When God Looks at Me

When God Looks at Me

When God looks at me, what does He see?  What does He think?  What does He know about me?

Have you ever wondered and pondered those questions for yourself?  Come along with me for a stroll and a chat.

Here’s what I believe about God’s thoughts toward me and you.

He counts every hair on my head.  You too.  That’s a pretty insignificant thing, don’t you think?  My number of hairs changes daily, and yet, somehow, God keeps track.  If He does a simple task like that, is there, perhaps, more that God notices about you and me?

He knows my name.  Jeremiah 1:5 tells us this:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.  Before you were born I set you apart.”  This verse is not just for Jeremiah.  It is for all of us. 

And in Isaiah 43:1 we read: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name.  You are mine.”

To be known and recognized by an all-wise God is a profound thought.  We’re not nobodies.  We’re not being ignored, no matter where we live or regardless of the battles and struggles we face day by day.

We are known by God!

 God loves You.  God loves Me.  How many times have you heard that one?  And yet, we can gloss over those words with a shrug and a “Yeah, so?  Tell me something I didn’t know.”

He has revealed His love in the manger, in the Temple to a prostitute caught in the act, in the acceptance of tax collectors named Matthew and Zacchaeus, in the parable of the prodigal son, to the thief on the cross who received the promise of paradise at the 11^th hour, and countless other incidents revealed in the scriptures.

His love goes beyond our appearance, our sins, our past, our unrighteousness decisions and our strong proclivities.  HE LOVES US AS WE ARE, NOT AS WE SHOULD BE!

May these thoughts bring comfort and encouragement to your heart and mind.

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

What Can God Do with You?

What Can God Do with You?

God changes things … and people.  He takes the ugly and messy and turns it into beautiful places and spaces and creatures.

Behold the caterpillar.  I’ve never seen a beautiful one, yet I’ve seen thousands of lovely butterflies.  When the caterpillar spins its cocoon, for him, this is the end.  And yet, in due time the transformation happens and out comes a beautifully balanced butterfly. 

The hard places come.  The tough times show up and we wonder why and how will we ever survive.  God in his mercy goes to work and turns those awkward and difficult moments into proving grounds for our good.  I don’t like that, yet I have proven it so in my own life.

I have ugly moments in my past that I’d rather not dwell on, and yet I have beauty marks because of those scars.  That is the grace of God at work. 

God works in our lives.  He shapes us, directs our thoughts and steps, and leads us, and sometimes, we don’t even know it as His hand. 

I took a job in 2009 that I thought was a dead-end job, yet it provided the needed income for us.  In 2016, that company paid out an ESOP dividend that was such a huge financial blessing and a total surprise.  Those dog days of working 11-hour days were rewarded and God blessed.

I continue to learn this “TRUST” thing with the God I serve. 

I’m reminded of this: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

And God Moved

And God Moved

Have you wondered lately if God still moves in our world?  Maybe you’ve had a dry season when it seems God has left the scene, or has fallen asleep. 

I believe God still moves … in subtle, gentle, seemingly insignificant ways that we might tend to overlook. 

Consider these comments heard yesterday at a church service.

A returning vet said …

“When I returned from my second tour in Afghanistan, we didn’t know where we would live.  I needed a job, and Juli was pregnant with our first child.  We found this group of believers.

And God Moved.

A ten-year-old girl shared …

I love the friends I’ve made here, and the fall festival party where we put a red nose on Pastor Ryan.  That was a lot of fun.

And God Moved.

A man in his forties said this:

When I found this church, I was a broken and disjointed human being.  I had no money and no hope.  Jerry over there, invited me in, and my life has been different ever since.

And God Moved.

A woman in her fifties shared this:

I came home from work one afternoon to find that dreaded note from my husband telling me he had left me.  Needless to say, I was crushed and devastated.  I reached out to my best friend Beth, who goes to this church.  She prayed for me, invited me to come over, and I soon found a group of individuals who cared genuinely for me and helped me rebuild my life.  The truth is, I’m still rebuilding.  It’s not easy, but I can look back and see that God moved.

And God Moved.

We all have stories of our own of how God has moved in our lives.  Whether it is recovering from divorce, re-emerging after a financial collapse, finding solid ground to help us climb out of an addictive lifestyle, or healing after a catastrophic health crises. 

God moves in our lives. 

Hebrews 13:5 seems to shout to me about now.  See if you can hear it too.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

And verse six chimes in:

“So, we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper.  I will not fear; what can man (or circumstances) do to me?”

Yes, life is tough.  Hard places present themselves. 

And always, always, ALWAYS remember this.

And God Still Moves!

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration