“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”  1 Peter 2:23

Deep within us resides a longing for justice. We want evil punished and good rewarded. Yet, all around us we see evil celebrated and good penalized. When society blurs the lines between right and wrong, truth stumbles and justice fails (Isaiah 59:14).

When wrongly accused, Jesus didn’t fight back. He suffered the ultimate injustice. Although Jesus was completely innocent, He was put to death. As Jesus entrusted Himself to God, we should strive to do the same.

Peter tells believers how to handle injustice against them, particularly when it results from their faith in Jesus. Peter repeats the idea of entrusting ourselves to God later in the same letter. “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19).

God is our faithful Creator. God is the One who judges justly. When we rely on God’s faithfulness, His goodness, and His justice, we can keep on doing good even though we are treated unjustly. We can keep on living for the truth and trust God to look after us.

Put yourself in God’s hands. Know that you can trust Him to care for you, regardless of what people say or do to you.

Heavenly Father, it is so hard to not demand my rights or defend myself when someone takes advantage of me. Demonstrate your power in my life by giving me the strength to act as Jesus did. I submit myself to you. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Suzanne also has devotionals on:  https://thelife.com/devotionals/

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FURTHER READING

Justice, Mercy and Grace

Judging Vs. Justice

Yearning for Justice

The post Entrust Youself to God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”  Isaiah 1:18

We find promises of redemption sprinkled throughout Isaiah’s book. To redeem means to buy back or pay off–to satisfy a debt.

With these words, Isaiah prophesies a day of atonement, a time of cleansing, a sure salvation.

When we examine ourselves honestly, we see our sin. We recognize that we can’t fix our mistakes or stop sinning on our own. That’s why the promise of redemption brings such hope, joy, and peace.

We need cleansing. We need forgiveness. We need a Savior.

Listen to God’s words recorded by Isaiah:

“The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.” (Isaiah 4:4)

“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1)

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)

These promises from the past point to our present reality. Jesus Christ—the Redeemer—came to save us.

God, thank you for giving me the promise of redemption. I acknowledge that You are my King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: You are the first and the last; apart from You there is no God. I proclaim, my Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name—is the Holy One. Amen.

Questions: How can I live out the forgiveness Jesus offers me? Do I always see Him as my Savior?

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Jesus loves you.

He died for you on the cross, and then He rose again, defeating death forever. The pain in this world is not the final word. The empty tomb on Easter morning is!

If a relationship with God is something you crave, it can start here and now.  God cares far less about your words than the attitude of your heart.  So tell Him what you’re thinking.  Here is suggestion:

God, I believe that you created me to know you.  Thank you for sending your son Jesus, as a sacrifice to pay the penalty that I deserve.  I believe that his death and resurrection has restored me to you.  Please forgive me for everything that has offended you.  Take first place in my life and help me become the person that you created me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Further Understanding:

Four Spiritual Laws

How To Be Sure You Are a Christian

Printable pdf version: How to be sure

Now that I am a Christian,What’s Next? – 4 Starter Lessons in a printable pdf file

Reading the Bible – where to start?

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post Promise of Redemption appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.”  2 Corinthians 3:15-16

When my mom moved into her condo, some sort of film covered the windows. Light shone through, but everything looked distorted. She couldn’t see outside clearly. It took a grandson — armed with a razor blade, window washing gear, and YouTube video — four hours to scrape it all away.

Unlike my mother’s windows, no amount of scrubbing, self-help books, or willpower can take away the veil that keeps us from viewing things correctly. Our sinful nature and willful rebellion blind us, distorting our judgments and keeping us from seeing clearly. Paul says, “their minds were hardened” (2 Corinthians 3:14). We can’t see the truth because our sin keeps us from seeing it.

Though we can’t fix our problem, Paul tells us who can. “For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:14).

Only through Christ is the veil removed.

Only when we turn to Christ, can we understand our great need. Only when we turn to Christ can we see his great gift.

Just as God’s glory shone through Jesus, when we believe, God’s glory shines through us. The more we look at Jesus, turning our hearts to him and surrendering our wills to him, the more we become like him. The transformation is glorious! Everyone around us sees Jesus in us.

So we live for Jesus, through the power of Jesus, to show Jesus to the world.

Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins and rising again in power. Turn my heart and my mind toward you. Remove the veil, so that I can see clearly. Transform me into your likeness. May your name be glorified. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Eyes Opened

Open My Eyes

Eyes Wide Open

The post The Veil is Removed appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”  Isaiah 1:18

We find promises of redemption sprinkled throughout Isaiah’s book. To redeem means to buy back or pay off–to satisfy a debt.

With these words, Isaiah prophesies a day of atonement, a time of cleansing, a sure salvation.

When we examine ourselves honestly, we see our sin. We recognize that we can’t fix our mistakes or stop sinning on our own. That’s why the promise of redemption brings such hope, joy, and peace.

We need cleansing. We need forgiveness. We need a Savior.

Listen to God’s words recorded by Isaiah:

“The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.” (Isaiah 4:4)

“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1)

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)

These promises from the past point to our present reality. Jesus Christ—the Redeemer—came to save us.

God, thank you for giving me the promise of redemption. I acknowledge that You are my King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: You are the first and the last; apart from You there is no God. I proclaim, my Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name—is the Holy One. Amen.

Questions: How can I live out the forgiveness Jesus offers me? Do I always see Him as my Savior?

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Jesus loves you.

He died for you on the cross, and then He rose again, defeating death forever. The pain in this world is not the final word. The empty tomb on Easter morning is!

If a relationship with God is something you crave, it can start here and now.  God cares far less about your words than the attitude of your heart.  So tell Him what you’re thinking.  Here is suggestion:

God, I believe that you created me to know you.  Thank you for sending your son Jesus, as a sacrifice to pay the penalty that I deserve.  I believe that his death and resurrection has restored me to you.  Please forgive me for everything that has offended you.  Take first place in my life and help me become the person that you created me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Further Understanding:

Four Spiritual Laws

How To Be Sure You Are a Christian

Now that I am a Christian, What’s Next? – 4 Starter Lessons in a printable pdf file

Reading the Bible – where to start?

The post Promise of Redemption appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”Proverbs 17:9

No one likes to be reminded of their mistakes. An insensitive word. A foolish act that costs both money and credibility. The time we let anger control us.

Let’s face it — we all sin.

So, we experience great joy when we understand that God forgives our evil thoughts and actions. The psalmist writes,

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12).

Unfortunately, while we like to have our wrong deeds erased, as humans, we tend to hold on to the hurt that others cause us. Sometimes, we like the attention. So, we nurse a wound, repeat the story, and gain support from others about the poor treatment we received. Other times, we like the power we gain when we hold a past mistake over someone else’s head.

Each day provides plentiful opportunities to take offense. A friend ignores you, a stranger rudely takes advantage of you, a family member speaks unkindly to you. But, we can choose how we respond.

Covering an offense costs us. Seeking love, more than being right, requires humility and grace. Releasing the offender requires forgiveness. Yet, the reward outweighs the cost. We discover that freedom comes when we “let it go.”

God shows us the way. God loved us when we were, to others, unlovable, so that we could love others in turn. He forgave us, and gives us the power to forgive.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the sound advice this proverb gives me. Help me not to be touchy or super-sensitive. Help me to see beyond the offense to the person. I want to value relationships more than being right. Show me how to let it go. Amen.

Thought — If you have allowed some offense to fester in your heart, confess it to God. Ask Him to show you how to move forward.

Read: The Power of Forgiveness

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

The Stumbling Block of Unforgiveness

Victory over Unforgiveness 

Prayer of Forgiveness and Release

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“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:12-13

The author of Hebrews reminds his readers how their ancestors rebelled against God in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. The people of Israel didn’t trust in God’s power to provide. They didn’t believe he cared about their need for water.

The writer then urges first-century believers — and us — to not fall into the same trap. It’s tough to follow God’s commands and live as disciples of Jesus. The daily struggle with sin can harden our hearts. We can begin to doubt God’s goodness.

Sin tempts us with promises that it can’t deliver. Even so, we sometimes think we can give in to temptation — just for a bit. We whisper to our conscience, “Tomorrow I’ll repent and follow God again.”

But, there’s no such thing as past-tense or future-tense discipleship. Hebrews repeatedly uses the keyword “today.” “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). Not tomorrow. Not yesterday. Today.

If we harden our hearts against God’s voice today, what makes us think we will listen tomorrow?

Every day, we can choose to listen to God’s voice or to harden our hearts against him. And every day, we have an opportunity to encourage one another to keep following Jesus, even when the road is difficult.

Dear heavenly Father, I choose to follow you today. Keep my heart soft and sensitive to your voice. Bring other believers into my life to encourage me and may I encourage those around me to keep seeking you. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

• Prayer to Follow God
• God Supports Your Every Need as You Follow Jesus
• Keep a Soft Heart

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” James 3:17

James describes two kinds of wisdom ? the kind from heaven and the one from earth (James 3:13-18). The wisdom of this world focuses on self. Selfish ambition and bitter envy naturally dwell in human hearts. People generally look out for their own interests.

On the other hand, “wisdom from above” or “God’s kind of wisdom” (NLT) flows from God’s character. In the passage above, James states that after the foundation of purity, being peace-loving appears as the second most important aspect of heavenly wisdom.

Loving peace requires all the elements of God’s wisdom ? purity, the consideration of others, and humble submission to God and His way. In order to truly live out God’s call to peace, we need God’s mercy, as found in His righteous character, and His unbiased and genuine love.

Peace-lovers desire unity and harmony more than being right. They consider listening to others as more important than airing their own opinions. Peace-lovers value people more than tasks.

Yet, loving peace doesn’t mean peace at any cost. Rather, peace-lovers willingly pay the cost of peace by denying themselves. In the journey toward wisdom, loving peace marks a significant milestone, because loving peace highlights the difference between worldly wisdom (self-promotion) and heavenly wisdom (submission to God).

Holy Spirit, make me a peace-lover. I want to live my life with heavenly wisdom, not the wisdom of this world. Amen.

Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

https://thelife.com/devotionals

FURTHER READING

Wisdom of God

Making Sense of God’s Wisdom

The Benefits of Acquiring Godly Wisdom

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Jesus is the Lamb who was slain. He died because of our sin. With His blood, shed on the cross, Jesus purchased us for God.

Scripture speaks of the universality of sin:

•    No one is righteous (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:10).
•    Everyone turns away from God (Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12).
•    All people sin (Romans 3:23).

Our own experience confirms this truth. Loved ones betray us. Coworkers steal our ideas or envy our success. Selfishness, anger, and pride linger in our hearts and minds, resisting our efforts to squelch them. Even little children lie — almost as soon as they can speak.

And sin skews our understanding. With this distorted view, we worship people, things, and accomplishments instead of worshiping God alone. Only one person, in all of history, lived a sinless life. Only one person died in order to buy back human beings who were estranged from their Creator. Jesus, the Messiah, gave His life in exchange for ours.

No one else did what Jesus did. Therefore no one else is worthy of our worship. Only Jesus, together with God the Father — the Savior and Creator of the world — is worthy to receive power, wealth, strength, wisdom, glory, honor, thanks, and praise.

Lamb of God, You alone are worthy of my worship. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

If  you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you can learn how to start one at this link:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

More Easter content

Suzanne’s Devotionals can also be found on
https://thelife.com/devotionals

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“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” 2 Timothy 1:9

You have a calling. A purpose. A role to play in God’s great story.

This calling is to a way of life regardless of your profession. God calls every person who has received His salvation to live a holy life.

In fact, New Testament writers had the habit of referring to believers as “saints” or “God’s holy people.” In every thought, every word, and in every deed, God calls His followers to walk in the way of righteousness.

In his first letter to believers scattered around the world, Peter explains much about our call to holiness (1 Peter 1:1-2).

•    We live holy lives, not to try to earn salvation — that’s impossible — but because God is holy and we want to be like Him. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15).

•    Holiness is not a life of legalism or rule following. It’s a life of freedom from sin and of surrendering to God’s way. “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:16).

•    Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us the power to live holy lives. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

•    Holy living brings glory to God as we show others by our words and actions how God has changed us. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

God calls us to be holy, because He is holy, so that our lives will draw others to Him.  This high calling lifts our eyes to Jesus, the One who saves us freely and the One who makes us holy with our cooperation.

Heavenly Father, thank You for calling me Your own and giving me a purpose. Make me holy as You are holy. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

It’s All About Jesus  – by John Fischer

Acquaint Yourself with Him – by Charles Spurgeon

The Winsomeness of Holiness by Max Lucado

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“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

What forms your idea of God?

Childhood memories, personal experiences, and unmet expectations can create a skewed picture of God.

To rightly understand who God is, we must look to the only completely reliable source: God Himself, as He reveals Himself in His Word.

In the verses above, God proclaimed His name to reveal Himself to Moses. English Bibles translate God’s personal name as “LORD.” In Hebrew, only the consonants “YHWH” appear. The name Jews considered so holy that they dared not speak it or even write it completely, is “I AM.” With His name, God corrected the Israelites’ misconceptions. Not a calf formed out of gold earrings (Exodus 32:2-4). Not the image of anything in heaven or on earth. The self-existent One. Not made by anyone.

Merciful and gracious. Although ready to destroy the Israelites because of their idolatry, God relented when Moses interceded on their behalf (Exodus 32:7-14). The people deserved death; God gave mercy.

Faithless, grumbling and quarreling, the people questioned God’s love. Yet God did not change with the Israelites’ feelings. His abounding, steadfast love remained the same.

Forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty. This statement must have puzzled Moses. How could God forgive sin without clearing the guilty? How could God be both forgiving and just?

Not until Jesus’ death and resurrection could we truly understand this mystery. But the Bible has been clear all along. God is who He says He is.

Holy God, when you revealed yourself to Moses, he “quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped” (Exodus 34:8). May I do the same. You are. You always have been. You always will be. You are merciful and gracious, far beyond what I can comprehend. Teach me to think rightly about who you are. Thank you for your steadfast love and faithfulness. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• God Is…

• Going Deeper with God

• What the Lord Values

The post Who God Is appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

The call to imitate God sounds impossible. Yet, just as a small child imperfectly mimics a parent’s actions, disciples of Jesus copy him. These verses in Ephesians contain a key way to imitate God: walk in love.

Love, by definition, gives time, attention, and compassion. Love spends energy, intellectual resources, and money. Love sacrifices personal interests, wants, and needs for the interests, wants, and needs of others.

Indeed, love requires sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice for us reveals what real love looks like. John explains what “love” is in his first letter.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The call to “walk in love” goes far beyond loving nice, similar-to-us, or likeable people. God calls us to love dirty, unattractive, and needy people, too. He commands us to love greedy, ungrateful, and adversarial people. God directs us to love these people because that is who we once were. Paul tells the believers in Rome,

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

To walk in love is to daily put others ahead of ourselves. We walk in love, not because others deserve our love, but because Jesus first loved us. “

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”
(1 John 4:11).

Holy Spirit, fill me with your presence so that I might walk in love as Christ loves me. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• The Power of Love

•  Just a Little Kindness

• Wisdom from an Astronaut 

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“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7

Beyond the connection between fearing God and righteous living, the Bible presents a tight link between the fear of the Lord and wisdom.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.” (Psalm 111:10)

“The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28)

“A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil.” (Proverbs 14:16)

“The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom.” (Proverbs 15:33)

Once we’ve accepted that we need to fear the Lord, we pursue the path of wisdom. At the same time, seeking wisdom helps us understand what it means to fear God.

“My son, if you accept my [wisdom’s] words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5)

We will understand the fear of the Lord by:

• Accepting God’s words
• Storing up God’s commands
• Turning our ears to wisdom
• Applying our hearts to understanding
• Crying aloud for understanding
• Searching for wisdom as for hidden treasure

Seeking wisdom and fearing God requires a concerted effort. The two go hand in hand. Wisdom begins with fearing the Lord. We must acknowledge His authority to rule our lives and submit to His will. Then, as we listen to and accept God’s words, as we apply His commands to our hearts and ask Him to give us understanding, we start to make sense of the difficult concept of fearing God.

God, lead me on the path to wisdom. Teach me to fear You. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Wisdom and Knowledge of God – by Katherine Kehler

• Knowledge vs. Wisdom –  by Alec Niemi

• Ask For Wisdom –  by Kathy Cheek

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The post The Beginning of Wisdom appeared first on Thoughts About God.