Devotion

Romans 8:15

Abba is not a name we use often in our vocabulary, but what does it mean? It means “Father.” But if Abba means “Father,” why does it say “father” in English too? Maybe it is simply saying that God the Father is now “our Father.” Wow, what a comforting thought!

I cannot imagine what it would be like to be fatherless or to be abandoned by my father. Unfortunately, many know that as a reality. Well, here is the good news: At the beginning of the verse, he tells us we don’t have to live in fear. Why? Because we have been adopted by God the Father and we can now call him “our Father!”

To be adopted means several things: 1) I will never be alone or abandoned again! 2) I have a new family of brothers and sisters in Christ. 3) The Spirit affirms in me constantly that I am God’s child. 8:16 4) I receive all the benefits of being in God’s family. 8:17 5) I have a future home where I will be with my Father for eternity!

Spend some time today thanking God for adopting you!

- Pastor Chad

Exodus 3:13-14

The first name for God used in the Bible is ELOHIM, mentioned over 30 times in Genesis 1 alone.  The root of Elohim is "El," which means mighty or strong (Deuteronomy 10:17; Genesis 17:1). It signifies governing power, omnipotence, and sovereignty. Some theologians have suggested that Elohim's origin is the word "Alah," which means "to declare" or "to swear," signifying God as the one who keeps His covenant (1 Kings 8:23). 

Throughout Scripture, God (Elohim) makes covenants with man, putting Himself in covenant with man.  Elohim made a covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:18; 9:15-16), Abraham (Genesis 15:18; 17:2), Israel (Exodus 2:24-25), and with believers today (1 Corinthians 11:25) – in salvation (John 10:28), prayer (John 16:23), forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and more!

Elohim comes to us as the One who is strong and mighty enough to keep the covenant He has made.  He declares in Leviticus 26:12, “I will walk among you, and will be your God, [Elohim].”  Scripture declares our response in Psalm 91:2, “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; [Elohim] in him will I trust.”

- Pastor Micah

Do you know what warships, advancing armies, and houses of parliament all have in common?  Since ancient days, banners or flags have been used by these types of entities to signal who they belong to, who they serve, and who protects them. Even the Israelites, as they traveled through the wilderness, walked in military divisions beneath their family banner and were easily identified by friends or foes by their banner overhead. 

In Exodus 17, the Israelites were at war with Amalek, and as Moses stood on the hilltop watching the battle, he lifted his hands and staff toward heaven, and God gave the Israelites victory.  It was there that Moses built an altar of thanksgiving and introduced us to Jehovah Nissi, God is My Banner.  Moses was waving the victory flag that the enemy might know - they belonged to God. 

As believers in Christ, we, too, belong to God. When we pray, we engage the enemy under the Banner of God.  We can pray with courage and boldness because the enemy doesn’t see us, he sees our Banner.  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7).

- Jodi Sewall

Isaiah 7:14

This prophecy in Isaiah was fulfilled with the birth of Christ, as mentioned in Matthew 1:21-23. Immanuel means "God with us."

God… Think for a minute about the fact that there is a God (Psalm 18:1-3) and that only a fool would object otherwise (Psalm 14:1). 

With… This is the strongest possible form of this preposition.  It depicts a forging or bonding.  Charles Spurgeon once likened this as a riveting – even a cleaving.  The creator God has joined himself to us (see John 1:14).

Us – That is you and me.  The force of “with” really helps us now in our understanding.

Are you alone? I have good news for you - God is with you. Are you weary? Embrace the reality that God is with you. Are you full of sorrow? Lift up your eyes to the One who is with you. Are you approaching death? Know that your Father is with you.

I am grateful that God promises to be with me, a name we often celebrate at Christmas time. Yet, the most beautiful gift of God is with us all year long.

- Pastor Micah

Genesis 15:1-6; Ezekiel 16:8b; Colossians 1:16; Exodus 3:14

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all wrestle with authority.  We are all rebels at heart, some of us just do a better job of disguising it.  There are many firsts mentioned in the opening six verses of chapter 15 of Genesis.  The greatest of these is when we see the name Lord God-Adonai.  Abraham is acknowledging God's rule, His supreme and sovereign authority not only in the universe but over his own life.   

Living as a disciple of Christ is to live with the constant reality that we are “not our own,” as Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 6. We have been “bought with a price.”  Our redemption is a reminder that, because of what Christ has done for us, we belong uniquely to God.  He is over us, and we are under His rule and reign; we are to live lives of submission and service.  

When we call God Adonai, we are acknowledging both His leadership and His ownership as our Lord, Master, and Ruler. God’s good and gracious hand is on us and over us.  This causes us to live with gratitude and a grateful heart.  Friend, because we belong to God we can live each day knowing He is watching over us, we are His child, and we can enjoy and embrace His promises, protection, peace, and provision.

- Pastor Todd

Psalm 90:1

Ma’on (Ma-own) doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it means Our Dwelling Place. If you read the full passage, 1-17, you would find it deals quite a bit with the topic of time. But what does time have to do with God being Our Dwelling Place?” As this psalm establishes, man’s time on this earth is in limited supply. The wisest thing we can do with our time is to spend it in God’s presence!

There are several things to praise God for that pertain to us dwelling with Him:

• God actually allows us to know Him and come near His presence! v.1

• God tells us how long we can expect to live. So, make sure that your life is counting for what matters most! v.9-12

• God satisfies us here on earth! We don’t have to look to empty substitutes. v.14

4) God’s favor will be upon those who dwell with Him, and He will establish their work. v.17

Run to God today and spend some special time in His dwelling place. Spend time praising Him from Psalm 90, and by using these four prompts. –Pastor Chad

In Matthew 14, we recount the story of Jesus sending the disciples out in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. During the night, the boat was being pounded by the wind and waves. When the disciples saw Jesus coming towards them, walking on the water, it terrified them. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus immediately spoke to them and said, "Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”

Florida and the states to our north have just gone through Hurricane Helene, and then again through Hurricane Milton in Florida. We experienced fear of the wind, water, and unknown dangers. Many people are still suffering from the damage and tremendous loss. Our hearts sincerely go out to them. Some of us have loved ones who were in the hardest hit areas. Our only comfort and hope during this time was knowing Jehovah Shammah – “The Lord is There.”

As the children of God we have confidence knowing that, like the disciples, Jesus has assured us that He is with us, and to take courage and not be afraid. Whatever the storm we face, we are given a foundational truth in God's Word.

- Faith Brooks

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13 

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last.  Each time that this phrase is used God is in the process of reminding the reader of His imminent return.  It is used as a comfort and assurance of justice to those who are suffering for doing what is right and as a warning to those who think and act as if they answer to no one. 

Alpha defines Christ as everlasting which tells us that He has no beginning.  It establishes Him as the originator of all of life and our salvation.  It reveals that He is the preeminent part of life and that life only has meaning when our love for Him is at the center of our hearts, minds, and actions.

Omega emphasizes Christ’s ‘absolute limitlessness to meet all the needs of His finite people’ 1  It reminds us that He has a plan that He is executing one step at a time until His purposes reach the ending point that He intended.  What an encouragement and incentive to our hearts to take all that concerns us to our loving and limitless Savior in prayer!

- Amy Bush

In Genesis 16:13-14, we find the Egyptian slave Hagar. Hagar had an encounter with God in the desert. She addressed God as El Roi which means, “The God Who Sees Me.” Hagar’s God is the same God who we serve today. The same God who knows our circumstances just as He knew Hagar’s. Our God knows every detail of our past, present, and future. David tells us in Psalm 33:18-20, that the Lord keeps His eye on those who trust in Him for salvation, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in the most difficult times. As believers, we wait for the Lord who is our help and our protector.  King Solomon states in Proverbs 15:3 that God also keeps his eye on the good and the evil of this world. God warns us in Psalm 90:8 that even our secret sins cannot be hidden from Him and again in Jeremiah 23:24 we are reminded by the Lord that there is nowhere to hide from God. The good news is that God is in control. Nothing escapes his attention. We are safe in His hands. John 10:28-29.

- Tom Adams

I Samuel 2:3

El Deah (day-aw) is not a name we typically use, but it means “The God of Knowledge.” We find this unique name in the story of Hannah. Hannah was provoked to bitterness by another woman because she couldn’t have a child. Hannah prays a conditional prayer before the Lord that if He would give her a son, she would give him to the Lord for all the days of his life. After she cried out to God, He graciously gave her a son named, Samuel.

Hannah then pens a song to the Lord (1-10) of thanksgiving and praise for providing Samuel. In v.3, she seemingly responds to this woman who provoked her about being childless: “Talk no more exceeding proudly. . .” Why? Because God is “The God of Knowledge.”

God knows your heart, and He knows my heart. No matter what other people do or say to me or against me, God knows everything, and I can simply run to Him and trust Him. Maybe today, instead of trying to take matters into our own hands, we should run to The God of Knowledge and ask Him to intervene on our behalf.

- Pastor Chad

Judges 6:1-24

Gideon lived in a time when Israel, because of their disobedience, had no peace. The Midianites had overrun the land. They carried away their crops and livestock.  We, too, live in a world that is devoid of peace. Wars rage all around us. Natural disasters, like hurricanes, destroy our homes and cities.

In this passage, Gideon is hiding and afraid. He is without peace. Our hearts are often the same. We are overcome by our circumstances and feel that God has abandoned us.

Next, an angel of the Lord calls Gideon to save Israel from their oppressors. Gideon’s fear and faltering faith are on full display.  He asks for a sign. The angel of the Lord graciously grants his request and declares: “Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.” (vs. 23) The Lord gives us a similar promise: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

The Lord is Peace. No matter what your circumstances are today, remember this: rest in His Almighty arms and let your heart be secure in His peace. He will never fail you or forsake you. (Joshua 5:1).

- Peter Verkaik

The Patriarchs did not know God by the name Jehovah but by His name El-Shaddai – “God Almighty” (Exodus 6:2-3).  Read Genesis 17:1-3 to see what Scripture reveals about El-Shaddai – “God Almighty.”

"El" is found 250 times in the Bible.  The word "El" is the root of Elohim from which we get "mighty, power, omnipotence, the strong one."  It describes God as the strength giver to His people (Psalm 18:2; 68:35).  The word “Shaddai” is translated 48 times in the Bible. It further describes God as "Almighty" (Job 8:3-5; Isaiah 13:16).

In Genesis 17, Abraham had taken matters into his own hands and by fleshly means had a son, Ishmael.  Though God had promised a son to Abraham, he took matters into his own hands.  We learn through this example that El-Shaddai needs no help from the works of man.  Abraham and Sarah had to learn that what God promises, He will give. He needs no fleshly help.

Are we any different today?  It is easy to push our agenda and ‘help God out.’  But He is El-Shaddai – God Almighty.  He doesn’t need our help.  He requires trust and obedience.

- Pastor Micah