Author: peggycreighton

Part II

Prepare your Heart to meet with God. In this series on principles for more powerful prayers, we began by examining the importance of attitude as we approach the throne of God. Not only does our state of mind, or attitude, matter, but the condition of our heart also matters. Jesus told his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). How well our Lord knew the disciples–and us! We have good intentions, but we don’t follow through. We make resolutions and we don’t keep them. We can probably all name someone who has declared that he or she will begin exercising or some other lofty aspiration, only to find that the admirable goal ends a short time later, because of the lack of will power. Don’t laugh—we are all affected by this, or Jesus, our Creator, wouldn’t have said it. Flesh may be caught up in worldly passions, but God looks on the heart. (I Sam. 16:7): ^“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Our hearts, or spirits, are where the Holy Spirit dwells within us and where we connect with God himself.  Our spirits are the foundation of the Kingdom of God on earth. The very breath of God was breathed into our spirits at creation, when man became a living being. It is our spirits that live eternally. Although separated from God because of sin, when we become believers, the Holy Spirit reunites our spirits with His and we become God’s children (Romans 8:16) once again. It is the heart, or spirit, that God looks at when he looks at us. We must prepare our spirits, building and strengthening them with scripture, and by doing so, develop the very mind of Christ, as we are His brothers and sisters. When we pray back scripture, we are praying the very thoughts of God that were preserved through time for our benefit. In order to do this, let’s study some examples of prayers recorded in the Bible for our benefit.

One of the most moving prayers in the Bible is Psalm 51. This psalm describes King David’s response to the prophet Nathan’s rebuke of his behavior following his affair with Bathsheba and his commandment that her husband, Uriah, be sent to the front lines in battle. David’s heart was broken when he confessed his sin, and was ecstatic when he received a new heart from God in response.  “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions,” he prayed. (Psalm 51:1) David continued confessing his sin and his desire to be cleansed from it and then prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (V 10) And, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (V 12) As he sensed God’s response, he vowed to “teach transgressors they ways,” (V 13) and “my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.” (v 14) As he wrapped up his heartfelt prayer, David cried, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (V 17). Oh, to pray with a heart like David! His heart moved God’s heart of hearts.

Another prayer that was recorded for our benefit was the prayer Mary prayed upon the angel Gabriel’s revelation that she would conceive Jesus: “Behold, my soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my saviour. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.” (Luke 1:46-54) Mary’s beautiful prayer not only indicated humility and obedience, but also foresight and trust. Oh, to have a heart like Mary! I can scarcely imagine being a young, poor peasant girl and receiving this news with the same response. And yet, God bestowed His glorious grace upon her, and will bestow that same grace to you and to me if we seek Him with all of our hearts.

Check back soon for Part III!

Part 1

As 2022 begins, perhaps you, like so many others, have been reviewing the events of the past year and praying that this year will bring brighter days. I certainly have! But at the same time, I wondered, how can any of us be sure God is listening to our prayers? And more importantly, how can we pray powerful prayers that receive an answer?

As I pondered these two questions, I sought out what experts had to say and I read several books on prayer, some of which were helpful. (I listed one of my favorites below). However, I quickly realized that the ultimate guide to strengthening prayer is the Bible itself, the living Word of God.  In the paragraphs that follow, I will share the thoughts I scratched down as I studied some of the best examples of prayer warriors in the Bible—Abraham, Daniel, Esther, David, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Powerful Prayer begins with the right attitude. What is an attitude? The online dictionary describes it as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.” When we go to God in prayer, the state of mind we reflect in our behavior as we approach Him matters. The Israelites were instructed to prepare themselves as Moses sanctified them, and to wash their clothes, and on the third day they could meet with God at the base of Mount Sinai. (Genesis 19:10). Even the priests who prepared to meet with God in the tabernacle had a ritual of preparation required of them that involved sacrifice, cleansing, anointing, and special attire. (Exodus 29) This meticulous preparation is needed to ready our carnal minds for meeting with our Holy and Righteous God, for we are unholy and we need cleansing from sin—I am unholy, and you are unholy; ALL of us are unholy and need cleansing. In fact, who are WE to hold an audience with God Most High? It is astounding, in fact, to consider that the Creator of the Universe desires to meet with us! What’s more, He desires to not just meet with us, but rather, to walk with us daily! Who can fathom the depths of His love for us? It is a small thing to honor Him by preparing myself to come into His presence, but it is not easy. While I can scarcely comprehend the unlimited majesty of God, I can also scarcely comprehend the extent of my sin, and what it must cost God to look on me, or you, sinners that we are, and see us not  as sinners, but to see Christ in us, the One who has overcome sin and death for our sakes. Remembering my status is crucial for me to approach God with the right attitude. To quote one of my favorite Gaither songs, “I’m just an old sinner saved by grace.” (read the great story behind this song by Bill and Gloria Gaither here https://gaither.com/sinner-saved-by-grace-the-story-behind-the-song/) So, we prepare our hearts by admitting who we are, sinners saved by grace, and what we need, an audience with the Most High, and in this way, we prepare our hearts to meet with the Holy One.

The Bible teaches that once we come to Him with the right attitude, God will hear us and act on our behalf. In fact, God inspired the scribe Ezra to record the following verse, which many of you may know by heart: ^“ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). What a promise this is, but how many of us humble ourselves before we pray. I certainly need to seek God’s face in humility, but when I was re-reading this verse, I read the next verse as well and it was like an arrow piercing my heart: “Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.” (2 Chronicles 7:15) God is saying here that if you and I approach Him in humble repentance, turning away from our wickedness when we pray, then He will not only hear, forgive, and heal us, but He will also be attentive to our prayers! It begins with the right attitude, or state of mind, which is reflected in our behavior as we approach the throne of God.

One of my favorite books on prayer is Anne Graham Lotz’s book, Storming the Gates of Heaven: Prayer that Claims the Promises of God

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Forgive and forget,” or perhaps, “Bury the hatchet,” or some similar axiom, but are these statements Biblical? The scriptures have much to teach us about forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation.

New Testament Teaching on Forgiveness

You may remember that Jesus taught us to be lenient with others’ shortcomings, with teachings such as, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25) And Paul taught the Colossians to “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col 3:13) These and other similar scriptures provide fair warning that forgiving others is a requirement for our own forgiveness.

You might be saying, “Wait! I thought our forgiveness was a free gift—no strings attached. So, are you saying our forgiveness is not free, but conditional?” Well, first of all, I’m not saying that. I’m quoting Jesus and Paul! Jesus does offer us the free gift of forgiveness, but that gift is conditional on our change of heart, that is, our repentance. And with that change of heart comes some other changes, such as realizing we are no better than others, and maybe even worse than some. Perhaps Jesus stated that condition because He knew something we are loathe to admit about ourselves. He stressed forgiveness of others’ shortcomings because He knew that we are all sinners, each and every one of us, and that we were born with a sin nature. We can’t help ourselves! As much as we might not want to admit it, we are failures in the righteousness department.

David lamented that he was born in inquity: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) Paul cried out that as much as he wanted to live perfectly, he was unable to do so. “So, I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” (Romans 7:21) If David was born in iniquity and Paul found that he was completely unable to live perfectly, how much more does iniquity and imperfection apply to us?

But thanks be to God that we have a Helper who enables us to live righteously in God’s eyes! The Holy Spirit indwelling us enables us to resist temptation and strive for holiness. Even though we are sinners, if we repent and believe, we receive the free gift of Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed unto us! It is because of this free gift, which Christ suffered and died to provide for us, that Christ warns us that we must be lenient with others.

Contingent Relationship

Forgiving others and being forgiven is a type of contingent relationship; that is our forgiveness is contingent upon our forgiving of others. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt 6:14-15) And Luke records a similar teaching, saying, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37). Paul, likewise, repeats the essence of this teaching to the Ephesians: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph 4:32). Why does this lesson on the contngent relationship of forgiveness of others and our being forgiven need to be repeated so much? The answer to this question is threefold.

Sin is Repetitive

First of all, repetition of sin is a consequence of our sin nature—and we are all born with it. We will not shed this nature until we are each transformed. The result is that we need forgiveness repeatedly, even for the same sins! Consider this passage: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ ”  Matt 18:21-22

Our Lord is well aware of our sin nature and the fact that we need to be forgiven repeatedly. But more importantly, our willingness to forgive others repeatedly reflects God’s mercy in forgiving us. How can we do anything less than forgive others–even if it is for the same sin, over and over again?

Unfortunately, we must live the remainder of our physical lives with our earthly sin nature intact. That means, in this life, while we continue fight the urge to sin, we will still slip up at times–most likely with the patterns of sin we have lived our entire lives. Our Lord is patient with us and willing to forgive us over and over again if we but come to Him and humbly ask for forgiveness. Therefore, we must not only forgive others once or even twice, but over and over again, just as He has forgiven us over and over again. “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” Ps 86:5

Only Jesus is righteous, perfectly and constantly righteous. And if we repent and believe, His perfect righteousness covers us and becomes our righteousness, too. God no longer sees all the wrong in us, but sees the perfection of Christ in us. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Heb 8:12

Only God Forgets

It is important to remember, though, that, unlike God, we humans may not be able to forgive and forget. God inspired  Isaiah to write that His thoughts and ways are unlike ours: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is 55:8-9) While Almighty God might be able to put such painful memories of trespasses against Him to rest, it is not in our human capacity to do so. And in many cases, it is best that we don’t forget the sins of others, for our own protection! For example, we might forgive an abusive spouse, but that relationship may never be reconciled if the spouse is unrepentant. Without repentance and a change of heart, the abuse might continue and cause us further harm. That is not God’s intent for us! However, we must pray for people such as this, that the Holy Spirt would move him or her to repent and gain a new heart and be healed of his or her brokenness, just as the Holy Spirit has done with us.

The Fruit of the Spirit Enables Us to Forgive

Our forgiveness of others reflects a Godly compassion, and the fruit of the Spirit in us. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, we demonstrate love, patience, self-control, and more, toward all, even those who have done us wrong. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal 5:22-23) Therefore, in our relationships with others, we must remember that offenses draw a line that separates unless we extend a white flag and forgive them. Dwelling on the slights committed against us prohibits us from enjoying our relationships with others. It causes us to focus on their faults rather than their strengths, and in doing so, to forget our own. If we focus mainly on what has been done to us, we can become bitter as opposed to a joyful and shining example of God’s transforming love in us. Finally, dwelling on offenses of others prohibits opportunities for us to share the gospel.

So, what can we conclude about this? First of all, we must repent of any bitterness we might harbor toward someone who has wronged us, no matter how serious the wrong. God is the judge and He will judge in fairness. “But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another,” the psalmist wrote in Psalm 75:7. If we turn toward Him instead of extending bitterness toward another, He will heal us and create a new heart in us and, in His own time, will restore the broken and lost time. “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,” says the Lord in Joel 2:25. Second, forgetting is not a requirement in the Bible, and may not be in our best interest if the sin against us was grievous, but forgiveness is required of us if we want God to forgive us. Third, forgiveness may not be possible in our own strength, but the Holy Spirit indwelling us will supernaturally enable us to forgive even the worst transgressions, just as God has forgiven even the worst from us.

Scrolling through Facebook, I see people posting pictures of their vacations, birthdays, anniversaries, new additions to the family, and other celebrations. It seems as if most people I know are “living their best life.” I see smiling faces, children playing, and happy families pictured, yet I realize that each picture is only a single moment in time. Happiness in this world is fleeting, and the truth is that those moments promote a false reality. All around us there are natural disasters of every sort: wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tornados, and droughts, for example. And where there aren’t natural disasters, there are cancers, amputations, broken limbs, drownings, mental illnesses, addictions, suicides, shootings, COVID cases, and more. Yet there are very few Facebook posts about personal suffering.

The Bible teaches that suffering is our lot in life ever since the fall. When God pronounced the curse on Adam and Eve, all living things were now subject to misery and death because man’s sin had soiled God’s perfect creation. Decay entered the world, and living things began to experience the law of increasing entropy, better known today as the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Noted biochemist Isaac Asimov explained the Second Law of Thermodynamics this way:

“The universe is constantly getting more disorderly! Viewed that way, we can see the Second Law all about us. We have to work hard to straighten a room, but left to itself it becomes a mess again very quickly and very easily. Even if we never enter it, it becomes dusty and musty. How difficult to maintain houses, and machinery, and our own bodies in perfect working order; how easy to let them deteriorate. In fact, all we have to do is nothing, and everything deteriorates, collapses, breaks down, wears out, all by itself and that is what the Second Law is all about.”

The Second Law of Thermodynamics is undisputed among the scientific community; disorder and collapse eventually will happen to everything. Yet even before scientists identified this law, the Bible was teaching the same thing:

“In the beginning, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing, you will change them, and they will be discarded.”  Psalm 102:25-26: ESV

Entropy, then, is the result of the curse, and not only brings disorder, death, and decay, but also suffering and sorrow. Jesus taught often about suffering. You may know the verse where He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

If Jesus said we will have trouble in this world, did He mean everyone? The Second Law of Thermodynamics is a universal law, applicable to everyone and everything. So, yes, everyone will suffer, but not in the same way. Suffering can come in many forms—physical, emotional, psychological, and so on. Wars and natural disasters are all around us! Disease and death pursue us all.  But we should not be discouraged when suffering comes, as it surely will. In my own life, I have suffered the death of my father when I was 15, breast cancer at the young age of 37, a house fire, divorce, financial instability, and living with an autoimmune disease, among other things. I have cried out and struggled with how much I could bear, and why me, again, Lord? I’m certain that many of you have been through the same thing! I must constantly remind myself of the truth in this verse.

So, when Jesus said for us to take heart for He had overcome the world, He meant that everyone will suffer in some way as a result of the fall, but the suffering of this world is only temporary, for this world is not our home! Jesus himself suffered for us, time and again, through disappointments with those closest to Him, through angry crowds lashing out at Him, through religious leaders seeking to discredit Him, and ultimately through His agonizing death on the cross. His suffering on the cross is almost unimaginable. I can scarcely conceive of My Lord sweating drops of blood in anguish while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, withstanding a mock trial, then taking 40 lashes before having to drag that heavy cross, being stripped of his clothes and wearing only a crown of thorns, hanging naked and impaled with nails, and finally, feeling the rejection of the Father, even for a moment, after all He had done for us and while still praying for us! Such thoughts bring my own temporary suffering into perspective, and I now consider it an honor to share in the suffering of One who suffered for me as He did.

The Apostle Paul suffered mightily and yet grew mightily as a result of it, saying, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame.” Romans 5:35

Peter, too, suffered mightily, and was empowered to teach about it: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

So, the Bible teaches that suffering is the lot of man, but the Bible also teaches that one great day the Earth, as God intended it to be, will be restored, and entropy will cease. Death and decay will die. Suffering will cease. Every tear will be wiped away. Revelation 21:4 states, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

 Happiness in this world may be fleeting, but we can have peace amidst it all just by turning our troubles over to Jesus. “And the peace that passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus” (Phillippians 4:7) if we but trust in Him. Trust is the key! We must trust and give our pain to God, as Laura Story says so well in her song, “I Give Up:”

“…What if faith is simpler than I’ve made it be

Just a simple trusting in your love for me

For when I give up, I gain
When I let go of having my own way
When I learn to see my surrender as a brand new start
To know the fullness of my father’s heart
My father’s heart…”

So much attention is given to aging these days, one might think it is a dreaded disease that requires a cure, or that scientists can actually find a way to prescribe eternal life! In fact, a recent post proclaimed that biometric gerontologists are “hacking the code for immortality.”

The Bible speaks about aging differently, however. With the world population of individuals over 60 now numbering 962 million, it is worth a look at what the Bible actually says about aging.

Adam and Eve were Meant for Immortality

When God created Adam and Eve, He intended for them to live and walk with him forever. How do we know this? First, Genesis states that our Eternal God created man in His image. God is immortal.  He was uncreated, and always has existed, and always will exist. He created man in His image for fellowship and communion with Him.  Just as He created the heavenly host to be eternal beings in service to Him, God created man to be in eternal fellowship with Him and to worship Him forever. Genesis 1:25 explains that all creatures were made “after his kind,” which indicates that all living creatures have reproductive systems that “are programmed in terms of the biochemical genetic code, utilizing the basic elements of the earth.” (Morris, 2018). Similarly, man is unique in that he also has a genetic code of his own kind but also has “an eternal spirit capable of communion and fellowship with his Creator.” (Ibid.) Second, God placed the tree of life in the garden so that as long as Adam and Eve ate of it, they would live indefinitely, but God warned them that they would surely die if they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We all know the devastating circumstances that followed. Once they had eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve began to experience the process of decay and degredation leading to physical death (this is known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics today, or the law of increasing entropy) as well as the immediate death of their previous relationship with God. As a result, God in His mercy, banned them from the garden, “Lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” (Genesis 3:22) This passage affirms that man was meant to live forever.

Death is Certain for All

After the fall, death became a certainty for all creatures. As part of the curse for disobedience, God said to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” The curse determined that man and all creatures on earth would now die a physical death and return to dust. The Tree of Life most likely provided life and health not only to Adam and Eve but also to all living things in the garden, but now they would struggle for their food, the earth would bear thorns for them, and their sorrow would be multiplied in bearing children.

(Genesis 3:19) But God offered His mercy as well! He graciously provided that man should die rather than live a cursed existence forever, toiling and sweating, and no longer walking in close fellowship with God. Instead, God provided a way for man’s redemption and restoration through the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ death provides the way for believers to be restored to full fellowship and communion with Him as well as eternal life in the new Jerusalem, where the tree of life will again flourish and provide health and well-being for eternity. (Rev 22:2)

A better Life Awaits Believers

Our hope lies in the promise God made us of a heavenly dwelling with God where our spirits will be united with Him until the resurrection when believers will be transformed into Christ-like beings. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Cor. 5:1) The word, “tabernacles” in this verse refers to our earthly bodies, which are like tabernacles, or tents; that is, they are temporary dwellings for our spirits. But when we receive our resurrected bodies, they will not be made with human hands, but by the very hands of our Lord and Savior, Creator of all. Paul continued, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (for we walk by faith and not by sight) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5: 6-8)

Aging Gloriously

So what does all this imply about aging? The Bible has much to say about the process of growing older. First, those who live a long life on earth are blessed. God has promised to spend even our fading years with us. Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” We may not live as long as the Biblical patriarchs lived, but we can be sure that God has a plan for every one of our days until the final day when we shall go to be with Him.

Second, aging can be a crown of glory. The Bible teaches that “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” And Prov 16:31 says, Prov 17:6 says, “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” Both of these verses indicate that as the righteous grow older, they have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their lives in both their children and their grandchildren as well as in a closer walk with our Lord. Many people dread their hair turning gray and wrinkles appearing all over, but it should be taken as a blessing. There are many who never get to experience the opportunity to live to old age. They may never see their children grow up and marry, or never experience the joy of grandchildren. Some never reach those “golden years” when the pace of their lives allows them to slow down and focus on what truly matters in life.

Third, aging is an opportunity to pass on our beliefs and our faith to the next generation and beyond. Ps 71:18 says, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” One of the blessings of retirement is the opportunity to offer time to other endeavors such as babysitting grandchildren, helping other family members and those in nursing homes, volunteering in schools and at church activities. Each one of these is an opportunity to share our faith and spread the gospel.

Finally, as we who are believers age, we are growing from glory into glory. 2Cor 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB). And later, Paul wrote in 2 Cor 4:16: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Even though our days are numbered, each one is valued and each one is an opportunity to continue growing in our faith and, as Paul said, being transformed from glory unto glory and being renewed day by day. Praise God for aging!

¹Morris, Henry, Ph.D., LL.D., Litt.D., 2018. The Henry Morris Study Bible. Master Books: Green Forest, AR. Commentary, p. 12.

Recently I read a blog post  and an article proclaiming that Jonah died in the great fish that swallowed him, and that he was resurrected after three days, just as Christ was resurrected after three days in Joseph’s tomb. I thought it was an interesting idea, but wasn’t too sure if the conclusion was accurate or not. Like a Berean, I went straight to the scriptures to study both the Jonah story and related texts for clarification. I also did a bit of research—one of my favorite things—to see what I could find to corroborate either point of view. In the paragraphs below, I’ve summarized what I found.

The book of Jonah is relatively short—only four chapters long—and is considered one of the minor prophets, even though young children typically know this story well because of its unique and miraculous events. To recap the story briefly, Jonah was an Israelite prophet from Galilee during the reign of the evil king Jeroboam II (as recorded in 2 Kings 14:25 and confirmed by the words of our Lord in Matt 12:40). God called him to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, an enemy of Israel, and later, the capital of Assyria, in what is now Iraq. But Jonah disobeyed and fled to Tarshish, in the opposite direction.

In Joppa, Jonah paid the fare to travel on a ship headed to Tarshish. (Jonah 1:3) The Bible doesn’t tell us much about this ship, but there are a few historical details to help us understand the situation better. First, the ship was probably a Phoenician merchant ship, since it was traveling from the port city of Joppa to Tarshish, a destination that has yet to be identified archeologically. (Some historians speculate that Tarshish was somewhere in Spain.) Although the Israelites had coastline on the Mediterranean for much of their history, they were not known for seafaring, but the Phoenicians were well known as seafarers and merchants. The few Biblical accounts of cargo deliveries to Israel and journeys by sea involved ships from other nationalities.

Because Jonah was probably traveling on a merchant ship since it was carrying cargo, it must have been quite large for its day. By comparison, cargo ships today are the largest of all sea-going vessels, at about 6.5 times the size of the largest cruise ship. Cargo ships are specifically designed to carry heavy loads. Shipbuilders of Jonah’s day may have followed some of the design principles gleaned from Noah’s ark to carry heavy loads some fifteen hundred years earlier. An article by Kyle Butt for Apologetics Press states that the ark was built at “a ratio of 30 to 5 to 3 (length to breadth to height). Until about 1858, the ark was the largest floating ship ever created.” It goes on to say that the Great Britain, one of the largest ships ever built, used almost the exact ratio of the ark—30:5:3, which proves to be the perfect ratio for a huge boat built for seaworthiness and not for speed.  Also, during World War II, shipbuilders used approximately the same ratio to build a ship known as the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien—a huge cargo ship– just like the ark! All of these points are included to support the idea that the principles of building used in the construction of the ark obviously passed the test of time. However, Jonah’s ship was most likely not as large as any of these. It was simply a larger sea-faring ship. The Biblical account states that Jonah paid his fare and went down into the ship, meaning he went to the quarters below the main deck, so we know the ship was at least large enough to carry cargo and to have a lower deck.

The events in Jonah’s story are captivating because not just one, but several miraculous events demonstrate God’s providence and sovereignty in carrying out His will. Jonah 1:4 describes the first event. “But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” A tempest is described as a sudden powerful storm and is synonymous with a hurricane, cyclone, typhoon, or other huge storm at sea. Imagine a hurricane force wind erupting suddenly while at sea! Is it any wonder that the “mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them?” (Jonah 1:5)

While all this was going on, Jonah, most likely exhausted from the emotional turmoil of his disobedience, “was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay and was fast asleep.” (Jonah 1:5) The captain of the ship called Jonah to wake up and call upon his God for help, while the ship’s crew cast lots to discover who might be responsible for “this evil…upon us.” (Jonah 1:7) When the lot fell upon Jonah, they plied him with questions such as, “Where are you from?” and “What do you do?” and “Who are your people?” Jonah admitted that the storm was a display of God’s anger with him, saying, “For I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.” (Jonah 1:12) He urged them to cast him overboard, but the men tried to row the ship to shore unsuccessfully. And then they cast Jonah overboard, praying for asylum, but as soon as they did so, the sea grew calm. (Jonah 1:15) This is the second miraculous event.

The Bible then recounts the third miraculous event: “now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.” (Jonah 1:17) I don’t know about you, but I can scarcely imagine what it must be like to be swallowed up by a great fish. However, an interesting news story recently related the tale of a lobster diver who experienced almost the same thing! The lobster diver reported that he was swallowed by a sperm whale and describes the feeling, saying, “I was completely inside; it was completely black…I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here. I’m done, I’m dead.’ All I could think of was my boys — they’re 12 and 15 years old.” No doubt Jonah felt the same way, although the diver stayed in the whale’s mouth and wasn’t swallowed, and not long at that, for he was spit out fairly quickly. But “Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17)

From inside the fish’s belly, Jonah repented of his sin. He knew that he not only disobeyed God, but also caused God to send the storm at sea that endangered the lives of the ship’s crew. Chapter 2 recounts Jonah’s prayer from inside the fish. Although there is some terminology that might sound as if Jonah had died, perhaps it is a metaphorical death rather than a physical death. Would Jonah be able to pray after he had died? Verse 2 says, “From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.” And verse 7 says, ““When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.” Does this indicate death, or perhaps a “near-death experience?” I lean toward a near-death experience in this case. Jonah mentioned the “realm of the dead, but said his life was ebbing away, rather than completely gone. Certainly with all the miracles that occurred in this story, God could have kept Jonah alive inside the fish in order to complete His plans for him and see that he preached to the people in Nineveh.

It is indeed an interesting point that Jonah may have died in the fish, and there is definitely a parallel. Jesus pointed it out himself in Matt 12:40, saying, “For just as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” However, Jesus physically died on the cross and his side was pierced to prove his death, while nothing in scripture clearly indicates that Jonah was pierced or died. Moreover, Jesus was resurrected. While there are multiple other Biblical accounts of those who were resurrected, each one has someone or something to resurrect them and clearly indicates being raised from death:

Widow’s son raised by Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24)

Shunammite woman’s son raised by Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-32)

Unknown man in Elisha’s tomb raised by touching Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20-21)

Numerous saints raised at the time of Jesus’ resurrection (Matt 27:53)

Widow of Nain’s son by Jesus (Luke 7:11-17)

Jairus’ daughter raised by Jesus (Luke 8:48-50)

Lazarus raised by Jesus (John 11:38-44)

Dorcas raised by Peter (Acts 9:40-42)

Eutychus raised by Paul (Acts 20:7-12)

So what about Jonah? My conclusion is that Jonah, like all of us, was as good as dead for disobeying. Disobedience is sin and the wages of sin is death. Rom 6:23. So whether he died physically or not, Jonah was temporarily dead to God. After he repented and prayed to God from the belly of the fish, the fourth miraculous event took place: God was merciful and caused the great fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land. “And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” The fish was even close to land, rather than spitting Jonah back into the ocean, where he may have drowned. Only God could do that! (Jonah 2:10)

Jonah then carried out God’s plans to preach to Nineveh and “the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” (Jonah 3:5) Even the king repented and sat in sackcloth and ashes, and declared that all of Nineveh should fast and that every man and beast should be covered in sackcloth and ashes and repent from their evil ways. This is the fifth miraculous event. Stubborn Jonah repented enough to be used of God and the entire kingdom of Nineveh also repented! So, God spared both Nineveh and Jonah.

Whether Jonah died or not doesn’t take away from the story. Miraculous events occurred. Jonah’s life was spared as were the lives of all the residents of Nineveh. I believe we must study the Bible carefully and seek to understand as much as we can, but that we must not add to it nor take away from it. (2 Cor 4:2) I believe that we must not rely on what is believed to be scientifically possible, either. God the Creator is not limited by our beliefs about what is possible; in fact, He is not limited in any way! Jonah may have been kept alive in the body of the fish for as long as God determined necessary to accomplish His purposes. If the Bible says that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, we might also consider it as a spiritual rather than a physical resurrection and as a type of Christ. The Bible contains many of these.

References: https://www.comereason.org/story-of-jonah.asp

The third chapter of Genesis describes the fall of man into temptation and the resulting curse on the earth and its inhabitants.  When God pronounced the curse on Adam, He said, “…Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, ‘Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken; for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen 3:17-19)

What comes to your mind first when you read this passage? The first word that pops out at me in verse 17 is “thorns!” You see, I love roses. We have five beautiful bushes in differing colors–red, white, light pink, dark pink, and peach. I admire their beauty, but loathe picking them because of the dagger-like thorns.  I nearly always manage to prick my finger! But, those thorns are a reminder of the curse of sin and its dire consequence, death.

Death was what happened back in the garden of Eden, when the serpent, who was actually Satan, deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, but something much greater was at stake. Now stay with me on this. The fruit itself was not the issue, but doubting God and rebellion against his commands was. Disobeying God brought on Adam and Eve a deep guilt and accompanying shame that resulted in the immediate death of their innocence as well as death of their unmarred relationship with God. As a result, they were separated from God by sin and shame. “And the wages of sin is death,” Rom 6:23 tells us, just as God promised. You see, because Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, they were now on different standing with Him. They no longer walked in perfect harmony with Him. They were no longer naïve about right and wrong. Their consciences were seared. Proverbs 22:5 says, “Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.” In Biblical terms, “froward” means oppositional, willful, fractious, and (YUP) disobedient.

All through scripture, disobedience brings swift and sure consequences. The prophet Isaiah warned: “With arrows and with bows shall [men] come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.” (Is 7:24) Because the Israelites had been disobedient, Isaiah was warning them of a guaranteed consequence—suffering and death of loved ones from conquering armies, and death of their homeland, which would become overgrown with briers and thorns because the inhabitants were gone.

Sin is always equated with disobedience, and disobedience is prickly and painful. God gave his law so that we might not sin and might avoid the consequences of sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned of evil people such as false prophets, saying, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are raving wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matt 7:15-16)

The answer to this question is, of course, that every type of tree or vine bears its own fruit, just as every prophet is known by the fruit he bears. A similar message is repeated in Luke 6:44 : “For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.”  That is to say, a good prophet bears good fruit, but a false prophet, as those who come in sheep’s clothing but are inwardly raving wolves, will bear bad fruit. And we will know the difference between them by their good or bad fruit.

The point of Jesus’s illustration may seem to refer to someone other than us, but look again. We are all sinners! As sinners we are guilty of bearing bad fruit—thorns and thistles, just as the curse proclaimed back in the garden. We have been disobedient, willful, rebellious, and we are all going to die as a result. Paul puts it this way in his epistle to the Hebrews: “But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”(Hebrews 6:8) We are cursed by our sins and deserve death, rejection, a sure end. But God had other ideas!

Even though Adam and Eve deserved to die physically as a consequence for their sins, as do all of us, because we share in that sin, God showered us with mercy and grace. Yes, he pronounced a curse on man and on the earth, but he also pronounced a curse on the serpent, who represented the devil himself. “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”(Gen 3:14-15)

The first part of the curse was addressed to the serpent, who led Eve into temptation by twisting the very words of God to cause her to doubt. It’s important to recognize that the serpent was described as “more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” (Gen 3:1). Henry Morris comments that the serpent wasn’t just a talking snake, but was Satan possessing the serpent’s body, and it is particularly telling that he uses the same temptation on Eve that he fell into himself, which was wanting to be like God. (Henry Morris study Bible, p. 19) “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5) Because the serpent was acting as Satan’s representative on earth, the curse was directed at Satan when God said, “…and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed…” warning Satan that he had not won the battle here. Moreover, God promised both the people and Satan that He wasn’t finished, saying, “…it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Gen 3:14). This was a promise of redemption for people as well as a promise of victory. God would provide seed (the “it” refers to the seed of the woman in the verse above) of the woman that would fatally bruise the head of Satan! No creature can survive without his head, so God was pronouncing that this promised seed would not only put enmity between Satan and men, but would put down Satan. This verse has historically been known as the Protevangel, or first gospel.

So, just as God promised, one spring morning two thousand years ago, a righteous man stood in our place. Not only was He without sin, He was the only One who didn’t deserve to die. “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt 27:29) He was tormented and spat upon, cursed, and crucified. And he died in our place naked and shamed and wearing a crown of thorns.

Praise God! Jesus, our righteous redeemer, has taken our sins upon himself and has become the curse for us. He suffered our rejection, our death, our sure end. But three days later, he arose, victorious over sin and death. He took our place and paid the price that we might not have to bear it ourselves, because we were unable to save ourselves.

That awful crown of thorns that left our Lord’s brow bruised and bleeding was not only symbolic of the curse He bore for us, bringing an end to its power over us, but also symbolic of his kingship over all things. The soldiers might have intended it to be a mockery, but little did they know that one day every living thing will bow to worship the One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16). And wonder of wonders, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” Rev 22:3 Praise be to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

We’ve all played them—those games where you tell yourself you don’t measure up. Admit it. You know you’ve told yourself countless times that you aren’t good enough. You failed before, and you’ll fail again. Someone else is better than you. You are a miserable wretch.

I call these “head games.” They’re definitely games based on a negative dialog going on in your head: you know, those old broken records playing back on repeat again and again for your ears alone. But stop and ask yourself what the source of these broken records is. Why do they keep playing back in your head? Every time you stretch a little, this sniggering doubt rises up and stifles your confidence. Why? Why do you keep these records playing over and over? Why can’t you rise above it?

The answer to this question lies in the true source of these lies—they come from the Father of Lies (John 8:44), or Satan, a.k.a., the devil. He is also called the Accuser (Rev 12:10); the one who whispers defeatist messages into your ears and twists the truth so that you forget who you are.

Do you know who you are? Unfortunately, so many people do not know with assurance who they are, where they are going, or what the purpose of their life is. They are floundering in life’s murky waters, barely keeping their heads above water. But thanks be to God, when you learn the truth, you discover there is a far better way to live. The truth is beautiful, simple, and freely available to all! Here is the truth, with scripture proofs to back it all up.

You are a child of God, made in His image. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

You are blessed. “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth…” (Genesis 1:28).

You have a heavenly Father who is all powerful. He never sleeps nor slumbers. Psalm 121:4 promises us, “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

Your Father has you covered with His wings. He will protect you. “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:4

God your Father never fails. Joshua 21:45 promises, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” And, Job 42:2 says, ““I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

You were created with a purpose. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

You were made to do great things. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Even the bad things that happen to you can accomplish good in your life. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Note: this was written by Paul, who probably had more bad things happen in his life than any person in history, although Job might give him some stiff competition!

People who do bad things will be punished for them. Ecc 12:14 asserts: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

The only way to contentment and peace is found in Jesus Christ. John 14: 6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

You weren’t meant to live a life of brokenness, darkness, and defeat. Jesus will carry your load for you. Do you believe this? Do you need to come to Jesus today? He is waiting to wrap you in His loving arms.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Come to Jesus and He will lift you out of the murky waters of your life. He will heal your hurting soul. Divorce, debt, drugs, whatever your burdens may be, Jesus is the only answer. Leave it all behind today.

“If anyone desires to come after me,” said Jesus, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). If you make this move today, your life will be forever changed. No longer will you be struggling under a heavy burden of despair. Jesus will walk with you and bring you through it. He will change your life! Psalm 91:10-11 promises that: “No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

This promise is for everyone who will accept it. There are none turned away. No one, absolutely no one, is out of His reach, and there is no sin that He cannot forgive. Nothing is impossible with Him. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He has already paid the price for your sin, so your heart is the only barrier keeping you apart from God! Open your heart to Him today.

Does God Still Speak Today?

In the last part of this discourse on how to pray, we saw that most people agree on how to pray to God, but few agree on how we hear God’s voice in response to our prayers. We also covered a variety of scriptures showing that Jesus spoke to the patriarchs of the Old Testament and also spoke to Peter, Paul, Mary, John, and many other New Testament believers in both his incarnate and post-incarnate forms. So, now that Jesus is in to heaven at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55, Eph 1:20, Col 3:1, Heb 1:3), does He still speak to us today? If so, how? And through what ears do we hear His voice? Finally, why don’t we all hear Him? Let’s take one question at a time, beginning with “Does Jesus still speak to us today?”

Jesus Has Not Changed

If Jesus spoke to people in the days before he was incarnate on earth, why wouldn’t he still speak today? The author of Hebrews (attributed to Paul) proclaimed in Chapter 13, verse 8, that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” David affirmed this in Psalm 102:27, saying, “But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end…” If Jesus spoke to people throughout history, he is still speaking to people today. The Bible teaching is clear. Jesus has not changed! Jesus is most certainly speaking to people today, although He may not speak in a voice we hear with our physical ears. Jesus spoke to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and others in a preincarnate form. He spoke to his apostles and others while he was incarnate on Earth. He spoke to Mary and at least 500 others prior to his ascension. He spoke to Paul from heaven in a cloud. But since that time, we haven’t had any scriptures recorded of His physical incarnation or His speaking from a cloud. That doesn’t mean He hasn’t appeared or spoken from a cloud, but it means the Biblical record is finished. There is nothing to add to the scriptures. What we need to remember is that Jesus is unlimited by time, space, and form. He can come to us in any form he chooses.

How Does Jesus Speak Today?

The scriptures do indicate that there are other methods of communication, though. Jesus can speak to us through other believers, pastors, friends, and so on. He speaks through angels, as He has done throughout history. He speaks through scriptures, especially when we are studying and praying for an answer. Before He died, Jesus promised the disciples that He would send a comforter to them, and that they would learn all truth from the Him. John 16:13 says: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Comforter is none other than the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of our triune Godhead, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Jesus told his disciples that after he left them, he would still be with them in spirit: ^“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.” (John 15:26) So, the main way that Jesus speaks to his followers today is through the Holy Spirit.

Through what “ears” do we hear Him?

If Jesus speaks to us through the Holy Spirit speaking of what He hears, how do we hear Him? One of the best descriptions of this is told in the Old Testament account of Elijah: ^“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” I (Kings 19:11-12) This still, small voice was the Holy Spirit. He is the inner voice that speaks to our spirits and teaches and guides us into all truth. He is the One who completes the work of sanctification in us.

When we become believers, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit in us speaks to our spirits and leads us into righteousness. As long as we are attuned to Him, He communes with us. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our spirit and leads us into all truth through the scriptures, through the words of others leaving a strong impression on you, through experiences that “teach” you, and more. John 14:26says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”The Holy Spirit is Jesus in us, teaching and guiding us. As long as we are attuned to Him, He communes with us. I am reminded of the familiar old hymn by Clara Scott:

Open the eyes of my heart

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Refrain
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine.

Some may refute the claim that the Holy Spirit dwells within us as believers, but let me remind you that evil spirits are known to indwell individuals (as depicted often in the New Testament as well as in popular books and even media such as the Exorcist)! If evil spirits can indwell people, then how much more can the Holy Spirit indwell us! Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” If we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, it is a sign that we are sons of God. Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Have you ever felt a strong urge to avoid something and later found out an accident occurred there? Or perhaps you were supposed to be somewhere at a certain time and were delayed by an inner sense of uneasiness, keeping you from some other type of disaster. These are examples of ways the Holy Spirit guides and protects. As you become attuned to His urging, you will recognize His voice more clearly, giving you guidance for living.

If God is still speaking to us, why don’t we all hear him?

The best answer to this question has to do with attunement. Attunement means harmony. We are all familiar with “tuning” an instrument, bringing it into harmony with the other instruments in an orchestra or a tuning fork. In relationships, attunement also means harmony, a state where one individual can “sense” what another individual is thinking or feeling. Married couples can often look at each other and convey their love without words, and we have all seen parents raise their eyebrows and convey a silent message to each other when their child misbehaves. However, individuals who are not so attuned cannot decipher such messages. Your boss, for example, might look at you and leave you wondering, “What?” John 8:47 gives a scriptural example of attunement, saying, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” And John 10:27 claims, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” The first stanza of one of my favorite songs as a teen was this:

Turn your Radio On

Come and listen in to a radio station
Where the mighty host of heaven sing
Turn your radio on (Turn your radio on)
Turn your radio on (Turn your radio on)
If you want to hear the songs of Zion
Coming from the land of endless spring
Get in touch with God
Turn your radio on (Turn your radio on)

Albert Brumley

This song describes the process of attunement like tuning in to a heavenly radio station! I still love that analogy! What if you are trying to tune in but can’t? Jesus anticipated this and taught in the sermon on the mount to ask: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 David wrote in the Psalms, “The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth.” – Psalm 155:18 If you earnestly desire to draw closer to God and to hear his voice, you must ask, seek, knock. This prayer, when prayed with all sincerity, will always be answered, praise God.

*Although not definitive, there is strong support for Paul being the author of Hebrews in addition to the other Pauline epistles.

What does it mean to be “Created in the Image of God?”

Before we dive into the meaning of this phrase, let’s consider one crucial point: being created in the image of God is unique in all creation. There are no other creatures made in the image of Almighty God. While everything in creation bears the fingerprint of God, there is nothing in all of creation that bears the image of God except man. Do not underestimate the importance of this! Of all the heavenly host, none were made in God’s image. All of the stars, moons, planets, and solar systems, were made by God, but none were made in the image of God. Of all the mighty creatures placed on Earth, none were made in God’s image except man. (The Westminster Catechism tells us that man was made in God’s image for a distinct purpose: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. https://www.shortercatechism.com/resources/wsc/wsc_001.html)

Form

So, what does it mean to be created in the image of God? Genesis 1:27 reads, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” When God shaped Adam out of the dust of the ground, He formed Adam in his likeness to stand erect on two legs in the same form that Jesus would assume when He would come to earth as Savior.  Your form is divinely inspired!

Characteristics

To be created in the image of God means that humans, above all created beings, bear in them qualities and characteristics of God, although limited in scope, but important enough for God to cherish them enough to die for us, and for Satan to covet them. What a sobering thought.  Think of some obvious characteristics of God. God is Creator. Man has been endowed with creative abilities far beyond any other creature. Consider music with its great symphonies, vocals, orchestras, choirs, and more; art, with its paintings, ceramics, sculptures, weavings, architecture, drawings, and more; dance, including ballet, tap, waltzes, marches, and more; all forms of creative expression reflect God-given abilities, and God ultimately. Your God-given abilities have a divine purpose.

Representation

When we think of an image, we think of a visual representation, but being created in the image of God is more than a visual representation. Being created in the image of God implies a physical, mental, and spiritual representation, as well, as we shall see. God is Triune: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God with three distinct persons. Man, similarly, has a body, as did the Son, a soul, which Keller (1980) says represents the mind, emotions, and will (Walking with God, pp. 75-104), like the Father, and a spirit, which corresponds to the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is the spirit part of us that allows God to indwell us and enables us to have communion with Him. When the Holy Spirit indwells our spirits, we begin to develop the heart and mind of Christ and walk in unity and companionship with God. In this way, we reflect the nature of God to those around us and bring glory to God as we grow and walk with Him. Imago Dei means reflecting God’s character and glory and sharing it and showing it to the world. Your spirit allows you to enjoy communion with God and share His glory!

Responsibility

Now consider this. When God created us in His image, he formed us in His likeness, and breathed His very breath into our lungs. Gen 2:7 God told Adam, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living things that moveth upon the earth.” Gen. 1:28

Man is a co-creator with God using his own abilities and managing the resources God created for man to enjoy and care for on earth. Man is responsible for making the most of his abilities and making the most of creation by caring for the earth and all the creatures and living things on it to God’s glory. God called it dominion and instructed Adam that he would have dominion over the earth and all creatures on it. This means that we were created as stewards of God’s handiwork. We were created to fill the earth and have dominion over it. It is our responsibility to fulfill God’s ultimate plan for us of extending His kingdom to the ends of the earth.

Value

Being created in the image of God means the life of every human has immeasurable value! Our sense of worth, our self-image comes from God alone and cannot come from others. We have value and significance to God and nothing, and no one on earth can give you that. People seeking to have a sense of belonging and self-worth from someone else—a spouse, an employer, a cause, status, achievements, power, etc. are misguided and broken. Our value comes from God and our relationship with God restores our sense of self-worth. The extent of our value is beyond our imagination.

Hope

Our image was scarred with the first sin. And that scarred image was then passed on to subsequent generations. We are evidence of the scarred image today. Every time a new disease is identified, or we see a child born with disabilities, or we watch an elderly person drift away into dementia, or we hear the news of violence and crime, we witness again the broken and scarred image. But, there is hope on the horizon. For God planned to restore man to the glory of life in Eden through the sacrifice of His only begotten son, Jesus. Jesus is the image of God and He is transforming us into that image, as well! When a man is born again in Christ, he becomes conformed to the image of Christ! (Rom 8:29). And we get a foretaste of that restoration every time someone repents and is given new life in Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit begins the work of restoration in him or her. And glory be to God as He is renewing us day by day so that one day, we will be with Him in the new Eden. And our sinful nature and all of the consequences of it will have passed away forever. Glory to God!