesus, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. God can and will turn your doubts into faith.

God helps you believe His Word when you have a heart of unbelief.

My Response:
» Have I asked God to forgive me for my unbelief and help me believe His Word?

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“When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.” (Hebrews 6:13)

Have you ever heard someone say, “I swear that it’s true!” Maybe your parents have even told you not to say that, because “swear” is used nowadays as another word for “curse,” and we should not curse. Well, your parents are right to forbid you from swearing, too – it really is enough for you just to say, “What I’m saying is true.”

Sometimes it’s important for a person to make a very serious promise. For example, if the bank lends your parents a lot of money to buy a house, your parents sign a contract that promises to pay all the money back to the bank, a little at a time.

In Old Testament times, a lot of agreements weren’t written down; two people would just make spoken promises to each other. So instead of signing a contract, someone who made a promise would say something like, “I swear by the king,” or “I swear by the temple.” When a person did this, he wasn’t using dirty language. Instead, it was strong promise language. The person was saying that he would be as reliable as the thing that he swore by. Kings were expected to be very trustworthy, and the temple was expected to last forever. In the same way, the person making a promise was saying that his promise was trustworthy, and that it would last forever.

There is something else you should notice about these promises. The king and temple are greater than the person making the promise. In fact, Hebrews 6:16 says that when people make these serious promises – when they swear (in the good use of the word) – they always swear by something or someone greater than themselves.

But if God wants to make a solemn promise, by whom or by what would He swear? Would God swear by a human king? Of course not! God is the One Who made the man into a king. Would God swear by the temple? No! God is the One Who designed the temple and gave strength to the builders and supplied all the building materials. Would God swear by the universe? Surely not! God made the universe, and everything in it!

So does God swear by anybody? According to Hebrews 6:13, when God made a promise to Abraham, He did swear by someone. The book of Hebrews says, “When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware [swore] by himself.”

When God makes promises, He bases His promises on His own greatness and reliability. Because no one and nothing is greater than God, no one and nothing can stop God from keeping His promises. Those of us who are God’s children can look for God’s promises in the Bible, and we can know that God will keep them!

God is greater than everything and everyone else, and He will keep all the promises that He makes.

My Response:
» Can I name any promises that God has made me in the Bible? Do I believe that God will keep them?
» Can I think of any promises God has made that would make me live differently if I believed them?
(For example, when Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world with the Gospel, He promised that He would be with them.)

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“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:5-6)

After weeks of preparing, Luke and his twin sister, Jill, were finally spending the night in their treehouse. Dad had helped Luke put some finishing touches on the treehouse – like sanding out the splinters. Mom and Jill had made hot chocolate and poured some into a tall thermos for Luke, and some more into a tall thermos for Jill. Luke and Jill had dragged their sleeping bags and pillows up the ladder and spread them out on the plywood floor. For a nightlight, they captured lightning bugs and put them into a large glass jar with tiny airholes poked in the lid.

It was a beautiful night for stargazing, and the crickets were chirping happily. Jill had brought extra blankets and sweatshirts, in case it cooled down during the night. Setting the jar in the center of the treehouse, they nestled down into their sleeping bags and whispered and laughed and stared up at the stars until they finally began to feel sleepy.

Suddenly – creak!

Luke sat straight up in his sleeping bag. He had been dozing off, but he knew he had heard a noise. Creak. There it was again! Crackle, swish, creak.

Someone was climbing up the ladder! And whoever it was had to be heavier than a squirrel or a raccoon or a possum. By this time, Jill was awake and sitting up, too. Luke could see from the glow of the lightning bugs that she was as scared as he was. Clunk. Creak!

It had to be someone climbing the ladder. Luke and Jill were too afraid to cry out. There was nothing to throw at the intruder, except the jar of lightning bugs. They froze and braced themselves to face whoever was coming up the ladder. Suddenly, two big hands grabbed the top of the ladder, and there was a blinding flash of white light.

A moment later, Luke and Jill heard a hearty laugh that they recognized immediately. “Dad!” they groaned.

Shaking with laughter and balancing a Polaroid camera in his hand, Dad climbed the rest of the way into the treehouse. “Wait till you two see this picture!”

They waited for the picture to develop and laughed at the “o” shape of Jill’s mouth and the wild, wide-eyed shock on Luke’s face. “What a mean prank, Dad!” Luke said. He pretended to be mad, but he could not help but grin.

Once Luke and Jill knew that the mysterious noisemaker was their father, they were not afraid at all. They knew that their dad was a strong man and that nobody could try to get them if he was with them. They also knew that he cared about them. It was a relief for them to know that their scary intruder was actually someone who cared about them. They had nothing to worry about from Dad.

God, our heavenly Father, is more powerful and wise than we could ever be, but 1 Peter chapter 5 teaches us that we should throw all our worries and concerns upon His shoulders. He is almighty, so He is able to help us. He is also compassionate and loving, so He wants to help us.

Your dad, or other men you know, might want to help you – but they might not always be able to. Other people are able to help, but they do not want to help. God is both able and willing to help. The Bible teaches that God is both mighty and caring. He is stronger than you, and He cares for you! Throw your worries and concerns onto Him.

Almighty God cares for His people and is able and willing to help them.

My Response:
» Has God shown Himself to be a caring God?
» How should I respond to a mighty and caring God when I am afraid or in trouble?

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 “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Galatians 4:4)

Mom smiled. “Not till after breakfast. Would you like to help me set the table?”

Natalie gulped her food at breakfast. As soon as she finished the last bite of her cinnamon roll, she asked, “Is it time to open presents now?“

Dad pushed his chair back from the table. “Not yet, sweetheart. We’ll read the Christmas story from the Bible and sing some carols first.”

Natalie listened to Dad reading, and she sang with all her heart during the carol-singing time. But her eyes kept roving to that pile of Christmas presents wrapped in shiny, colorful paper.

Finally Mom turned from the piano and said, “Guess what, Natalie? Now it’s time!”

Like Natalie, you might have a hard time waiting to open presents on your birthday or at Christmas-time. When there is something that we really want, the time that we spend waiting for it can seem like forever. God’s people in the Old Testament probably felt the same way. God’s prophets had told them that God would send a Messiah, Someone Who would be their Savior. But hundreds and hundreds of years went by. God’s people waited and waited.

God had a perfect time for His Son to be born. He knew what that time was even before He created the world. Galatians 4 tells us that He sent Jesus into the world only when the time was exactly right – the time that He had planned. When Jesus came into the world, conditions were just right for all of the prophecies about Him to be fulfilled. For example, the Roman emperor at the time of His birth required everyone to travel to His birthplace for a census. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem. Micah’s prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem came true (Micah 5:2). The Romans were still in power when Jesus died. Crucifixion was their normal way of putting criminals to death. Jesus’ death by crucifixion was also a fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 22; Psalm 34:20). God made sure that His Word, given long ago through His prophets, would come true. His people had to wait for their Messiah, but God sent Jesus at the perfect time.

God sent Jesus at the perfect time to fulfill prophecies about His life and death.

My Response:
» Do I believe that God has a perfect time for working out His plans in my life too?

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“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

As the family went to bed in their spacious old farmhouse, all was well. They were grateful for what God had provided and felt safe and secure. But in the middle of the night, the parents were awakened by the sound of…was that wind? No! That was fire!

They jumped out of bed and ran to wake up their boys, who were in their bunk beds upstairs. The boys climbed out their window and got safely to the ground.

The boys and their parents watched as 12 fire trucks tried in vain to save their house. They watched as the roof caved in and the walls crumbled. They watched and cried as everything they owned burned up. Photos, furniture, toys, computers – everything was gone but their family.

As they thought about all that they had lost, they realized that all the things they had lost were just things – things that would have eventually worn out or gotten broken or been lost. Then they thought about what they had not lost: each other. God had helped each of them to get out of the burning house. They praised God that they had not lost each other and that they still had the most precious gift they had received: their salvation.

Have you been dreaming about some new “thing”? Maybe a cool toy, a faster computer, or a new electronic game?

What do we really need? Let’s see…. We need food, clothing, and a place to live. Who provides these needs? You might say, “My parents work hard to provide the money to purchase the things we need.” But Who gives your parents the strength, wisdom, health, and knowledge to do their jobs? God does. He provides the jobs, too.

What else does God give? Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” God also gives us salvation if we trust in Him alone.

God provides everything I need.

My Response:
» What do I really need?
» Am I trusting God completely to meet all of my needs?
» Have I accepted God’s gift of salvation?

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“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)

Are you looking forward to the day when you receive your driver’s license? If so, you will need a driving teacher to show you how to get it.

When Suzanne was fifteen, she enrolled in a driver’s training school. There were two parts to the school. One was the in-class work; the other was the in-car training. Suzanne did very well at the in-class work. She passed all her quizzes and tests because she studied hard and knew the rules of the road.

But the driving part was a little different. Suzanne did not feel very confident when it came to driving in a busy city. Thankfully, the teacher sat right next to her – right in the passenger’s seat – and the teacher had a special tool to help ensure nobody would get hurt. On the teacher’s side, near his feet, he had his own brake pedal.

One day Suzanne and her teacher were in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a fairly large city. One of the things Suzanne was learning to do that day was to merge into traffic. “Merging” is when your car comes off a ramp onto a highway and joins the fast-moving traffic. One key to successfully merging is to speed up and match the speed of the other cars.

Suzanne did not do well at merging. She sped all the way up to about 35 miles per hour, but she should have sped up to about 60 miles per hour! If she had merged onto the highway, the cars coming up behind her would have had to slam on their brakes. It was a good thing that the instructor slammed on his brake and prevented Suzanne from putting the car in a very bad position. After the instructor yelled at Suzanne for a bit, they changed drivers, and another student took the wheel. Suzanne got into the back seat and considered her mistake.

What was the instructor doing? He was teaching students how to drive. Without him and his instruction, Suzanne would never be able to receive her license.

The Bible teaches us that God’s Law is the schoolmaster (or tutor) that brings us to Christ. Just like Suzanne’s driving instructor was bringing her to the point of receiving her own license, so God’s Law is an instructor that shows us how badly we need Jesus Christ. When we see how we have failed to live up to God’s Law, it points us to the only One Who has perfectly fulfilled that Law. And Who is that? It is Jesus Christ! God’s Law guides us to forgiveness in Christ.

Paul helps us understand this truth in Romans 7:7; he says that he would not have known that he was coveting unless the Law had said “do not covet!” God’s Law showed Paul that he was a sinner. When we realize how badly we have broken God’s holy laws and how we have failed to live up to His perfect standards, we are humbled before Him and left with no other option but to cry out in faith for His mercy and forgiveness.

The demands that God makes of us show that our only hope of salvation is through faith in Christ.

My Response:
» Have I considered my behavior in light of God’s holy laws?
» Have God’s laws brought me to a point of seeing my need for forgiveness in Jesus Christ?

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“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Katie walked toward the back of the lunch room to sit with her friend Julie. Katie and Julie were best friends, and they always did everything together. The other kids in their class even called them “The Twins.”

As she walked to sit by Julie, Katie saw a girl sitting one at a table near the wall. It was Lucy, the new girl. Lucy was quiet, she smelled a little funny, her clothes looked old and worn-out, and she did not have any friends yet. Katie paused for a moment, but then hurried to her usual table without giving Lucy another glance.

Later that afternoon, Katie’s teacher taught a Bible lesson. “Does anyone know who ‘the least of these’ are?” Mrs. Johnson asked the class. The students shook their heads. “Jesus gives some examples of these people in Matthew chapter 25,” she said. “He calls people who are hungry, poor, or lonely ‘the least of these’ because they’re the ones that most people think the least about.”

Katie peeked over at Lucy. She was looking down at her desk. Mrs. Johnson continued, “Jesus told the crowds that He would reward those who help these people, and punish those who are too selfish to help. We have many chances to be kind to people everyday,” she said, “and Jesus will reward you for your kindness.”

The next day at lunch, Katie saw Lucy sitting alone again. Katie slowed down. “Dear Lord,” she prayed, “help me to be kind to Lucy and ‘the least of these.’” She walked up to Lucy and smiled.

“Hi! I’m Katie. Do you want to eat lunch with my friend Julie and me?”

Lucy smiled back. “I’m Lucy,” she said, “and I’d love to eat with you.”

She seems so nice, Katie thought. Lucy had seemed so glad about Katie’s offer, but Katie felt like she’d gotten more of a blessing out of it than Lucy had. It would be a little strange having a new friend hanging out with “The Twins.” But would that be so bad? Katie wondered. Maybe they would just have to be known as “The Triplets” from now on.

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus describes “the least of these” as the kinds of people we see everyday. He says that when we do kind things to them, it is as though we are doing it to Christ Himself. Jesus promises to bless us if we are kind to His people. We have no excuse for ignoring people who are different. After all, Jesus loved us when we were most unlovable, and Jesus still loves us even though we have nothing unique to offer Him.

Jesus blesses those who help “the least of these.”

My Response:
» Do I know any “least of these” people?
» What can I do to be kind to them today?
» In what ways am I myself a “least of these” person?
» Would Jesus ever ignore me because I was undeserving of His love?

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“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.” (John 12:3)

Imagine what would happen if your family were to invite the President of the United States over for dinner tonight. What would you do? Would you leave the house messy? Would your mom make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Would you set the table with paper plates and plastic forks? Of course not! You would clean your house until it was spotless. Your mom would cook her best meal and set the table with her finest dishes. You would give your best to the President of the United States.

Now imagine that Jesus were coming to your house for dinner. What would you do? In the Bible, Mary of Bethany knew what she would do. She bought a bottle of ointment, or perfume, just for Jesus. This ointment, called spikenard, had probably been imported all the way from India, and it was so expensive that, to afford it, a normal worker would have to save all of his money for a whole year!

Mary took the ointment to the room where Jesus sat. She opened the jar and poured it on His feet. Then, right in front of everyone, she began wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair. Some people thought she was crazy for spending that much money on Jesus, but Mary did not care. She knew how special Jesus was, and she wanted to give her best because He deserved it.

Jesus still deserves your best. You cannot pour expensive perfume on His feet today, but you can give to Him in many other ways. He deserves your time, so you can read the Bible and pray to Him. He deserves your money, so you can give some of your allowance in the offering at church. He deserves your best attitude, so you can joyfully obey Him. Sometimes, you may even find ways to make special sacrifices beyond your normal devotions and offerings and obedience. You, like Mary, can still give your best to God.

God deserves the best that you can give Him.

My Response:
» Am I giving my best to God today?
» What can I do to show Him how much I love Him?

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“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.” (Luke 4:1, 2a)

Are you ever tempted to do something that you know is wrong? Maybe when you get home from school you see the super-chewy, ooey-gooey, fudge brownies that your mom has just finished baking. You ask if you might have a brownie, but to your utter dismay, your mom responds with, “Only if your homework is done; do you have any?” Now you know that you have just a little bit of math homework. But your “need” for that brownie is so great that you think to yourself, “I’ll say ‘no’ right now and just do the math homework later on tonight before I go to bed.” When you think that way, you have been tempted to do something that you know is wrong.

How should we handle temptation? When we’re right in the middle of being tempted to do wrong, that is no time to try to figure out a way to handle it. We need to decide before the temptation how we are going to handle it. One reason Jesus went through the temptations in the wilderness (listed in Luke 4) is to show us how to handle temptation. Let’s take a look at this passage and see what it says about Jesus and temptations.

After Jesus was baptized, He went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days (fasting means that He prayed to the Father instead of eating). At the end of those forty days, Satan came to tempt Him. Our passage lists three temptations that Jesus went through during this time. Each time, Jesus responded by quoting something God had said in the Bible. This is very important. God has given us His Word so we can live in a way that pleases Him. If we are going to handle temptation correctly, we must know what God’s Word says.

Remember the cookie-and-homework-temptation-to-lie situation? A couple of verses that would be good to memorize for a temptation like that would be these:

“Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.” (Leviticus 19:11)

“Honor your father and mother.” (Ephesians 6:2a)

Each time Jesus was tempted, He remembered something that God had said in Scripture. Think of what you are tempted to do. Can you think of any Bible verses that would help you if you had them memorized? If you can’t, ask your dad, your mom, or pastor, or teacher to help you find some verses to help you when you are tempted to do something wrong.

Each one of us is tempted to sin. But Jesus showed us the way we can go through a temptation and not sin. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and handle temptation the way God wants us to!

Jesus is our Example for resisting temptation through the power of God’s Word.

My Response:
» What are specific things I’m tempted to do?
» What does God say about these particular sins? (Perhaps make a list of the sins and then write out the reference from the Bible that talks about what God thinks of each sin.)

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“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4)

The road to receiving a driver’s license was not an easy one for Bob. At first, he couldn’t seem to do much right. Thankfully, the driving instructor was there every step of the way – teaching Bob, encouraging him, and occasionally slamming on the brake on the passenger side of the car in order to keep them both from disaster! The driving teacher was dedicated to helping students receive their licenses.

After a lot more practice under the careful watch of the instructor, Bob finally started getting it right. In fact, Bob passed all his written tests and road tests and was ready to receive his license. That driver’s license was the goal of all the study and practice! On the day Bob turned 16, he went down to the Department of Motor Vehicles (a very special place indeed!) and stood in line to receive his license. He soon had his license – with his very own picture on it! That license was what he had waited so long to receive; now he could drive legally.

Now that Bob had his license, did he need the driving instructor to sit in the front seat with him anymore? Would he need to call the instructor every time he wanted to go to the store? No; he had his license. His license gave him the freedom to drive the car by himself.

But did having the driver’s license give Bob the freedom to drive the car any way he wanted? Could he drive 100 miles an hour without putting himself and others in danger? Could he drive through red lights anytime he wanted? No. He was still bound to obey the rules of the road. The license didn’t give him the freedom to break the law, but it did give him the freedom to obey the law. Once he had his license, Bob drove in the way that the driving instructor taught him was good and right.

Did you know that God does not save us so that we can live any way we please? God saves us so that we can obey His laws.

Much as the license enables Bob to drive a car legally, Jesus Christ enables us to obey His law and do good. When Bob did not have the driver’s license, he was in a state of breaking the law anytime he tried to drive on his own. When we did not have faith in Christ, we were in a state of disobedience to God! Even the things we did that seemed good on the outside weren’t truly good. Why? Because were in a state or condition of sinfulness before God. All people without faith in Christ live in a state of continual disobedience to God. They cannot please God until they humble themselves and believe in Christ for forgiveness of sins.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

My Response:
» How does God want me to live today?
» Am I living in the way God saved me to live?

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“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And [Jesus] was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:37-39)

The wind wails and the rains pour down. Trees are crashing down everywhere. Windows are breaking and walls are falling. As trees fall, their roots are pulled up from the ground, leaving gaping holes as big as a truck!

How can anything survive such a storm? Will any house, animal, or person come out of a storm like that unharmed, or without losing anything in the storm?

A storm like that shows God’s mighty power. God’s power is shown in the strength of the wind and rain. A wind that can blow over a tree, break windows, or destroy a wall is very powerful. Rain and water that can uproot trees, fill a house, or make streets look like rivers and lakes – such a storm is great and powerful!

But did you know that not only can God create great storms, but He can also STOP a storm with just a word or command? Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and the winds and rains obeyed His command.

A storm like the one in the Bible or the one described above can be so destructive, but God is still in control.

You have probably read or seen things on the news about hurricanes and mudslides and flooding and tidal waves and blizzards. There are all kinds of storms and storm results that can mean “bad news” for human beings. But why? Because we are not all-powerful. We are not in control. We who are Christians can be thankful that we know the God Who is. He does protect and provide, even through bad weather and scary storms like that. We can be glad for weather’s reminder of just how powerful and sovereignly in control God really is.

God is all-powerful, and He has complete control over everything that His power produces.

My Response:
» What are some ways that I can see God’s power?
» What are some ways I can see God’s control?
» Do I trust God’s power and control in my life?

The post God Is All-Powerful and in Control appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

The puppy looked up at them with big sad eyes and let out something between a yelp and a yawn. When he opened his mouth, a well-chewed science book fell out and thudded on the floor.

“Aw, who couldn’t forgive a face like that!” Lizzy leaned down and rubbed his ears.

Jacob bent over and grabbed his puppy’s collar.

“That’s it, Charlie. You’re sleeping outside tonight!”

Lizzy used a sock to wipe the puppy-slobber off Jacob’s science book, while he wrestled Charlie out the back door and into his doghouse.

“Don’t be so hard on him, Jacob,” she said when he came stomping back into the kitchen. “Charlie’s just doing what puppies do. They chew things and make messes. You’ve heard people joke about telling the teacher ‘the dog ate my homework.’ It’s just his nature.”

Jacob got a glass down from the cabinet. “My teacher isn’t going to believe me when I say that my dog ‘ate my science book’!” He slammed the cabinet door shut and threw open the refrigerator. “I’m sure she will just nod and smile and say, ‘Oh, that’s just fine, Jacob. You know that’s just what puppies do.’”

As it turned out, Miss Albert was surprisingly understanding when he told her what had happened to his science book. She did not say “that’s just what puppies do,” but she did nod and smile knowingly. Jacob wondered if Miss Albert might have had a puppy sometime in her life.

Animals do crazy things sometimes. Well, they do things that might seem crazy to us humans. You might get angry when a cat scratches your arm or when a dog makes a mess or when a parakeet will not be quiet. If you want to keep a pet, though, eventually you get over annoying animal habits, because, after all, they are just being what they are!

We humans have a lot of habits, too – things that we are and do because we are human. We like to eat several times a day. We like to sleep, usually at night. We tend to hate pain. We like to have friends and family who care about us. We like to think about things, and we like to have fun hobbies. There is a famous saying that “to err is human.” That means all humans make mistakes.

Not only do we make mistakes, but all of us are born with a sinful nature that we inherited from Adam. To sin is to do something much worse than just an accidental mistake. To sin is to do anything that falls short of God’s glory. We are all born sinners, which means that our natural tendency is to disobey God, to sin against Him. Those of us who trust Christ as Savior get a new nature, and they have a growing desire to live without sinning, like Christ lived. But since we are all still human, none of us are able to be that perfect yet. Even Christians who love God fail Him. When we sin against God, we need to repent and ask Him for forgiveness.

God has certain characteristics about His nature, too. Because He is God, He is perfect in His holiness – He never breaks His own laws! Because He is God, He is powerful and wise – He never messes up! Because He is God, He is good and gracious enough to help us sinning humans – He forgives us when we ask Him!

You may have heard this verse many times before, but have you really thought about what it means that God is faithful and just to forgive us? That means that, no matter what we do to make Him mad, God has promised to forgive us of that and of all our sinfulness – so long as we confess our sins to Him.

Charlie did a puppyish thing when he chewed up Jacob’s science book. He was doing what puppies do, but one thing puppies do not do is ask forgiveness. Jacob lost his temper when he saw what Charlie had done. To lose your temper when something bad happens is a natural human reaction, but it is also actually a sin against God. Jacob is a sinner because he is human. That is how humans are. If Jacob is a Christian, he should try not to sin, and if he does sin, he ought to confess it and ask God’s forgiveness.

If Jacob does confess his sin and ask God to forgive him, God will. That is what this verse teaches – that forgiving people who ask is part of God’s nature. He does it because His nature is to be faithful to His promises. He does it because His nature is to be just and righteous. That is the kind of God we have.

Because of Who He is, God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse sinners who trust Him.

My Response:
» Am I trying not to sin against God?
» When I do sin, am I making it a habit to go to Him and confess and ask Him to forgive me and to cleanse me from all my unrighteousness?
» Do I have faith that He will do what He has promised?

The post God Is Faithful and Just To Forgive appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

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“The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” (Psalm 93:4)

Imagine how you might be spending your days off of school this winter. What might you be doing, like the day after Christmas? You would not be in school, so you would probably sleep in a little longer than usual. The dozens of cookies and holiday treats you devoured in the last week have made you sick of sweets. Well, almost. Maybe you decide to spend some time organizing your bedroom (finding a place for all those new Christmas presents!) or reading a good book.

Let’s pretend you are halfway through your new favorite book, when your thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a loud train coming near your house.

But wait! That’s no train! You don’t even live near any railroad tracks! With a huge CRASH, the ceiling overhead is crushed in, and the walls of your home collapse! What you thought was a train was really a giant wave more than three stories high. In a matter of seconds, this huge wave destroys your whole house, and you are being pulled around by more water than you’ve ever seen. Suddenly, you are no longer worried about your book or your Christmas presents. Everything in you is focused on getting out of this alive and finding your family.

That situation is hard enough to try to imagine, but it would be much harder to believe if it ever came true for you. Do you remember that this really happened? It happened on December 26, 2004, to thousands of children in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and at least five other countries. An earthquake caused a giant wave called a tsunami (soo-NOMM-ee) to smash into their coastlines, killing over 200,000 people. They had no warning. They were going about their normal day-after-Christmas business, and that tsunami came on them as a complete surprise.

But was God surprised that this happened? Absolutely not! God created water on the second day of the Creation week. Every single droplet of every wave belongs to God, and He knows where every droplet is, every second of the day. One drop of water may seem insignificant to us, but joined with trillions of other drops, and given some force, water can do great damage.

But because God made the water, it could never be stronger than He is. He controls every path it takes and receives glory from it. We do not know why God sent the tsunami in 2004, but we can trust Him that He had reasons for His glory and for our good, ultimately. We can trust the One Who made everything we see that He is powerful enough to do what is best.

God is more powerful than water and weather, and we can trust Him.

My Response:
» In what area of my life do I need to be reminded of God’s great power?
» Am I trusting this powerful God to work in me and my circumstances?

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“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)

How can you rejoice in the Lord always? Sometimes life might seem too difficult for you to be happy. However, you can always rejoice in God’s Word. David, the man after God’s own heart, found great delight in God’s Word. David calls God his “exceeding joy” (Psalm 43:4). He says, “I will delight myself in [God’s] commandments, which I have loved” (Psalm 119:47), and “let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight” (Psalm 119:77). David found so much delight in God’s Word!

But what about you? How can you rejoice in God’s Word? The first step is obvious: Read it! Read it, looking for how great and amazing God is on every page. Read it prayerfully. Read it as God Word to you, and then talk back to Him in response – speaking right back to Him! Few people truly delight in God’s Word, and most of them do not even try to delight in it. Do you ever read because you have to? or because you think you ought to? You should read God’s Word as much as you can because you love it! You should not be able to get enough of it! You should want more and more time with God, just as a deer longs for the water brooks! (See Psalm 42:1.) Pray about it; ask God to help you love His Word more.

You can live joyfully because you have God’s eternal, unchanging Word, and because you have a great God. No matter what happens, you can, and should, always rejoice in the Lord. Rejoicing in God’s Word isn’t all! There are all kinds of things to rejoice in. Look in the Bible to see what else God has given you to rejoice in. Learn to delight in God’s Word as David did, and say with him “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). Rejoice in God’s Word!

Rejoice in God’s Word.

My Response:
» Have I spent time reading God’s Word today?
» What did I learn about God today in His Word?
» How can I rejoice in the Lord today?

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 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Have you ever missed the school bus or a ride to an activity that was important to you? Being left is a terrible feeling! It is embarrassing and frustrating, and it can also be really sad – especially if you miss out on something you were really hoping to see or do. Sometimes it can even be dangerous to be left behind. What if you accidentally got left in a football stadium? What if you were on a hiking trail and got separated from your friends? It could be scary, and lonely, and maybe even harmful to be left like that.

Sometimes we rely on people too much. It is okay to count on your friends and family to keep an eye out for you and to remember your needs and hopes. But friends and family are human, and sometimes they forget or make mistakes. Some people might take off on you because they want to do something selfish for themselves, or some might turn their back on you when you have done something wrong. People are human. They might let you down. They might give up on you. They might leave you.

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 was reminding readers of what Jesus said to His disciples – that He would never leave them. He would never forsake them. Jesus is God; He is greater than our human friends and family. He is better than anything we might try to be or to get on our own. In this verse, the Bible shows us the kind of God Who promises to be faithful. That means He is not the kind of God Who lets His people down. He is not the kind of God Who leaves His people alone. He keeps His promises.

God is not a leaver. He has always been more trustworthy than anything or anyone else. He has always been more faithful than any of our friends and family could ever hope to be. He is God and always has been. In the Old Testament (Psalm 27:10), the psalmist writes, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” Most fathers and mothers would die before giving up on their children or leaving their children! But if a parent ever did give you up or leave you behind, you could still count on God. Even if you yourself fail, even if your best-loved friends and family fail, and even if everything you know and trust were to drop suddenly off the face of the Earth, you can remember that God is not a leaver. He is not a forsaker.

Again, the writer of Hebrews 13:5 was reminding the Hebrew Christians what Jesus told His disciples about never leaving them. It is for this reason – that Jesus does not leave us – that this verse teaches we should not covet. If we remember the kind of God we have – that He will never leave or forsake His people – then we do not need to want things we do not have. We should not desire something so much that we think we need it in addition to God or instead of God.

Do you ever wish you could have a certain thing? Do you ever wish you could have a certain someone for a friend? Remember that things, and even humans who love you, will fail you. Look at those things and people you trust the most. If they were ever to leave you or let you down, would you have anything left? Do not covet things or people to keep you company. Count on God to stay with you.

God is not the kind of God Who leaves. We can count on Him more than anyone or anything else.

My Response:
» Am I trying to collect things or get friends so that I can protect myself from being lonely?
» What are some Bible reasons for trusting God to take care of me and be with me?

The post God Is Not the Kind of God Who Leaves appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

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“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

Virtually anyone who has any Christian upbringing at all has heard the very first verse of the Bible. And anyone who claims to be a Christian accepts the truth it teaches, that God created us! But how many of you have ever sat down to think just how that fact affects how you live and act every day?

Anytime a person creates something, he has a purpose for that creation. For example, your mom never just goes into the kitchen and starts throwing together some flour, sugar, and milk without having something very specific in mind that she plans to create with those ingredients. A potter never begins spinning her wheel until she knows what she wants to mold that clay into. And a carpenter never begins cutting up a new shipment of lumber into an odd assortment of shapes and sizes until he has some idea of the type of furniture he plans to build. God did not just create you on a whim with no design for you. Instead, when God created you, He had a very specific purpose in mind for you.

Since God created you for a purpose, He has a right to demand that you fulfill that purpose. Back to the illustration of the potter: If you were the one who purchased the clay, took the time and effort to spin the wheel, and used your skill to carefully shape the clay into a ceramic bowl, you would then be the owner of that bowl. You would have every right to decide whether it ought to be used for your morning cereal, or to hold a potted plant! Because God created you, He owns you and has every right to decide your purpose. But you do not have to wonder what that purpose is. Scripture identifies that purpose for you: God called you to salvation even before He created you. Why did He? “That we should be to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:12)

God owns me and has the right to demand that I act in a way that brings glory to Him.

My Response:
» Have I been acting today in a way that gives God the glory He deserves as my Creator and Owner?

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 “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” (Psalm 145:7a)

When we say that something is “good,” what do we mean?

When something is “good,” it does what it is supposed to do. Imagine that you are playing soccer, dribbling the ball down the field. You fake around one defender and then another. Now, the goalie is the only player left between you and the goal. You dribble to the right and then kick the ball high and to the left corner of the goal. It flies past the diving goalie’s outstretched hands. That was a “good” shot: it did what it was supposed to do.

Psalm 145:7a says, “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” When David says that God is abundantly good, what does he mean? He means that God will always do what He is supposed to do. God never makes a mistake or a bad decision. Everything that He does is best for Him and for His creation – even when it doesn’t seem to us that things are good. We are too limited to be able to say whether something is truly good or bad, but we can trust that the God always does good.

God is not just good; his goodness is great, or abundant. When Steph was a kid, she used to save up her money to buy small bags of M&M’s. She would go home and lie on her bed and read a book while eating them one at a time, trying to make them last for a looooong time. But they always ran out way too soon! When something is “abundant,” it means that there is more than enough of it. Abundant M&M’s would be a bag that never ran out. That is how God’s goodness is to all people: it will never run out!

God is always good, and His goodness is abundant.

My Response:
» The verse says, “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” When was the last time I got excited and told someone how good God is to me? Who can I tell today about God’s goodness to me?

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 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

When I was in fourth grade, my family took a trip to Washington, D.C. Before we left, some of my friends at school said, “Maybe you’ll get to see the President!” I wasn’t too sure we would see President Reagan, but I was very excited about the possibility.

One day while we were sightseeing near the White House, we noticed a crowd gathering by the White House fence. Some people had cameras. “What’s going on?” we asked someone in the crowd.

“The President’s helicopter will be landing here soon. We’re all hoping to see him!”

My family joined the waiting crowd. My dad was able to get me right up by the fence where I could see. Sure enough, we soon heard the helicopter coming. It landed right on the White House lawn, and President Reagan got out—on the opposite side from where we were standing. A groan went up from the crowd. We could not see very much of him at all. In fact, from our side of the helicopter, we could see only his feet. Although I was a little disappointed, it was fun to go home and tell my friends that we had seen the President’s feet in Washington, D.C.!

It’s exciting to see a famous person. People will form lines and wait for hours just to get one glimpse of a person they admire. But have you ever thought that someday, all those who have had their hearts cleansed by Jesus Christ will see God? What could possibly compare with the wonder of that? What would it be like to see Him? 1 Timothy 6:16 tells us that God dwells in light so bright that no one can even come near it. People who saw Jesus on this earth saw God in human form, but not in all of the glorious splendor that surrounds Him in heaven. Moses saw a brief glimpse of God’s glory, and even that was enough to make his face shine for days and days.

Jesus gave one condition for seeing God: being pure in heart. Only those who are pure in heart will see Him. And there is only one way to have a pure heart. Jesus Himself must purify it for you with His blood that cleanses from all sin (I John 1:7).

The pure in heart will one day see God in all of His glory.

My Response:
» Has my heart been purified by Jesus Christ?
» Is He daily keeping my heart pure as I confess my sins to Him?

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 “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

As a kid I always loved going over to visit my “cousins.” They weren’t really my cousins, but since our families spent so much time together, we called each other cousins. It was fun to be at David’s house because his dad was a police officer and had really cool things to show us…such as real handcuffs! And what made David’s house even more fun was that he had a big swimming pool in his backyard.

Without fail, every time I was ready to go down the street and play at David’s house, my mom would tell me something that you have probably heard before: “Be good!” Why would Mom have to tell me to be good? She told me because she knew that my being good was a choice I had to make.

But no one has to tell God to “be good,” because He just is good. He can’t choose to do wrong.

God’s goodness is seen in His creation. Right after God finished creating the world, He looked at it and saw that He had done something good. Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” God never has to do anything over; everything was good the first time He created it.

God’s goodness is seen in His involvement in our lives. Have you ever read the story of Joseph in the Bible? Joseph’s brothers hated him, so they sold him to a group of people who were going to use Joseph as a slave. But God was being good to Joseph the whole time that all of this was going on.

Eventually God put Joseph in a very high position in a foreign country. Joseph used his high position in the land to prepare for a seven-year famine. Back in his home country, Joseph’s family ran out of food and had to go to the land where Joseph lived so that they could get more food.

When Joseph’s brothers came to him for food, what was his response? He forgave them and gave them as much as they needed. Why did Joseph do that and not try to get even with his brothers for selling him to be a slave? He didn’t try to get even because he understood God’s goodness. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

Joseph understood that God allowed all those things to happen to him so he would be in a position to help thousands of people during the famine. God is always working in your life, and it is good!

God’s goodness is seen in His gifts. Have you ever wanted to get the perfect gift for someone? Maybe at Christmas time you go up and down the aisles of the store looking for that perfect gift for Mom or Dad. When they open the gift, you are holding your breath with excitement, hoping that they just absolutely love the gift that you picked out.

God is constantly giving us gifts, which the Bible describes as “good gifts.” James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

God doesn’t have to be told to be good, because He is good. And according to Psalm 52:1, His goodness endures forever!

God is always good, and He is only good.

My Response:
» Since God is always good, do I remember that I can totally trust Him to be good in my life?

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