Who does God take pleasure in?

 Psalm 147:1–20 (ESV): 

Praise the Lord! 

  For it is good to sing praises to our God; 

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. 

 2  The Lord builds up Jerusalem; 

he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 

 3  He heals the brokenhearted 

and binds up their wounds. 

 4  He determines the number of the stars; 

he gives to all of them their names. 

 5  Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; 

his understanding is beyond measure. 

 6  The Lord lifts up the humble; 

he casts the wicked to the ground. 

 7  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; 

make melody to our God on the lyre! 

 8  He covers the heavens with clouds; 

he prepares rain for the earth; 

he makes grass grow on the hills. 

 9  He gives to the beasts their food, 

and to the young ravens that cry. 

 10  His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 

 11  but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 

in those who hope in his steadfast love. 

 12  Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! 

Praise your God, O Zion! 

 13  For he strengthens the bars of your gates; 

he blesses your children within you. 

 14  He makes peace in your borders; 

he fills you with the finest of the wheat. 

 15  He sends out his command to the earth; 

his word runs swiftly. 

 16  He gives snow like wool; 

he scatters frost like ashes. 

 17  He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; 

who can stand before his cold? 

 18  He sends out his word, and melts them; 

he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. 

 19  He declares his word to Jacob, 

his statutes and rules to Israel. 

 20  He has not dealt thus with any other nation; 

they do not know his rules. 

  Praise the Lord! 

God is in control. He knows what He is doing. You cannot see the fullness of His plans, but you can know the truth that God sees, hears and knows what is going on, for He is ‘abundant in power’ and ‘his understanding is beyond measure’. So if you ever feel confused or overwhelmed by what is happening, that is to be expected! You do not have the mind of God and so cannot begin to comprehend the complexities of what He is doing, but, you can learn to trust Him because God is good, powerful, and He cares of His people. 

However God does not admire or appreciate the same things as you do, ‘his delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man’. He is not looking at the same things for beauty and strength. Instead, ‘the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love’. God does not take joy in things that look good to the eye, or even that are useful, but he enjoys people whose hearts are for Him. Those who trust Him even when life is confusing and overwhelming, and when they cannot anticipate the outcome. Those who hope in God, honour and follow Him when a simpler, nicer solution seems to present itself. People like this are who God ‘takes pleasure in’. Is that you?

Are you trusting God and looking for the things that God admires? Or are you busy looking with human eyes for beauty and strength? It is important to think about the things that you get excited about and admire. Do those things turn you towards God the creator, or towards those things? God made them all. If you want God to look at you with pleasure, think about what is capturing your heart and attention. Is it God, or are there other things that captivate you? For me, I love being in nature, being outside, seeing the trees, watching the rabbits and hearing the birds. I love it because it is exciting, I am often surprised by what I experience, and I see so clearly God’s hand in nature and creation. Nature is beautiful and strong, and points to our fascinating, imaginative and powerful Creator. From the magnificence of an ancient tree to the new shoots of spring, gigantic mountains and clear streams. When i see the outside world, i find it easy to see God. For nature, as wonderful and complex as it is, is not something to be worshipped in itself, even the strength of a horse (v10), but it demonstrates the incredible beauty of the One who made it, Almighty God. In the things of this world that you admire, do you look for the hand of the Creator behind them? This is how you can admire and appreciate things of this world, and honour God in doing so, by looking at the One who made them.

God can build and create things, and destroy them in an instant. So in the enjoyment of life, do not cast all of your hope in created things or people as they are temporary, but seek God and ‘hope in his steadfast love’. His love and presence will not fade or change, so put your trust in Him as He is eternal and secure. Do not simply seek the temporal pleasure of earthly things or people, but allow God’s steadfast love, power and delight to be your source of joy and strength. Trust in Him and obey Him for as you do, you can even give joy back to God by becoming one who ‘the Lord takes pleasure in’.

Why choose God and not worldy things?

 Psalm 135:1–21 (ESV): 

1 Praise the Lord! 

Praise the name of the Lord, 

give praise, O servants of the Lord, 

 2  who stand in the house of the Lord, 

in the courts of the house of our God! 

 3  Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; 

sing to his name, for it is pleasant! 

 4  For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, 

Israel as his own possession. 

 5  For I know that the Lord is great, 

and that our Lord is above all gods. 

 6  Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, 

in heaven and on earth, 

in the seas and all deeps. 

 7  He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, 

who makes lightnings for the rain 

and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 

 8  He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, 

both of man and of beast; 

 9  who in your midst, O Egypt, 

sent signs and wonders 

against Pharaoh and all his servants; 

 10  who struck down many nations 

and killed mighty kings, 

 11  Sihon, king of the Amorites, 

and Og, king of Bashan, 

and all the kingdoms of Canaan, 

 12  and gave their land as a heritage, 

a heritage to his people Israel. 

 13  Your name, O Lord, endures forever, 

your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages. 

 14  For the Lord will vindicate his people 

and have compassion on his servants. 

 15  The idols of the nations are silver and gold, 

the work of human hands. 

 16  They have mouths, but do not speak; 

they have eyes, but do not see; 

 17  they have ears, but do not hear, 

nor is there any breath in their mouths. 

 18  Those who make them become like them, 

so do all who trust in them. 

 19  O house of Israel, bless the Lord! 

O house of Aaron, bless the Lord! 

 20  O house of Levi, bless the Lord! 

You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! 

 21  Blessed be the Lord from Zion, 

he who dwells in Jerusalem! 

  Praise the Lord! 

If you are feeling down or powerless, low or uncertain, disappointed or lacking faith, or joyful and desiring to praise God - then this psalm will do you good. It is full of reason and encouragement to remember some of the facts as to why God is brilliant, and gives examples of how you know you can trust Him. So, as a reminder today, here are some reasons you should praise God, because He:

• Is good
• Has chosen you 
• Is great
• Is above all gods
• Does what He pleases
• Reigns in the heavens and earth
• Controls the weather
• Performed miracles in Egypt
• Has power over man and beast
• Performs signs and wonders
• Works for His people and against their enemies
• Has struck down many nations
• Has defeated many kings
• Provides dwelling places for His people
• Is famous throughout all time
• Lives forever
• Will vindicate His people
• Has compassion on His servants
• Lives amongst us

What or who else could you worship or praise that can do and has done all this?! Therefore do not get distracted by other things such as ‘the idols of the nations’ like 'silver and gold, the work of human hands’. Remember, instead the creator of those things! The one who hears and speaks, who works and never sleeps, who lives and breathes and even gives you breath! He is the one who is worthy of your attention, your full focus. Is your mind preoccupied with stuff or things that are material, not eternal? If so, take another look at this psalm and consider what is really worthy of your attention. For cars breakdown, houses crumble, money loses it's worth, and people are fickle. Live your life looking for and admiring the One who created all of these things and will outlive them.

There is an Almighty, Creator God who has; provided, heard, seen, performed wonders, who is in charge and ensures His will is done, who also lives forever and cares about your little life. In this psalm there is a promise that this same God, ‘will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants’. Are you one of His people, are you living as His servant? If so, He will act on your behalf, showing you compassion and releasing you from false accusations and harm. Do you see God for who He really is and what He can do? This psalm holds some incredible reminders of the character of God and the amazing things He does. Are you giving God the opportunity to come through, trusting that He will vindicate and bring compassion, or are you trying to force your own way? This world and the things within it can be enticing and confusing. There are temptations, stuff and experiences that are appealing and offer solutions, but will they really fulfill their claims? Remember the things of the world have no ability to speak, see or hear, yet they seem to promise so much. Yet God, He promises much and delivers it - just take a look at His track record!

Israelites, sheep and faith

 Psalm 95:1–11 (ESV): 

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; 

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

 2  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; 

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

 3  For the Lord is a great God, 

and a great King above all gods. 

 4  In his hand are the depths of the earth; 

the heights of the mountains are his also. 

 5  The sea is his, for he made it, 

and his hands formed the dry land. 

 6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; 

let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 

 7  For he is our God, 

and we are the people of his pasture, 

and the sheep of his hand. 

  Today, if you hear his voice, 

 8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, 

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 

 9  when your fathers put me to the test 

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 

 10  For forty years I loathed that generation 

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, 

and they have not known my ways.” 

 11  Therefore I swore in my wrath, 

“They shall not enter my rest.” 

At the beginning of the psalm you may notice the repetition of the phrase ‘let us’. Yet this is not used to ask for permission to do something, but rather the Israelites are encouraging one another TO do something. They are calling each other to worship God. Reminding one another that God is Lord, He is Saviour and He is worthy to be thanked and praised because, ‘the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods’. There is no-one and nothing like Him. He is supreme. He alone created the deepest and highest parts of the world, no-one else has. He also made the seas and the land, all the expanse that we see, and that we do not - God crafted it all. Therefore how can any other power or person ever have authority over Him?! He is ‘a great King above all gods’. Other things may claim power, seem great, make great boasts or be assertive and convincing, but none can even stand before the great King of all. It is good for us to remind ourselves of this. and to encourage one another to worship the One who deserves it. It is easy to lose focus, get distracted or feel down about circumstances and so not feel like worshipping. At times you need other godly men and women to call you to worship to say to you, ‘let us sing’, ‘let us make a joyful noise’, ‘let us come into his presence’, and you need to do this for others too.. There is no reason great enough for you to withhold worship to ‘the Lord, our Maker!’. Who keeps you to account and keeps calling you to worship God? ’the Lord is a great God’ all of the time therefore you can sing, dance, pray, praise and be joyful always because that truth always remains. The fact the God is great is so powerful and strong a truth, that when you really think about it you cannot help but ‘make a joyful noise’!

God is the Maker, He not only made all of the Earth, but he also made you. Therefore He is THE God and He is YOUR God - the only One in supreme authority, plus He makes it personal, He is your God, for you and with you plus you can have relationship with Him. Yet the relationship is not equal - He is your shepherd for you are like a sheep before Him - helpless, fluffy and vulnerable. You need looking after, guiding, carrying, and even telling off sometimes. Do not be like the Israelites by becoming stubborn and hardening your heart (v8). You are vulnerable and weak before God, you do need Him. Do you allow God to guide, correct and carry you? Or are you too intent on doing things your own way? You were never meant to sort all your problems out or make all the decisions independently. A sheep that does that wanders off, gets lost and injured - they don't even know where the best grass is or where the dangers are, that's why they need the shepherd. The Israelites kept forgetting that they were sheep. God provided and guided them, and He urged them to be obedient, but they did not adhere to His words in the big or small things. Instead God says they hardened their hearts and went, ‘astray in their heart’. They didn’t do what they were told, they didn't follow their shepherd. Can the same be said of you? When you hear God’s voice, do you listen and obey, even when it is something you don’t want to hear? Or do you allow your heart to go astray as the Israelites did when they encountered testing times? 

Two notable times that we can see that happening are in Meribah and Massah. These were areas that the Israelites came to during their 40 years in the wilderness where they felt they were not adequately provided for by God as they had no water. This is a big problem. Humans cannot survive more than a couple of days without water. Plus they had cattle to care for, so they were rightly concerned about this. Their response was that they moaned at each other and complained that they had been better off in Egypt. They feared for their lives because they did not have the basics for survival. When that happens it is natural to be concerned and to try to find a solution as something essential is missing from your life. However, the Israelites did not seek their shepherd. They did not trust Him or turn to Him. Instead they complained to one another, then blamed Moses as their earthly leader. The Israelites did not pray. They did not seek God. They did not worship. Instead they moaned to one another about their situation, becoming increasingly fearful that they would all die. When Moses heard about it, he and Aaron approached God. This was their first response, unlike the people, Moses and Aaron demonstrated great leadership and loyalty to their shepherd and ‘great King’. They trusted that even when death stared at them, God could do something. So they prayed, and at both Massah and Meribah, they witnessed God’s miraculous solution as water gushed forth from a rock! These separate situations occurred almost 40 years apart. So we can see that God was giving the Israelites the chance to learn from their previous mistake and lack of faith. He was inviting them to have a different response, but they didn’t. Despite the amount of times that God had healed them, won their battles, guided them with fire and smoke, stopped their shoes from wearing out and provided manna for them each and every day. Despite these miracles, these proofs of God’s power and presence, the people failed to appreciate that God could fulfil every need. They still did not trust Him or surrender to Him. They failed to comprehend that God can do anything, you just need to ask! The Israelites happily accepted God’s daily blessings but seem to see them as something they had a right to, rather than seeing them as a beautiful expression of His love and care for them. Even though they had a lot to be thankful for, and a history of God’s provision and power, their response to this lack of water the second time demonstrated their lack of faith and trust in God. They had not learnt, they had not allowed the mighty miracles and the everyday blessings from God to influence their hearts or faith. The Israelites made the same mistakes and made the same complaints previous generations had. Yet God still provided. Two men had enough faith to approach God, Moses and Aaron. They talked with Him, and God provided, again, miraculously. God acted for the whole nation on the faith of two. Do not underestimate the power of prayer because it does not depend on who is praying, but on the One who hears!

God says of the nation of Israel, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways’. It was easy for them to enjoy the benefits of the safety and care that God gave on a physical level, but they did not have the internal security, confidence and joy of knowing God as their King and Saviour. On the surface they accepted that they were God’s people as part of Israel, but internally their thoughts, desires and mindset were not aligned with God and did not demonstrate any allegiance to Him. When times got tough they did not talk to Him about it. They did not trust that as He is Maker, King and Lord that He could and would do something about their troubles. They just complained. Are you the same? Do you follow God out of habit, duty, or because others do? The fruit of faith is seen when you encounter difficulty. What do you do when life gets hard? When people let you down, disaster occurs, or something life threatening happens, what is your first response? For that shows if you are a sheep faithfully trusting in your shepherd or not. Do you call out to God, let Him know what has occurred and invite Him to show up and change things, or do you go around moaning to whoever will listen? You could approach God, recalling that God has been great before, and trusting that He still is and will be again. This is what Moses and Aaron did unlike the rest of the nation. The people had not really given their lives to God, they only wanted Him to give them what they wanted. Yet they were not obedient, trusting or loving towards Him. Only Moses and Aaron trusted God. When there was a problem, they knew who to go to. They knew there was only One who could solve any issue and bring transformation, the ‘great King above all gods’. So they went straight to Him, and they were involved in some great signs, wonders and miracles because they were all in, are you?

Are you good?

Today as we look at the next psalm, it is important to note that there is another psalm, 53, that is almost identical. So the message of this psalm is doubly important as the Bible has the same message in the same book twice! 

1  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; 

there is none who does good. 

Who can look at the world and all that is in it and not believe there is a God? Or look at the way all things work together, from the organs of the smallest beast to the structure of the most magnificent tree and not recognise that there must be a master creator, designer and sustainer of all things? Only a fool, says the psalmist, can see these things and not consider that there must be a God. The result of this foolish conclusion is living a life without God. As a person rejects God and refuses to even consider the reality of Him, they move away from the source of goodness and love (which is God) and so cannot do what is correct, right, loving, honest or honourable. This leads to the degradation and contortion of character, mindset and desires and develops into; debasement, abuse, degradation, manipulation, and revolting activities. People become corrupt when they turn away from God and do whatever they wish. They live as if they are the master and creator, designer and sustainer of their own existence which leads to distress and despair in the lives of many. It is not good. 

2  The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, 

to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 

3  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; 

there is none who does good, not even one. 

As God beholds what happens on Earth, it does not take Him long to see evil. To see those who have gone away from Him and lead lives of corrupt abomination. In fact, it is difficult for Him to find people that are doing right and are looking for Him. When God looks around He concludes, ‘all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.’ Mankind is in a desperate state. When God looks, He sees no righteous or good people around. 

This may be hard to consider and you may think that you know some 'good' people, yet is any human truly good? Are anyone’s motives pure, innocent, honest? If you could look from God’s perspective, what would you see? You would probably conclude, as He does that every person on Earth has failed to do good but have done some terrible things. Even those that believe and trust in God go awry. They are not truly good either plus they are not whole-heartedly seeking God - they get worn out, selfish and distracted too. So, as God looks upon the Earth we should not be surprised that no-one is good. His standard of goodness is far above ours! All of mankind has failed. We have all gone our own way - you have, I have, others have, so we have all failed to be good and we have all failed to live God-filled lives. 

Therefore as we cannot achieve the level of goodness or godliness God is looking for, how can any of us understand Him or His designs and purposes? Yet, as God looks down upon His world He wishes to find those that are looking for Him -  that is what He is searching for. He is not looking for corruption, debasement and sin, trying to catch people out - God wants to find people who are good and who seeking Him, and He keeps searching. What kind of person will He find when He looks at you?

4  Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers 

who eat up my people as they eat bread 

and do not call upon the Lord? 

5  There they are in great terror, 

for God is with the generation of the righteous. 

Even as God looks on and sees the corruption, lack of people following Him and absence of good in the world, He has pity. How can people eat and drink the very things God has made and not recognise Him? God clearly feels sad and concerned about the way people are living - not for His own sake, but for theirs. Instead of appreciating the provision and life they have, the opportunities and delights, people take everyday blessings for granted and end up not just consuming food to live, but end up consuming the lives of others in order to have more themselves. People can think this is success, profit, achievement. Yet cannot see that depravity, distress and the debasement of life is never good or fulfilling. So the spiral into sin continues as mankind do not learn or seek to learn that life can be different. Instead they continue in selfish ignorance seeking after more at the expense of others. They are in great danger. For there is a God that looks upon the Earth. He sees the abuse of His world and His people and it grieves and angers Him. Those who are oblivious and unconcerned about His presence and power are living in great peril. For the Almighty God sees and will act. One day, anyone that has been living in ignorance or disobedience to God will feel the terror of their decisions. Will that be you?

6  You would shame the plans of the poor, 

but the Lord is his refuge. 

7  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! 

When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, 

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. 

Those that are overlooked or oppressed will be upheld by God Himself. Even if others shame them, treat them with derision and abuse them, God looks out for them. He will rescue them and be their strength - The Lord is on their side. If that is you - rejoice! If you know that you have treated others in such a manner - tremble! For God will, ‘restore the fortunes of His people’ - one day we will all get what we deserve. Are you living to receive the terror or salvation of God?

Even though God has looked down and seen the awful state of humanity and the evil and lack of good in each person, He still cares about His creation. He still loves and wants the best for those He has made this is why there is the hope of salvation. When this psalm was written, there was the hope and looking forward to a time when people could be truly restored, forgiven and made good. Now those things are attainable. Salvation has come from Zion (v7)! Through Jesus, the son of God, salvation has arrived. No longer do you have to worry yourself about being good enough because Jesus was - he lived the perfect life of goodness that no-one else could achieve. He did that, then he traded that life for a gruesome death in order to put to death all your ungodliness, corruption and vileness. Now you can be free from all sin and wickedness and considered by God as good. This happens when you trust and believe in Jesus and all that he did, and accept that he sacrificed his life as the pure and final atonement for sin. Then, like Jesus, you can live a new life. One where the old has been put to death. You can be forgiven, restored and made good because Jesus goodness can become your goodness. If you decide to live a life seeking God and trusting in Jesus for freedom from sin, then when God looks upon the Earth he will see you and see you as good. As, when he looks at you he no longer will see all the bad stuff, he will just see how you represent His perfect son! Are you trusting in Jesus for your salvation - for freedom from the spiral of sin and the desire to be good?

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

Knowing God defines who you are

 Psalm 8:1–9 (ESV):  

1  O Lord, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth! 

You have set your glory above the heavens. 

2  Out of the mouth of babies and infants, 

you have established strength because of your foes, 

to still the enemy and the avenger. 

3  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, 

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 

4  what is man that you are mindful of him, 

and the son of man that you care for him? 

5  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings 

and crowned him with glory and honour. 

6  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; 

you have put all things under his feet, 

7  all sheep and oxen, 

and also the beasts of the field, 

8  the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, 

whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 

9  O Lord, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth! 

Did you know that because of who God is, you can know who you are?

Through this psalm we see something of the majesty of God and the reality of humanity revealed by David. He firstly begins by extolling God reminding himself that God is; majestic, all-powerful, in charge, magnificent and glorious. So much so that every living thing testifies of God’s goodness, no matter if they can even speak or not! God’s creativity is strong and beautiful, nothing can compare with it. Is this who you know God to be? 

It is good to remind yourself of the nature of God, because no matter what is going on around you or who you think you are, God still remains. He will always have these awesome characteristics, He will never change, He will be the same for all eternity, and He has seen and created all things. Therefore you can trust what He says about humanity. and what He says about you. 

David from beholding God, wonders about man. Considering God’s character, he ponders why does God even care for people? Why does humanity get so much of God’s attention and care? Why does a majestic, powerful, glorious, peaceful creator even bother with mankind?

These are good questions to ask - What is mankind’s significance? Why does God take time to consider and care for you? When you consider who God is, do you ever wonder why he bothers with humanity or even just yourself? David ponders these things and is blown away by the realisation that not only does God think about mankind and look after us, but he has given us authority and power too! Not only is God your creator and sustainer, but He also enables you to have the life you should have. He has given you responsibility, purpose and worth. Do you realise that? Are you living in the truth of that? You have been crowned ‘with glory and honour’ and you have a purpose and responsibility here on Earth (v5-6).

God values you. Yes, you! The almighty, powerful, glorious God likes, loves and looks after you and He has a job for you to do. He has given you glory, honour, power and authority - are you using it?

God has given you a position here on this planet on purpose. Do you think such a consistent, capable and creative God would make a mistake? As undeserving and as incapable as you may feel, you have been ‘crowned’ by the King of Heaven to take responsibility on this Earth. God has given you:

Position ’a little lower than the heavenly beings’, 

Purpose, ‘dominion over the works of your hands’,

Authority, ‘all things under his feet’. 

The question is - what are you doing with what the Lord has given you?

If you are reading this and feel unworthy, then you are absolutely right! You do not deserve the consideration and position that God has given you. Yet He has given it to you all the same. He expects you to use the gifts, talents, skills and position that He has given you to take care of His creation. So, how are you doing that? How are you living up to the reality of who you are in light of who God is? This glorious, majestic, powerful, mighty, creator God has a plan and purpose for your life, are you seeking Him to find it? God has given you a task to do that you are capable of, after all you are only, ‘a little lower than the heavenly beings’! You have a position, purpose and authority and you have a duty to find out what that is and how you can use it to honour God and all He has made. Can you imagine the beauty of the world and mankind if everyone knew and lived their God-given roles and responsibilities? Not everyone may do so or come to know what they are made for, but you can. You can bring positive influence and care into this Earth by stepping up and stepping into what God has got for you. So, like David, take time to appreciate who it is whom has formed you and then go and show His majesty and power through being who He has created you to be!

‘O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!’ God, help us each to remember you and find out what it is you will have us do today. Amen

In the beginning, God...

 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. *2*The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 

Genesis 1:2

Isn’t that a great verse to start with, it commences the whole Bible, ‘in the beginning, God’. It all starts with this God, the very beginning of everything, God was there, and from this point on we can embark on a journey of discovery about who this God is, starting here, the opening of the Bible,  so what is the very first thing we learn about God?

We discover that God has the capacity and desire to create. He made the heavens and Earth. He constructed them out of a meaningless, emptiness. God is creator, that is the first thing we see. 

Do you notice that at the initial stage of creation the Earth was pretty useless? It was 'without form and void', empty and shapeless - rather worthless. It was covered in darkness, an area of confusion and the unknown, yet the Spirit of God was present, 'hovering'. 

This reminds me of times we have in life when we are feeling worthless, and life seems confusing and surrounded by darkness, so we can feel empty and alone. These verses bring hope that God is there - His Spirit is over the situation. God is present and about to create something new. If God can form the whole world out of empty darkness, then surely He can  transform the formless void that we can sometimes find ourselves in. If that sounds like your life right now, then know that the Spirit of God is hovering; observing, present and ready for action. Keep focussed, and prepare for the new form of life God will create.

Who is Jesus?

Just from the opening lines of Hebrews, we can see the richness of who Jesus is. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are the things we can pick out from the very start of this book in Hebrews 1:1-4:

Jesus is;
God’s son
Appointed
Heir of all things
Creator
Radiant
Glory of God
Exact imprint
Upholder of the universe
Powerful
Purifier
Majestic
Superior to angels
Excellent

Number 1, Jesus is God’s son. A son has a duty to follow his father, to reflect who his father is and carry out the father’s work and continue his reputation. It carries a responsibility and expectation that seeing the son means you see aspects of the father. As a result of Jesus’ sonship, many of the following attributes listed can be ascribed - like the fact that Jesus has been appointed by the father.

The appointment Jesus received means he has been; given authority, entrusted and ordained. Jesus not only carries the Father’s attributes, as the consequence of being God’s son, but he has also been commissioned. Jesus has work to do.

For Jesus, the job he was commissioned with was no easy task. His duty was to draw God and people together again. To bridge the gap between divinity and unsacred man. To breach the wide chasm of the holy, pure God, and sinful mankind. What a job! His father entrusted him to carry out this task, knowing that Jesus is the only one able to do it. No-one else bears the; characteristics, capabilities or commission to achieve this task. No-one can work hard enough, try hard enough or be enough to reach God without Jesus. God knew Jesus could and would do what was required. He knew Jesus carried the weight of sonship and his appointment. Only Jesus could bridge the gap, even if it would result in torture, abandonment and death.

Doesn’t that sound strange?
The fact that although Jesus is, ‘the heir of all things’, he suffered. He bled, he died, he felt pain and loneliness. Jesus -  the one who deserves complete honour, respect and adoration, the one who owns all of creation, the one who has unlimited power - was still living under duty and obedience!

Jesus has all power and authority, possession of the whole universe, yet he acknowledges and accepts the will of the father. Jesus still did things he didn’t want to do, he still acted in obedience even though all of creation can’t exist without him - What a contrast! A powerful, mighty, creator, and an obedient, loving, sacrificial son.
Jesus not only demonstrates his power through mighty works, miracles or creation, but he also displays incredible power through his obedience, sacrifice and forgiveness. No wonder that God’s glory is demonstrated in him!
God’s presence is perceived and felt when Jesus is present - the beauty, perfection, wonder and magnificence of God is shown through Jesus. Many people who met him know he was different, the people, the outsiders, those in power and authority, even the religious people realised Jesus was different - there was no denying it. No-one could quite pinpoint his ‘otherness’, but it was clear that he was different to all other people. That must of been because he showed the glory of God - no-one had seen or experienced it before. It was weird and different, inspiring and scary. Jesus could show the glory of God because he is, ‘the exact imprint’ of God. Jesus is an exact reflection of God, not a fake or a cheap alternative, but the genuine article - 100% God. Total holiness, power, goodness and righteousness walking the Earth. Jesus showed who God is all the time. He, as the; son, anointed, heir, creator, imprint and glory of God, is also the one who, ‘upholds the universe by the word of his power’. Wow! Not only was Jesus involved in creation, but this phrase shows that Jesus is continually sustaining creation. Jesus is interested and invested the continuance of what He has made, and still works to uphold his creation. He is just as interested and invested in your life now as he ever was - are you as interested and invested in him?

So, to recap - Jesus is God’s son, 100%, He has authority and power. He was around at the beginning of the universe, and he is still involved in it’s functioning. So how does this effect us?
The very next phrase answers this as Jesus has made, ‘purification for sins’. Not through some ritual, but this obedient son of God, this 100% God-man, the anointed creator made it possible for us to be cleansed and restored relationship with God. He did this through love. He loves God and us more than himself, so this powerful and majestic Jesus gave up all he had in order to give you the chance to know freedom from all you’ve done wrong. Jesus is not a distant eternal entity, but completely invested in all that he has made, and that includes you. He is so invested in fact that he willingly gave himself over to be beaten, tortured, disowned and separated from his Father in order to give you the opportunity to see his Father. Jesus was killed because he wanted you to know something of the purity he knows. To give you the chance to know the Father he knows. You don’t have to live anymore with the stigma or reputation of your wrongs if you accept that Jesus has got it covered. He took all your punishment to allow you to walk free. Are you?

Then, after Jesus had completed the job, just to make sure that we realise the awesomeness of who Jesus is - he goes and sits on the heavenly royal throne, right next to his Father!
Jesus now sits in heaven, in his rightful place. Surrounded by heavenly beings and angels whom he is greater than.
People can have an awe about angels, we hear accounts of people meeting them, both past and present and we are impressed and probably a little jealous! Yet, these heavenly creatures, these messengers, protectors who sit in the presence of God are much less than Jesus. Jesus is, ‘much superior’ and ‘more excellent’ than they. Let us treat with reverence and awe the name of Jesus as those in heaven do. Let us be more inspired by Jesus than we are by anything else.

So, today, consider the power of the name of Jesus, what does he mean to you? What should he mean to you? How does your acknowledgment of who he is effect your life?