August 6, 2022
Good Morning Yahweh. It’s the sixth day of the month. I remember that movie called “The Sixth Day” which was about a man being cloned but because I can be slow sometimes and I’m not expecting Hollywood movies to really use the Bible, I didn’t quite understand why the movie was called the Sixth Day. Until later. Should it have been obvious to someone who believes in the Creation story? Probably. But it wasn’t.
It’s funny how often we try to elevate ourselves above you. But you created us. You created us – on the sixth day, but scripture shows us on so many instances where we think that we are all powerful and mighty.
Genesis 11:4 – Then they said, “Let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves so that we won’t become scattered all over the face of the earth.”
SIDEBAR: I’ve heard it said that you felt threatened and threw a tantrum. Now I know I don’t need to defend you, cause you’re God, but honestly I had to respond, because while you do get angry, a temper tantrum indicates lack of control which is so not you. Anyhow back to…
They were attempting to physically elevate themselves to where you desire. To make themselves like you. But you also knew where that type of thinking would lead them (I’m looking at you Lucifer) and stopped it out of mercy for them. And the truth is: unity is dangerous. A united people can do mighty works. But if united for the wrong reasons, they can destroy and in this case, falsely believe that they are like you.
Daniel 4:30 – The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
And before he could actually utter the words, he heard that the kingdom will be taken away from him for seven years until he recognised to whom the glory belongs.
Nebuchadnezzar said that all this was done for his glorious honour, but all glory belongs to you and when we seek to claim the glory intended for you for ourselves, we are laying the foundation for an epic disaster.
One of the reasons we were created?
To glorify Yahweh.
Glorify (Dictionary): to bestow wonder, praise and admiration: to light up brilliantly.
Glorify (Bible): to praise, to honour, to extol in thought or word: to exalt.
When we exalt ourselves. We are lifting up ourselves when we ought to be lifting you up. When you are lifted to, all men are drawn to you (John 12:32). But when we lift ourselves up, we actually create division and chaos and not unity in the long run. Because every man then thinks, so why can’t I also be exalted? Why him? And then each person seeks to make themselves seem more important than the next, then wars break out and people are hurt. Because we try to take what is yours for ourselves. Stealing basically.
Revelation 4:11 – “Our Lord and God, you deserve to receive glory, honor, and power because you created everything. Everything came into existence and was created because of your will.”
CONFESSION: I was trying to do a series similar to the “By” series, with glorify, magnify etc with you as the focus, but it didn’t quite feel quite right. Then I thought, “Yes!! We were created to worship you!” So it became a “created to” series. But here’s the truth. You didn’t create us to worship you. You created us because you wanted to (Revelation 4:11). Because you love us. And we glorify you because you deserve it, but you didn’t sit down one day and decide that, “I need to be worshipped even more, let’s make another being to do just that.” When you created us, you walked and talked with us because you wanted to. You wanted relationship.
You created us because of your will.
Will : theléma : wishes, desires, choice, pleasure.
It was a pleasure to do so. But when we stepped away from you, we created an environment that required us to fix our eyes firmly on you so that we don’t fall further and further away from you. To recognise that you are sovereign. You always were. Always will be.
And there is something that feels just out of my reach but I’m not sure what. Yahweh help me. Show me what I ought to know, what I am missing.
Slight correction on what I said before about creating an environment when we fell that required us to fix our eyes on you: we were always required to do so.
We were created in your image. In your image.
Genesis 1:27 – So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female.
Image : tselem : likeness, something cut out, resemblance.
In order for us to maintain that resemblance, we need to keep our focus on him. Ever made a copy of a copy? Each copy strays further away from the original. But when we copy the original, it remains as close as possible to the original.
You didn’t create us to worship you. You created us because you wanted to. Because you took pleasure in us, in who we would be (since you live in all time). You created us because you loved us.
We worship you because you love us.
We love you because you love us.
We follow you because you love us.
We trust you because you love us.
It’s a simple as that. Yes we now have to choose to reciprocate that love in many different ways (glory, worship, honour, reverence), but you created us because you love us and for us to love you.
I guess we can say:
“Created by Love.” 1 John 4:10
“Created to Love.” 1 John 4:19
No series. Simplicity. You love us. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for going through all of this because you love us. Thank you for loving us enough to create us. It is a pale moon in comparison to your sun, but I love you too.
Can I be honest? This has radically upended a lot of what I believed. I’ve always said we were created to worship you. To serve you. I’ve even said, my purpose was to serve God and die (forgive me for this please). But you created us because you saw through eternity and you loved us. And we express our love to you through worship, by service. Because you deserve it. It’s our sacrifice to you, how we show our love. And I’m gonna stop now, cause I feel like I’m trying all how to explain this, but am just repeating myself. Sigh. I love you.
Yahweh. I remember saying that our lives shouldn’t be one miracle after another because miracles occur generally speaking to right a wrong. To heal. To save. There are daily miracles of life, able to walk, to praise you. But today I’ve also realised that you perform miracles to also draw others/us closer to you. Where you will create (maybe not the best word) a situation where someone did nothing wrong. They made the “right” choices, but you needed them to grow in their faith. You needed us to rely on you. Only on you, so you strip away their conveniences. You strip away their usual support. Not so that they would fall, but that they would then completely turn to you and trust you.
I’m reading a book right now, “Brave Faith” and it’s really making me realise how much we rely on ourselves for everything. We say we trust but secretly (though it’s not a secret to you) we are trying to work out ways to fix the issue. I’ve always done that. But I’ve watched as over the past couple months things have just gotten tighter. And it’s funny, it got tighter during the times I was committing to giving more and spending less. For most people it results in abundance and while that’s not why I give, it was expected that you would bless financially also. I kept expecting it, but every month it felt like the noose was getting tighter and tighter. And then there was a bank error – not in my favour – and everything fell out the bottom. The truth is, I can’t think my way out of this. I can’t imagine my way out of this. I can only do one thing: trust you to make a way. And the funny thing is? It’s not something that I can say “oh well.” There is a definite time factor involved for all these issues – August month end. Which means I can’t even say, “Well I can save over the next six months or so.” Everything is due – August month end. So here I stand/sit/lie down/walk. With nowhere to turn but Yahweh (there goes that “but” again). But I do know that he is faithful.
He will supply.
He never leaves.
He walks through the fire with me.
He loves me.
He is working out his purpose in my life.
So that I can be, will continue to be a testimony for him.
Thank you Yahweh for who you are.
I love you to you and back.
