besides me there is no god

2.r. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

2 Chronicles 21:16 And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.

And after all this the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

1 Kings 11:11    Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.

1 Kings 11:14    And the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon,

1 Kings 11:23     God also raised up as an adversary to him,

Ezra 1:5    Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 10:5-6     Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!  Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the street

Amos 3:6     Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?

Isaiah 45:5-7     I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,  that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.  I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

Do you ever wonder what God is not in control of? Is He in control of everything? We see “the Lord stirred up against Jehoram,” “I will tear the kingdom from you”, “the Lord raised up an adversary”, “everyone whose spirit God had stirred”, “the staff in their hands is My fury”, “Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?”, and “I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord who does all these things.”

God uses both the godly and ungodly too manifest is plans and purposes. He is the creator of all there is so it is well understood that He can control it. Do we live our lives like God is in control? Do we pray like God is in Control? Do we trust God like He is in control? People reject God’s calling in their life. They choose to ignore Him. However, even in their rejection and the problems and troubles, they cause on others God can and does use it for good. We may not see it but we can trust it is true. One example is with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Evil and lost people did this but it was ordained by God for the salvation of all who believe.

We know how David cried out to God and stating what appeared to be an oversight by God, in that, there were evil people who seemed to prosper, denounce God, treat others with harm, and God was seemingly blind to it. He wasn’t and isn’t blind to actions, but more than that, He knows the thoughts and intents of each person’s actions.

The problem we have is that we don’t have the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God. We chase after answers with our limited understanding and knowledge. We convince ourselves that we no best and if we were God we would do it differently. He is God, not us. His ways are not our ways.

So why is it that we say God is in control and then do not believe or trust Him when seemingly bad things happen? He does not change. He has been the same forever and there is no changing in Him.

I think the closer we are to Him the more we learn and grow in our trusting of Him. The closer we are we have fewer questions and we have more praise. The closer we are doesn’t mean we have fewer questions but it does mean we have one answer “God is in control” and in this, we can find a peace that passes all understanding.

You have to imagine the Israelites were full of questions and afraid when they were at the banks of the Red Sea with the Pharaoh and his warriors approaching. When we face the impossible, tragic, and terrible, trials in our life, know that there is a God who is in control and will work out all things for the good of them who are called by His name.

I am the Alpha and the Omega

Exodus 3:13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me,

Exodus 6:3     I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.

Job 11:7     “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

Psalms 90:2    Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Isaiah 44:6     Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

2 Corinthians 1:20     For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Revelation 1:8    “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 4:8    And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Aren’t you amazed at the response “I am who I am”? When someone asks you who you are, you might say John Smith, brother of Bill and Tom, Son of Brad and born in the city of X, county of X, country of X in the year of XXXX. You might continue on and say you are married to Martha and work for IBM as a VP of technology. You might say to volunteer at such and such organization(s).

God however has no beginning or end. He has no father, mother, brother, sister, and is complete in Himself. He is not bound by time. He is outside of all that is created. He is all knowledge, wisdom and understanding. He is all love, righteous, and justice. He can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. He is all powerful, mighty, and Holy.

And though we see Him partially, like though a fog, we will see Him fully in eternity. We will understand His holiness, love, majesty, power, wisdom, and the fullness of “I am”

We serve a living God without limit.

Securing an eternal redemption

“Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,”

Psalms 111:9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!

Psalms 130:7-8 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.

Exodus 15:13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Ephesians 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Hebrews 9:12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

1 Peter 1:18-20 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Our redemption came at a cost, in an act of love, full of grace and mercy. What action would you associate in the form of thankfulness for this great gift of remotion? Would it come in the form of trust, hope, patience, love, faith, and peace? Would it inspire actions of good works. Would it come out in the from of praise? Would it sing songs of praise? Would it speak kindly? Would it seek to be nearer and nearer to God’s presence? Would it promote forgiveness? It does us good to consider all that is found in Christ and live so that His light is seen.