God of the Top and of the Bottom

'...Underneath are the everlasting arms....' Deuteronomy 33:27 NKJV

Addressing the nation of Israel for the last time, Moses told them,

'There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the Heavens to help you...The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you...' (Deuteronomy 33:26-27 NLT). 

As you read the Bible you discover God:

did a lot of spectacular things for His people on mountaintops. 

On Mount Moriah,

He met with Abraham and Isaac, revealing Himself as 'Jehovah Jireh', which means 'the Lord will provide.' 

On Mount Horeb,

He spoke to Moses through a burning bush and changed the nation of Israel's destiny. 

On Mount Sinai,

He gave the Ten Commandments. 

On Mount Carmel,

He sent down fire from Heaven, consuming the prophets of Baal and turning the hearts of His people back to Him.

But suddenly Moses made a shift in the middle of telling about this great God of high places. 

It is as though he was thinking, 'I can't leave these people with the thought that God is only on top; that He's with us only when everything is going right.' So he continued, 'The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.'

The Hebrew word for 'underneath' means 'bottom'.

So it could be translated, 'God's arms are underneath you when you're on the bottom.' 

No matter how deep the valley you have to walk, God's presence is deeper. 

It may feel like you are down today, but you cannot go so low that He is not there. 

Underneath you are His everlasting arms. 

The truth is: 

He's not just the God of the top; He's also the God of the bottom.

Soul Food: Gen 24:1 - 25:18, John 14:15-25, Ps 118:19-29, Pr 31:14-17

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Friday, 29 November 2013

APPS available here

It's True

Trust Your Bible. 

'...that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled...' Matthew 26:56 NIV

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled no less than 29 different Old Testament prophecies. The odds of that happening are virtually impossible! Mathematician Peter Stoner has a graphic example similar to this: suppose New South Wales was covered in dollar coins half a metre deep. One of the coins has a mark on it. What is the probability that a blindfolded person could, on their first attempt, select that exact coin? That's the likelihood of just eight prophecies being fulfilled in one lifetime.

However Jesus fulfilled 29 of them in one day!

Let's look at some of the prophecies He fulfilled:

(1) '...They pierced My hands and...feet.' (Psalm 22:16 NKJV)

(2) 'They divide My garments...and...cast lots.' (Psalm 22:18 NKJV)

(3) '...in that day...I will make the sun go down at noon, and...darken the earth in...daylight.' (Amos 8:9 NKJV)

Jesus predicted both His death and His resurrection. He told His critics, '..."Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."...the temple He had spoken of was His body.' (John 2:19-21 NIV) Jesus orchestrated every event, including Judas' betrayal, the high priest's hypocrisy and Peter's denial. Why? 'That the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.'

So you can trust your Bible because it's true. And something else is true too. God is '...able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...' (Ephesians 3:20 NIV) Note the words 'immeasurably more'. What seems impossible to you at the moment is all in a day's work for Him. So start trusting Him to work on your behalf.

SoulFood: 2 Chr 5-7, Luke 14:25-35, Ps 119:81-88, Pr 21:17-19

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Monday, 19 August 2013

APPS available here