EquipU Online Library

“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 40:28)

“Hey, Tim – will you look at that moon?” James poked his friend’s sleeping bag.

“Hm-m-m?…hey – I was just falling asleep!” Tim rolled over on his back.

“Sorry – it takes me awhile when I’m in the back yard like this. So…how long do you think the moon has been hanging up there in space like that?”

“Well, it’s been there at least for the ten and one-half years that I have been alive.” Tim yawned.

“Seriously, Tim. My Sunday school teacher said that God created the world about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. So if the moon was created on the third day, then it could be close to 10,000 years old.”

“That is a long time to be hanging around in one place. Now I know for sure the moon’s not made of cheese!” Tim laughed at his joke.

“But Tim, that’s not long at all to God – He’s been around forever.” James folded his pillow in half and tried to wedge it more comfortably under his head.

“How could someone live forever? That would mean that He was never born and that He would never die.”

“Exactly, Tim. But God’s not just anyone – He is the ‘Eternal God.’”

“Wow – I think I would get tired or bored living that long. He must be really old.” Tim leaned on one elbow and looked at James in the darkness. “Do you think God has white hair?”

James tried to think of a way to explain, but it was hard. “Well, I know He doesn’t look like us, and He doesn’t age the same way we do. He doesn’t have to live by time like we do. He doesn’t have to use any calendars or clocks.”

“No? But how does He know when to do things? Doesn’t He ever forget?”

“Shhh! If you keep asking questions so loud, you’re going to wake up my parents. Maybe even the neighbors! Anyway, I’m not sure how God can live eternally, but He does. And I don’t think He forgets things. I’m glad you’re coming to church with me tomorrow. We can talk to my teacher about it.” James yawned. “But if we are going to be ready in the morning, don’t you think we should try to get some sleep now?”

“Oh, all right, then,” said Tim, a little more quietly this time. “I just hope I can remember all my questions until morning. Now I’m the one who’s wide awake!”

Our God lives forever.

My Response:
» Have you ever just sat and thought about how long forever is?
» From his conversation about the Eternal God, how might James go on to tell Tim about salvation?
» Do you feel more secure, knowing that God is everlasting?

“Whom the LORD loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12)

Sometimes parents have to correct their children. Perhaps someone has had to correct you recently! Correction doesn’t feel too great, does it? It is humbling to be told you were in the wrong about something. But correction is helpful, too, because it points out what is wrong and explains how to make it right. If your mom or dad correct you in this way, it is because they love you. They want what is best for you, so they help you avoid behavior that will bring bad consequences.

God also loves you and wants what is best for you. When you obey God, it brings glory to Him and good to you. When you disobey God, it dishonors Him and brings bad consequences to you. God wants your life to bring glory to Him, so He corrects you when you do bad things.

One way God corrects us is through His Word. The Bible points out the things that are wrong, and it explains how we can change to make things right. As you read the Bible, watch for verses that correct you. These corrective verses are special expressions of God’s love for you! It might be humbling to have to admit that you have been wrong about something, but remember – correction is loving! And how can it be loving for God or anyone else to tell you that you have messed up? because it keeps you from making bad mistakes with bad consequences. Responding rightly to correction will change your life for God’s glory and your own good.

God’s correction of His children is proof of His love for them.

My Response:
» When I read the Bible, do I look for God’s correction?
» When God or my parents correct me, do I receive it as an expression of love?

“Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you…. And the house of Israel called the name thereof manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” (Exodus 16:4a, 31)

Every evening at dusk, Granny Ludlow fills her bird feeders with bird seed. In the morning, the birds are probably amazed to see that there is more seed for them to eat. Granny wonders what the birds would be saying if they could speak. Maybe they would be asking, “Where did this fresh food come from? It was almost gone yesterday when we went back to our nests. Does the seed grow overnight?” Granny can imagine them feeling a little confused. Perhaps they are chirping to one another in their own bird language: “Having enough to eat every morning is a mystery we don’t understand – but we sure are happy when we see the food again!” It doesn’t really matter what the birds think, though. Granny gives them food every day because she cares about them and enjoys providing for them.

When Moses was leading the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land, the people were hungry and needed food for their health and strength. Moses couldn’t just go to the grocery store and buy food for thousands and thousands of people. He depended upon God to supply what they needed. At first, the Israelites were not very happy with Moses. They told him, “Ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (See Exodus 16:1-8.)

God heard his people’s complaints, and He knew their needs. He told Moses that He would “rain bread” from heaven. The people called it “manna.” God gave clear instructions about how much manna they should keep and eat each day, but some did not obey Him. They did not believe Him that there would be enough food for them the next day. So some of the people gathered more than they needed for one day and planned to keep it overnight to save it for the next day – just in case God did not provide for them the next day, they thought. But those people who thought they could outsmart God were sorry for it. The manna they kept overnight got wormy and spoiled. It had to be thrown away, anyway. Instead, they should have trusted that God, Who provided for them today, would also provide for them tomorrow.

God was the Provider, and He decided what He would provide. God gave them plenty of manna each day, to be gathered during the morning. After the sun rose higher, the manna for that day would melt away. In the evenings, God gave the people meat to eat. He wanted the Israelites to know they needed to depend on Him instead of trusting in their own wisdom or in their own abilities. Human beings are not God, and God wants us to know Who He is and what He can and will do for us – for His glory, and for our good. He says, “Ye shall know that I am Lord your God.” (Exodus 16:12b) God wants us to trust Him and to believe that He will provide all that is needed in our lives. Today, thank God for all He is and all He does for us daily. Isn’t He deserving of our trust?

God’s character and works have proven trustworthy over and over again.

My Response:
» Do I believe that the God Who provided what I needed yesterday can and and will provide what I need for tomorrow, too?
» Do I have a spirit of gratitude for all that God has given me?
» Am I trusting God daily to take care of me?

“That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” / “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12 / Ephesians 5:17)

William Law was born in 1686, and he died in 1761. Maybe you have never heard of him. He was not a celebrity or a politician or a war hero. He was not even a popular evangelist or a missionary martyr. Whatever he did in his life was not “important” enough to get him fame or to keep him memorable to us who are living now, more than 200 years after he has gone to be with the Lord.

But William Law – whoever he was – wrote this:

      “From morning to night, keep Jesus in thy heart,
       long for nothing, desire nothing, hope for nothing
       but to have all that is within thee changed into
       the spirit and temper of the holy Jesus.”

What is your idea of “success”? Is it that you would make a lot of money? Is it that people would know your name and remember all the things you did in your life? For William Law, “success” meant becoming more and more and more like Jesus Christ, from the inside out. He wanted to keep Jesus as his main goal. He wanted to be Christlike more than he wanted anything else. We don’t remember much about William Law today. In the world’s eyes, he was probably never very “successful.” But Christians can learn from his writings, and Christians can learn from his personal example.

If you are trusting in Christ as your Savior, is it your desire to learn God’s will for your life? God’s idea of “success” is not that a person does a lot of famous things or earns a lot of money. The Bible teaches that God wants Christians to glorify Him by becoming more and more like His Son, Jesus Christ. That is God’s idea of “success” for His people. This is what God wills; this is what God wants. 1 Thessalonians 4:3a says, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.”

Sanctification is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. Sanctification is what William Law was longing for. Why? Because it was William Law’s greatest desire to please God by becoming like Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

To trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, yet never think about Him, never read the Bible, never pray to Him, and never tell others about Him – that must be a disappointment to Him. Because of Who Christ is and what He has done for us, becoming more like Him should be our greatest desire – no matter what else we are able to do in our lives, and no matter what else we might be remembered for.

God is pleased when we are becoming more like His Son.

My Response:
» Am I more concerned about pleasing myself or pleasing God?
» What is my idea of a “successful” life, and does it match up with God’s idea of “successful”?
» How have I been changing to become more like Jesus Christ?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.” / “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” (Psalm 111:10a / Proverbs 2:6)

Have you ever made a choice that you thought was a good choice at the time, but you learned later that it was a very poor choice? This happens a lot to many of us. Why? Because we are human. Unlike God, Who is all-knowing, we human beings do not know everything. Unlike God, Who is perfectly holy, we human beings choose to break laws and to sin against God and other people. Unlike God, Who is all-wise, we human beings are not able to see the future or guess what might happen in the end, so we make foolish or silly mistakes sometimes.

It is part of our nature to want to feel accepted. You may feel you will be better liked if you follow the “wisdom” of a crowd. You may think that if everyone else is doing it, it must be a good thing. But a crowd of human beings is not any better than one human being when it comes to making good choices. A group of people needs God’s wisdom just as much as one individual person needs God’s wisdom.

God wants all of His children to make wise choices that honor Him. He knows we are human and that we have limitations, but He freely offers His own wisdom to us instead! If we will follow the counsel and advice of the Lord, and if we will walk in the “light” that His Word gives us, then we will learn to be wiser ourselves, and we will make wise choices.

From the moment you wake up until the time you go to bed you make many choices. These choices could affect your life for many years to come. There are many people who think about their past choices and wish they could “do it over again” – but they can’t. Older Christians who have been seeking God’s wisdom for a long time have some experience that could help you when you are not sure what God is teaching you. These wise people are one way God can give you wisdom. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” It always helps to ask a wise person for help, and there are many people who genuinely care about you and want to see you make the choices God would want you to make.

Most of all, God gives His wisdom through His Word. Read Proverbs 4 to learn more about God’s wisdom. Remember, even when other human beings fail us, God is our best Resource for wisdom when we need it. The book of James says that God invites us to ask Him for wisdom, and He gives grace to humble people. Are you humble enough to admit that you need God’s direction and advice, or are you trying to make right choices all on your own?

God gives His wisdom to those who are willing to ask for it and follow it.

My Response:
» Am I too proud to admit that I need God’s help with choices I have to make?
» When I am not sure about something, is it my habit to ask God first for help?
» What makes God the best Counselor I could ever have?