APRIL 6

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Psalm 3:3-4

“But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.    I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah” .”

Romans 11:34

“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?”

Romans 9:28

“For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

Genesis 2:7

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Job 1:21

And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;  Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 40:6-9

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:  ‘Who is this who darkens counsel  by words without knowledge?   Now prepare yourself like a man;  I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

ADONAI

LORD

Psalm 148:13

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted:  His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.”

Maybe you hear the title LORD and immediately think of some old movie about Victorian England, featuring “Lord and Lady Blabbington” living a privileged life with dutiful servants rushing about, tending to their every whim.  As far as you can tell, being a lord means being treated like royalty and with great honor.  To be fair, this picture has SOME elements of truth, although the divine name LORD —ADONAI in Hebrew and KURIOS in Greek – involves much more than that.  Because ancient Hebrews consider the divine name YHWH or YAHWEH – too holy to pronounce, they substituted ADONAI instead, which is translated “Lord.”

Inherent in the title or name ADONAI are the ideas of sovereignty, rulership and honor.

SOVEREIGNTY:  As our Creator, God possesses the owner’s deed to our lives.  Isaiah 45:9 reads:

“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground.  Does the clay say to the potter, ‘what are you making?’  does your work say ‘The potter has no hands?’”

As the One Who both made and sustains us, the Potter has full authority and control over our lives.

RULERSHIP:  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:20:

“You were bought with a price.”

Bought?  We bristle at the thought of being “owned” by anyone.  Why should we have to do what another tells us?  We’re not slaves, are we?  Yes and no.  We WERE bought –redeemed—out of slavery to sin and into a new life of service to God.  But God isn’t just a Master or Lord who rules over us arbitrarily.  He is a loving Father who uses His Lordship over our lives to bring out His glory and our good.  We are His servants, yes, and He is our adoring Father who wants to see us grow.

HONOR:  In turning to God on His terms, you acknowledge that He is your ADONAI, your master and owner.  Submitting to His authority feels scary, but it is actually very freeing.  Dedicating your life to the Lord’s glory is a great act of faith that pleases Him as we see in Hebrews 11:6:

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

You are essentially saying, “Lord, Even as I seek to honor You with my life, I am trusting that You have my life in your hands.  Because You will take care of me, I can give myself fully to Your service and Your glory.”

God is our SOVEREIGN.  Our RULER.  He is worthy of all HONOR.

In what areas of your life do you have trouble surrendering control to God?

PRAYER

Lord ADONAI, You have bought me with a price.  I am Your servant and slave.  Please help me live in a way that reflects Your kingship over my life and that also brings You honor.  Amen.

(May I suggest if you have trouble with the “servant” or “slave”  position to God, that you get John MacArthur’s book.  “Slave”.   It will clear up a lot of questions and greatly enhance and enlarge your relationship with the Lord.)

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