All for Him!



Romans 2:29 …And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. (NLT)

My children attend a small Christian school whose motto is “All for Him”. Before every game, after every huddle, the teams say these words. They are saying that their playing is all for Jesus.

During our mid-week service at church, the adults are studying the book of Romans. I have read Romans and heard sermons and lessons from it as well. During the current study, we have gone into a lot of the background and what is behind the words of Paul. It has been very good.

The other week as we were going through chapter two, part B of the last verse in the New Living Translation stood out. Immediately the school motto came to mind.

We see people around us, and perhaps our own selves, who seek praise and recognition from people. What came to mind is that if our words and actions are pleasing to God, then they will be pleasing to those around us.

May it be our desire and our lifelong pursuit to seek praise from God. Let’s keep our focus on Him and pleasing Him. In doing so, everything else around us will fall into place.

Blessings,

Sports Update

Sarah's volleyball team has continued their winning streak.  Their overall record is 14-1.  Last week they played the team of their only lost and won big time.  I guess when they played them the first time it was a way off night for the girls.  Right now they are 1st place in their conference and if they win the rest of their games they will be the VCC season champs!  I have no doubt they will win the rest of their games, unless they have a really off night. 

My husband usually goes to the away games (away games are really away).  I have to remind him to get a picture. He did but it was quite a bit away.  Sarah is at the front of the right side of the net.  At this game, Sarah spiked the winning point!

Stephen's football team lost on Saturday.  Their opponent was undefeated but our boys played hard and kept the score down.  Below is a picture of him warming up.  He is still the starting quarterback. 

Saturday was our homecoming.  Stephen was crowned Homecoming King!  It was quite an honor to be selected.  He was surprised and I think his team mates were happy that he was selected.

This week Sarah only has one game during the week and Stephen has a game on Saturday.  Just a few more weeks of fall sports and then on to winter sports.  Both kids play basketball.  The fun continues!

I am very thankful for the God-given abilities my children have to play sports.  And I am thankful that they honor God in their playing.

Until next update...

Blessings,

Fruit of the Spirit-Joy

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!


We continue are reading of “A Woman’s Walk with God” by Elizabeth George. It is a study of the Fruit of the Spirit. Today we look at chapter three – “Offering the Sacrifice of Joy.”

The fruit of the Spirit is Joy. Galatians 5:22
…that your joy might be full. John 16:24

There are over 70 references to joy in the New Testament. In those references we read that joy was important to Jesus. “Jesus wanted his disciples to know the joy of fellowship with Him, joy to the fullest.” We also read that genuine joy is an expression of godliness. The author gives us three reasons to be joyful.

1. Our joy is permanent. The Holy Spirit causes this fruit to grow in our lives as we abide in Christ and walk in obedience.
2. Our joy is always available. Whatever the circumstances of our life, we have ready access to the Source of true joy anytime we turn to Him.
3. Our joy is inexpressible. We can’t explain why we experience joy when nothing in our life suggests we should be joyful.

Let’s talk about the difference between happiness and joy. Webster’s online dictionary defines happiness as a : a state of well-being and contentment; b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience. The author defined happiness as “a state of good fortune and prosperity related to and depended on our circumstances.” She goes on to say “Happiness can be a false joy and, since easy circumstances are not life’s norm, happiness is elusive.” “True spiritual joy is not happiness.” Our joy as Christians…

1. is not dependent on circumstances, but on the spiritual realities of God’s goodness.
2. is not based on our efforts, accomplishments, or willpower, but rather on the truth about our relationship with the Father through the Son.
3. is not merely an emotion, but the result of choosing to look beyond what appears to be true in our life to what is true about our life in Christ.

“…our joy is not ‘an experience that comes from favorable circumstances but is a sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.”

There are five sources of joy:

1. God Himself is a primary source of our joy.
2. God’s salvation is a great reason for joy.
3. God’s promises are another cause for great joy and His promises are many.
4. Christ’s kingdom is a reason for us to have joy in our lives.
5. Our future in Christ should also bring us joy.

The joy of the Lord is available to us any time, no matter what we are dealing with. We need to keep our eyes on God and not on our circumstances. “You and I cultivate the fruit of joy when we ask God to keep us walking with and abiding in Him.”

“True spiritual joy shines brightest against the darkness of trials, tragedy, and testing! And the blacker the background, the greater the brilliance. Similarly, life’s dark struggles make Christian joy more intense and our heartfelt praise more glorious.”

The author tells us how we can cultivate this fruit of joy in the Lord in our daily walk with God.

1. Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually – even when you don’t feel like it.
2. Consider it all joy…when you encounter various trials.
3. Give thanks in everything.
4. Bless the Lord at all times.
5. Focus on the reality of God promises.
6. Look up. Shift your eyes and your hopes away from your suffering and focus instead on the splendor of God.
7. Obey God’s command to be joyful always.
8. Go to God to be filled with His joy whenever you need it.

Now all of these eight things are not easy.  We don’t like to encounter various trials, but when we do, somehow we must consider it all joy.  It’s not easy to give thanks in everything.  Sometimes not-so-good stuff happens to us, to our families.  Somehow we must give thanks in those times as well as the good times.  We need to lean heavy on God and He will help us.

Have you ever been around someone whom you know is going through a rough time, but they don’t act like it. They have a smile on their face, a chuckle on their lips. I can think of a young lady right now who is going through a family crisis. Looking at her you would have no idea what she is facing on a daily basis. She gives God glory and continually has a thankful heart. She is walking in joy.

What about you? Are you facing a difficult, dark time in your life right now? Count it all joy. Joy? Yes, joy. God promises us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Again, lean heavy on Him and He will help you and strengthen you.

Here is a thought provoking question the author asks at the end of chapter three:

When do you find it hardest to experience joy in the Lord? How do circumstances generally affect you joy? What sacrifice of praise might you offer even when circumstances weigh you down?

Let’s pray. Father, we thank You that in You there is joy. We thank you that we can joy in salvation, Your promises, Your Kingdom, and our future with You. We thank You that no matter how dark the night might be, Your joy is always available to us. I pray now for those reading this that might be going through a difficult time. I ask You Father to help them, that the joy of the Lord will be their strength. I pray that they are able to offer a sacrifice of praise, to deliberately choose to give thanks in everything. I pray that You will help them to walk with and abide in You. Thank You Father. We love and appreciate You. We declare that there is none like You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Blessings,

Fruit of the Spirit-Love

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

We continue are reading of “A Woman’s Walk with God” by Elizabeth George. It is a study of the Fruit of the Spirit. Today we look at chapter two – “Looking to God for Love”.

The fruit of the Spirit is love. Galatians 5:22

Whenever I read about God calling women to something, I take notice.

Elizabeth George states “We can’t read very far in the New Testament without realizing that love is important to God. He calls us as women who love God…
• to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2)
• to love one another (John 15:12)
• to love our husbands and our children (Titus 2:4)
• to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39)
• to love our enemies (Luke 6:27)”

She then gives us five basic principles from God’s Word that can help us understand Christian love.
1. “Love is an act of the will. Every fruit of the Spirit requires decisions
2. Love is action – not just words. Love is something we do, not merely the words we say.
3. Love reaches out to the unlovely. It’s easy to love the lovely, but it’s much harder to love the unlovely.
4. We need God to help us love. Christ calls us to love our enemies by allowing God to love them through us when we can’t do it on our own.
5. Love expects nothing in return. We need to love without any thought of personal award. “

How is love defined? “God always defines biblical love in terms of self-sacrifice. It involves effort, not merely emotion. It demands action, not just feelings. It is something to do, not something we only feel or say.”

“How are you doing when it comes to loving sacrificially?”

How do we live out love? “It helps me as a Christian woman…to see my call to live out love as an assignment from God to love anyone and everyone He chooses to place in my path.” This is definitely not easy. That’s why we need to act on our will instead of our feelings making the decision to love.

“At times the love God fills me with in the morning seems bountiful and unlimited, and I can share His love until the sun goes down. But then come those days-those hard days!-when I seem to be beating a path back to God minute after minute. Maybe the task is harder, maybe the heart of the person I’m trying to love is harder, maybe my own heart is harder, or maybe I’m not spending enough time with Him to receive what I need to share…” Wow! Have you been there? I sure have. Some days are much easier than others to love those who cross my path. The author gave me some good thoughts about why it is harder to love. I need to make sure that my heart is not harder or that I am spending time with God to receive what I need. If the other person’s heart is harder or the task is harder, then I cannot control those things. I need to make sure that I am alright.

We see love lived out in the story of Ruth and her mother-in-law. Ruth left her homeland to return back to Naomi’s homeland. “Ruth sacrificed herself and allowed God to provide for Naomi through her.”

“One way we walk in love-God’s love-is to look to Him to fill us with His love…the kind of love that we’ve been learning is an act of the will, that takes action rather than being content with mere words, that extends itself to the unlovely, that gives for the sake of loving, and that involves the sacrifice of self.”

Here is a thought provoking question the author asks at the end of chapter two:

1. According to Luke 6:35, when you love the way Jesus tells you to love, what should you expect in return? And what can you ultimately expect?

Let’s prayer. Father, I thank You for filling me with Your love. Help me to love and serve the people You put in my path. Help me to recognize quickly when I am running low and need a fresh supply of Your love to share. Help me to always extend Your love to everyone. Thank You Father, for your help. We love and appreciate You. We declare that there is none like You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Holy God

During our mid-week Bible Study at church, we have been discussing the Names of God.  Last week I shared about a lesson I taught at church on El Kanna, Jealous God.  Today I wanted to share my husband's lesson on El Hakkodosh, Holy God.  Below are his notes from class.

Isaiah 5:16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

El – strength, mighty, almighty; God

Hakkadosh - sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary: - holy (One), saint.

The idea of the holy (kadosh) implies differentiation: the realm of the holy is entirely set apart from the common, the habitual, or the profane. The holy is singular, awe-inspiring, even “terrible” or dreadful.

• Nehemiah 1:5 And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,

• Psalms 68:35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

The concept is that God is so awesome that He is terrible. He is so holy (other) that it is overwhelming.

The Holy God is utterly unique, distinct, sacred, and set apart as the only one of its kind. The Holy One. The one set apart as utterly perfect and unique, utterly transcending the realm of the finite, the fallen, and the imperfect.

Other forms of El Hakkadosh

1. Holy One

• Isaiah 40:24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

2. Holy LORD God

• 1 Samuel 6:19 Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.

3. The Holy One of Israel

• Psalms 71:22 Also with the lute I will praise You-- And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.

4. LORD my God, my Holy One

• Habakkuk 1:12 Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction.

Other familiar verses declaring the Holiness of God

• Exodus 3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."


• Joshua 5:15 Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

• Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

• Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

• Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Understand or seeing the God who is Holy will induce worship:

Psalms 99:1-9 The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! (2) The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. (3) Let them praise Your great and awesome name-- He is holy. (4) The King's strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. (5) Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool-- He is holy. (6) Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the LORD, and He answered them. (7) He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. (8) You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. (9) Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.

Let's pray.  El-Hakkadosh You are so unlike anything that I know. You are holy, separate, other than I am. Your ways are higher than mine. My thoughts can not compare to Yours. You transcend anything that I know. Because You are HOLY, I bow before You and worship You. Declaring Your power, might, and holiness. I am overwhelmed by who You are.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings,

Where Did September Go?

September has come and gone.  It has been a very busy month for my family.  Each day has been filled with work for me and my husband and school for the kids.  Each night has been filled with practices, games and church.  Saturdays are football games for Stephen.  Sundays are church all day.  I blinked and September has passed and it is now October.

Here are some pictures of the kids' games. 

Sarah is serving during her volleyball game.  Sorry the picture is kind of blurry.

Sarah is playing front row and getting ready for the serve.  She has had some mean spikes and has played so good.  In fact, the coach told her she was "on fire"!  Go Sarah!

I had Sarah quickly take a picture of Stephen on the sidelines after we called out to him to look.

Stephen had his debut as starting quarterback last Saturday.  This picture is far away but you can pick out the quarterback - Stephen!  Needless to say I was nervous for him, but he did a great job and did not seem uncertain.  Actually, we got points on the board for the first time and it was our first win!  Go Stephen!

We took a quick picture of Stephen as he walked by.  He is so cute!

I love my kids so much!  I am so thankful for them!

In addition to all the sport activities, we had a lot going on with church.  It's all good and I wouldn't trade a minute of these crazy-filled days.

Hope you all have had a great September.  Now on to October.  I wonder what it will hold for us.

Blessings,

Fruit of the Spirit-Introduction

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Galations 5:22-23a NLT

My ladies and I started a new book study this month. We are reading “A Woman’s Walk with God” by Elizabeth George. It is a study of the Fruit of the Spirit. Earlier this year, my ladies and I read another book by Elizabeth George titled “Quiet Confidences for a Woman’s Heart.” It was a study of Psalm 23. You can read my thoughts on this book by clicking on Psalm 23 in the sidebar.

In chapter one of “A Woman’s Walk with God,” Elizabeth George introduces the study and gives an understanding of the Fruit of the Spirit. She gives an illustration of a string of Christmas lights to help us understand how the Fruit works in our lives. She says “…if one bulb goes out, the entire string goes out. That’s how God’s fruit is borne in our lives. No one of them can be missing, and all must be evident to be God’s fruit.” She goes on to say “And as a whole, these characteristics are all produced in the same way. Everything that is said of one characteristic is true of the other eight. They are one and the same fruit, interwoven and related to one another, produced as we look to God.”

Those words spoke to me. Sometimes you hear how a person might have some of the Fruit of the Spirit, but not all. The author’s statements tell us otherwise. If we have the Fruit, then we have all of the nine fruit, not just some of them.

In our walk with God, we need to realize that there may be “stumbling stones” along the path. The first stumbling stone is legalism. The author defines legalism as “the careful keeping of a set of rules which exceeds what is written in Scripture.” The second stumbling stone we may encounter is the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. This conflict begins the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. Galatians 5:17 tells us that the fleshly pursuits result in deeds of the flesh. In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul lists the sins and vices of deeds of the flesh. We need to ask God to help us recognize these stumbling stones and then confess anything that He reveals to us “and submit once again to the transforming power of His Spirit. That’s what walking by the Spirit is all about!”

“Right after the ugly list of sins, Paul moves on to the Fruit of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22. “Walking by the Spirit means living each moment in submission to God. Walking by the Spirit means seeking to please Him with the thoughts we choose to think, the words we choose to say, and the actions we choose to take. And walking by the Spirit means letting Him guide us each step of the way. It’s letting Him work within us so that we can bring glory to God.”

In order to bear fruit, we must abide in Jesus (John 15:2-5). “Abiding has been defined as ‘continued fellowship with the Lord,’ ‘dwelling in His fellowship and being submissive to His will,’ and keeping ‘contact with Jesus…a constant contact.”

Elizabeth George gives us ways we can enjoy a closer walk with Jesus:


1. Spending time in God’s Word-we must be diligent in spending time in God’s Word.

2. Spending time in prayer-an act of worship to help us commune with and abide in Christ.

3. Obeying God’s commands-make choices that honor Him and His Word.

4. Renewing our commitment to Christ-ask ourselves if we are alive spiritually.

Here is a thought provoking question the author asks at the end of chapter one:

1. Read John 15:1-8. Make a plan of action for how you will abide in Christ this week. Be specific about when and/or how you will do each of the following:

• Spend time studying God’s Word

• Spend time praying

• Live in greater obedience

• Renew your commitment to Christ

Let’s pray. Father, I thank You that You call us to abide in You. Help us to actively cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives in order to reflect Your Glory. I pray for each person reading this. May we all draw closer to You in our walk. May we spend more time in Your Word and more time in communion and worship to You. May we make choices to honor You and may we be alive spiritually. Thank You Father. We give You all Glory and Honor for there is no one like You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Join me next week as we discuss love.

Blessings,

Martha

Today's devotion was written by Mary Davis, a Godly woman in my church who has served my family faithfully during the five years we have been at the church.  Last week she made my daughter a cherry pie (her favorite) and my son chocolate chip oatmeal cookes.  Both were delicious and we gobbled them up quickly.

"And there they made Him a supper; and Martha served."  Matthew 12:2a

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entered angels unawares."  Hebrews 13:2

Hospitality, a generous and friendly way of treating people. 

Hospitality...Martha's gift.  Perhaps she didnt' always have her priorities in order.  But who does?

Did you notice that Hebrews uses the word strangers?  Too many times we entertain friends or family...nothing wrong with that, but what about the stranger?  That person you know, but don't know, if you know what I mean.  You might say, "well, that's not my gift."  It doesn't have to be your gift.  Hebrews 13:2 is applicable for all.  Strangers need entertainment too, especially the less fortunate ones.

October is a festive month, a beautiful month full of brilliant color.  Perhaps during this month you would be willing to decorate your table accordingly and invite someone to sit down and share a meal with you...someone you bearly know, but are not afraid to welcome into your home, or maybe someone in the church who is standoffish...someone who just needs to sit at your table and sup with you.

Let's pray.  Heavenly Father, sometimes we fail to venture out of our comfort zone to make new friends.  Your Word says "He that has friends must show himself friendly."  Father, as we come to the end of 2010 help us to endeavor to break all barriers that tend to limit us from venturing out.  Thank you Father, Amen.

Blessings,

Jealous God

The last several weeks at church, we have discussed several different names of God.  Last week I was asked to teach on El Kanna, Jealous God.  Now this was not a name (El Kanna) that I was familiar with.  I knew God was a jealous God, but had not made the connection with that characteristic being a part of God's name.  I am very familiar with Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rapha, Adonai, El Elyon and many others.  Thus, if the names and more that I just listed is a part of who God is, then El Kanna is as much a part of who God is as those names. 

Let's take a deeper look at El Kanna.  I have also seen it as El Kanno.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary describes "jealous" as: 
1 a : intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness b : disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness
2 : hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage
3 : vigilant in guarding a possession

The Bible Dictionary describes "jealous" as:
When jealousy is attributed to God, the word is used in a good sense. The language is, of course, anthropomorphic (: described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes) ; and it is based upon the feeling in a husband of exclusive right in his wife. God is conceived as having wedded Israel to Himself, and as claiming, therefore, exclusive devotion. Disloyalty on the part of Israel is represented as adultery, and as provoking God to jealousy.

El Kanno, Hebrew for The Jealous God, suggests that God watches us lovingly and closely, like a faithful and passionate bridegroom watches over his bethrothed.  Kanno suggests a marriage relationship between Yaweh and ourselves.  God is a jealous God, wanting all our praise for Himself and no one else.

El Kanna is first used six times in the Old Testament and is first used in Exodus 20:5 NIV
"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,..."


God’s jealousy is active.  Kanna communicates a sense of being committed to a course of action.  It is sometimes translated as zealous.

In my research of El Kanna, I found the following points:
The Lord is jealous of your love. Did He choose you? Then He cannot bear that you would choose another. Did He buy you with His own blood? Then He cannot endure that you would think you are your own or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that He would sooner die than you should perish. He cannot endure anything standing between Him and your heart’s love.I also came across these points:


He is jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in this world. When we lean on Him, He is glad. But when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely on our own wisdom or that of a friend, or worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, then He is displeased, and He will chasten us to bring us back to Him.

He is also jealous of our company. There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in Him alone is true love. To fellowship with the world, to search for comfort in the world, causes our Lord to grieve. He wants us to abide in Him and enjoy His constant fellowship. Many of the trials He sends are to wean our hearts from the world and fix them more closely on Him.

I also found:
 God is jealous because his people, whom He loves, are not in relationship with him as he would prefer.


 God’s jealousy is on the same level as his qualities that we typically associate with sovereignty – qualities like might and omnipresence.

 God is jealous because He is sovereign and his people behave like he is not. God created us and sustains us. He is the only one worthy to be praised and worshipped. He does not settle for being one of many. He is the one, there is no other. When we fall short of this command, God is jealous. And rightfully so.

 God’s jealousy indicates his commitment. He cannot be jealous if he does not care.

 God’s jealousy indicates his involvement. He cannot be jealous if he created a world that is on fatalistic auto-pilot.


Divine jealousy is Jehovah God’s justifiable intolerance to any and every rival.  Jealousy is God’s rightful demand for our exclusive affection and loyalty.  God’s kind of jealousy is appropriate and good.  He is defending His word and His high honor.  He makes a strong and exclusive demand on those who are His beloved.  Because of that, we must treat only the Lord, as God, to the exclusion of all other people and things.
 

God desires our well being.  He is jealous for our completeness in Him.  He knows that to be in relationship with him is the only thing that will ever truly fulfill us.  God is jealous when we don’t follow Him.  He is jealous for us.  He is jealous when our loyalties are divided.  God wants us to be the people that he intended us to be.

Human jealousy is usually a bad thing.  It is self-centered and covetous.  We want something that is not ours.  We selfishly desire someone who does not rightfully belong to us.  In relationships, human jealousy is interested in self gratification and not the well being of the other. 
The jealousy of God is genuine. Jealousy is an intrinsic part of God’s character. God’s jealousy occurs because he created people for genuine relationship with him, and those people have rejected him instead.


Is there anything in your life that you are placing ahead of God, anything or anyone who has a more prominent place in your heart, in your thoughts, than God? If so, immediately take steps to cast them down, and give Him the high and lofty place that only He deserves. He alone is worthy of all Glory and Honor and Praise!

Remember today that the God we serve is El Kanna, Jealous God!  Let's put Him first in our lives.

Blessings,