Category Archives: Blogs

03
Aug

The Name I Know Best

Last week my son woke up crying in the middle of the night. It was the type of cry that my feet arrived at his bedside before my brain had processed what was happening. When I scooped him up his body was radiating heat and he was clearly running a fever. I laid him on our bed and gave him something to reduce his fever. Then I prayed that God would help him to feel better. Typically when I give my kids something to lower their temperature it works with in 30 minutes. This night after half an hour he was still in our bed clutching his head in pain from the headache. I started to feel fear and began to worry that it was something more than a typical childhood illness, something much more ominous. At that point I had prayed through many versions of “God help him feel better” all that I had left to say was one word, Jesus. I whispered the name of Jesus over my son because this is the name of God that I know best.

Jesus is the name that I speak many times in a day, sometimes in prayer and sometimes just to remind myself that He is sovereign over each moment. I have spoken His name aloud when I enter the hospital room of a child who is suffering with an illness. I have spoken His name when I am sitting in a funeral and witness the depth of grief loved ones are experiencing. I also speak His name in happier moments, like the first time I hold a newborn baby or when a critically ill patient is discharged from the hospital. The name of Jesus certainly has a powerful meaning, but I speak this name most often because this is the name by which I KNOW Him.

I have experienced Jesus as He healed the critically ill patient, just as He healed the blind man in scripture. I have seen a grieving family comforted by Jesus, just as Jesus comforted Mary and Martha after Lazarus’ death. I have witnessed the joy that Jesus brings when a new child is given to a family through adoption, just as His own birth surely brought joy to Mary and Joseph. Witnessing Jesus do these things helps me to KNOW Him. I am certain that many of you have experienced Jesus in your own life. #IKnowHim is a platform for you to tell your story so that His name can be glorified.

Each of the names of God that we have meditated on this summer not only have profound meanings, but they are also how we can experience God and know Him. Knowing about Jesus is nothing compared to experiencing Him, just as I experienced Him when I called out to Jesus while my son struggled with his fever. The next morning, my son’s fever was gone and he was completely healed of any symptoms. This is how I know Jesus is real, He is good, and He is moving in the world today!

There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might.” Jeremiah 10:6

Amy

02
Aug

In a Name

My husband and I have two boys, both of which are hilarious, outgoing, and fiercely independent. However, their names do not reflect this. In fact, their names have no particular backstory that makes the name sentimental to our family. These were simply the only names my husband and I could agree on, which I have come to realize is a pretty common thing. There were particular words and versers the Lord brought to my mind and heart to pray over them while I was pregnant with each of them though, and these particular characteristics are spot on with their personalities, and are evident even now, despite how young they are. It has been an incredible experience to watch these characteristics be revealed, something I had prayed over each of them slowly being revealed in who they already are and who they are becoming.

Unlike our almost random name selection, there is something uniquely powerful in the idea that out of all the names the God could have selected for the Messiah, He chose to instruct Mary to name her child Jesus, meaning “Savior”. This was very clearly intentional, part of God’s plan for the redemption of the world from the very beginning. Because Jesus is one name of the living God, I can know a variety of things about who He is.

Jesus is the Name above every name (Philippians 2:9). Because His name means Savior I know that He is a personal God, longing to be involved and engaged in my life because He loves me, and pursues every heart that He created.

I know that He saved me. I know that He is saving me, daily.

I know that no matter where I am in life or in my faith or in my failure, He is both near to me and has the complete ability to rescue me. I know that because my beloved’s name is Jesus, there is hope for me and for the world. Because of Jesus, I know that this is not the end. Because His name is Jesus, I can experience first and the freedom from sin and bondage.

Just like my little ones are beginning to reflect the people that God made them to be, the name Jesus reflects who God made Christ to be for us. He named His one and only Son, Jesus, so that through Him we could be saved and given the gift of eternal life.

My prayer is that anyone who is interested in knowing Jesus and wants to experience the salvation that His name offers would begin to seek out someone that knows Him to help you begin your journey of freedom. If you do know Him, we’d love to hear what the name Jesus means to you! Share with us in the comment section of the blog and thank you for studying the names of God with us this summer! It’s been a privilege to study the Word with you all.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Be blessed,

Rachel

01
Aug

There is Power in the Name of Jesus

The name of Jesus holds so much power. In Hebrew Jesus means “God Saves.” It is both His identity and what He was sent to Earth to accomplish. When I think of the name of Jesus I think of: Savior, Messiah, Emmanuel, Shepherd, Power, Healer, Blessed, Name above all Names, and Prince of Peace. In His name “Jesus” we place our hope.

One of my favorite aspects of His character, that I lean into so often, is Prince of Peace. I frighten very easily. Since I was a little girl the dark has bothered me, especially when I am alone. My mom taught me at an early age to say the name of Jesus and all evil must flee. It gave me complete peace in those moments in the dark that I only had to call upon Jesus’ name and He is here with me.

One example of this, is when I was younger and would get frightened walking outside in the dark (It could have happened last week…when I went to turn off a light in the garage that had been left on, maybe.) I would start off walking thinking “I’ve got this, I’m calm.” Then with my eyes wide my steps getting a little quicker and my heart starts beating a little faster. I then very calmly proclaim “Satan get behind me, because I belong to Jesus.” A few steps later I am now at a slow jog, then a fast sprint and with every step I take I am saying the name of Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…Until I burst through the door and into the light. (I can only imagine how this looks if someone was to video me.) Satan knows that this is a weakness of mine and He pounces. Every. Single. Time.

2 Samuel 22:3-4 tells us, “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-from violent people you save me. “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.”

We see in this verse that we are to call upon the Lord, for He is worthy! He knows there is a spiritual battle going on and He is there for all of us. We just need to call upon the Lord and we can rest assured that He is there to save us from our enemies. So, I can stop sprinting and yelling out Jesus’ name to Satan and instead walk with the confidence of a Christ follower ready to battle evil with the power of the precious name of Jesus!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

27
Jul

Defense Wins Games

Growing up in the Texas panhandle and playing basketball, we are always taught that defense wins games. From the time we are little we were taught the importance of fundamentals and working as a team.

When you are playing defense it is all about being aggressive, anticipating the offensive move, moving your feet and being “help-side” if your girl is on the other side of the court from where you are. If you are on ball you get after it and you don’t allow your girl to get between you and the basket, but if she does you know that one of your teammates has cheated over and has your back by being your “help.” She took your player when you got beat and her goal is to stop the ball. You are a team and there is no better feeling then working like a cohesive team and stopping the ball, get a turn-over, or get a 5- second call because the other team couldn’t pass the ball and your team has played such good defense.

It can be that way with us in our everyday life as well-when we are facing a problem or a foe that seems bigger than us, faster than us or is just beating us up. We can do everything we are taught…and we still find ourselves beaten. Only then when all seems lost can we realize that Christ has been behind us all the time just waiting for us to yell “help!” We have done all we can humanly do and it’s still not enough, but He is there.

Jesus is always with us waiting to come to our defense. His strength is revealed the most when we are at our weakest. 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that Jesus teaches “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

If we will humble ourselves when we are scared, weary, or just beaten and lean into Jesus we will get to witness one of the biggest blessings that we can receive. We will get to see the power of Jesus Christ alive and in a very real personal way. He knows that in our trenches when we can’t go on, that it is in these very moments that Jesus can be truly glorified. When it isn’t humanly possible, that is when He can make anything possible. It’s just like on that basketball court when we have been beaten, we can look up and see our teammate step up when we can’t.

I pray that today we will look behind us and look for Jesus “our defender” and see Him. We will see that He has been there all along. We aren’t alone in our battles…He is with us, always defending us.

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

26
Jul

Defender of Nations

I have incredible friends that serve our country in different uniforms.  I have courageous friends that have sailed the world in the Navy, are veterans of the Army, Marines with boots on the ground in the Middle East and police officers that serve my community.  The common denominator between all these brave, selfless people is that they are all defenders.  They defend our homeland, our freedom, and our families.

Recently, my heart has been extremely heavy with the violence that seems rampant throughout our nation.  The anger, hatred, and racial and political tension is something that cannot be avoided. With so much darkness, my heart has been aching to see the Light, the love of Christ.  Not so coincidently, the Lord has been gently nudging me to evaluate what showing His love looks like tangibly to those around me, and if His love is evident in my own life. Additionally, He has been asking me to teach my kids how to show other what Love looks like, all in Jesus’ name. Last week, my oldest son and I made cookies to take to the local police station.  All morning, I felt God impressing on me what to talk with my son about while we baked.  My son is two years old, and without a doubt has more joy than anyone I’ve ever met.  Completely unaware of what recent weeks have looked like in the news, I told him that we were making these for the officers to say thank you to them, but also to show them that they are loved.  God lead me to explain to him that these officers protect people that God made.  Every single one of them, even if they are unkind. Because that’s what love is.

Love is God sending His son to die for everyone, even those that won’t ever love Him back.  Love is God saying, “No what you’ve done, I will fight for you. I won’t ever stop pursuing anyone that I have created.” Love is also God standing behind you, ready to stop any flaming arrow headed your way. Exodus 14:14 says, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  In times of uncertainty, when fear floods our hearts and minds we can be confident that the Lord is our Defender.  He is there speaking courage, truth, and love to our wavering hearts, building our faith and silencing the enemy’s threats.

There are a lot of people hurting today, this week, this year. The pain seems to be getting worse and the dark even darker still.  Families are broken, hearts are broken, and the enemy seems to be advancing on our homeland, our very own nation.  I am here today to tell you, and myself, that there is one that is our ultimate Defender.  He defended us over 2000 years ago and defeated death itself, and there is nothing that can stop Him today.  He is fighting for your family, for our babies, and for our country. He is fighting for everyone that He created, and that will never change.  The author of Psalms 34:18 encourages us in this, saying, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  Our Defender will never leave us alone, but instead in His omnipotence goes before us and walks with us.

You might be wondering if He is doing so much fighting why there is so much darkness? I have asked myself the same thing. The verse mentioned above from Exodus 14:14 is written in the story from the Bible when the people of Israel were fleeing the Egyptian army and have found themselves backed up against the Red Sea. The Israelites began to blame their leader, Moses, for ruining their lives and leading them out of slavery only to die in the wilderness. In a moment of extreme tension, and what seemed to be a devastating end, Moses speaks to the crowd: “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”  Exodus 14:13-14

At the very moment the people were certain hate and darkness had defeated them, God speaking through Moses instructs them to fear not, stand firm, and be still. The very next moment, God commands Moses to use his staff to part the Red Sea, and as soon as the very last Israelite makes it to shore the waves crash behind them on the enemy.

I believe this is what He is asking of us, His people, to do today as well. Take heart and fear not, friends. Rest assured that fear is not from the enemy. 2 Timothy 1:7 says for “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” One of the ways I combat fear and anxiety is to memorize Scripture and claim God’s promises out loud. It is an effective way to get immediate results, and there is something so powerful about have the Word written on your heart. It becomes much more personal.

Additionally, in an effort to let God do the fighting for us, we must stand firm in what we know to be true in the depths of our souls. It is easy to be overwhelmed by whatever we may see in front of us, but we need to remember that our Defender only sees victory. Isaiah 7:9 says, “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” To stand firm in our faith, we need to know what we believe in. Challenge yourself to study what God really says, and again I encourage you to write it on your heart.

Lastly, in the darkest of times we are to be still. Psalm 46:10 tells us “Be still and know that I am God.” It is when we are still that we remember who is God and who is not. In the stillness we are reminded that it is God who sits on the throne and it is He who fights for us. When we are still, aware and confident that our Defender is diligently fighting for us, we can most clearly hear the voice of God. When God speaks to us and we are still at the foot of the Cross, we will then be able to hear and accomplish what it is He is asking us to do the be Light, the love of Christ, in powerful and effective ways to the world around us.

There is only one Christ and neither you or I are Him. The world needs Jesus. And when we resist fear, stand firm, and be still, we will see undoubtedly see Him moving in power as the Defender His people desire.

Rachel

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25
Jul

My Ultimate Defender

I grew up as the middle of 3 girls. (Yes, I am a middle child and I use that against my sisters and my parents until this very day.  All of you middles reading this know my pain…I’m of course kidding.)  What I think is the most amazing thing about growing up fairly close in age to my sisters, is that we had days when we fought over anything and everything.  We said things to each other that we would never say to anyone else and we had moments that we even hated each other.  Then in the next moment we would be giggling and playing together.

After my older sister moved to college to play basketball, my youngest sister and I got to play varsity sports together.  It was an amazing experience.  The coaches quickly learned that we couldn’t guard each other in practice or an argument would break out quickly…we are both uber competitive.

I remember playing against a local school in basketball when I was a senior. (I’m 5’9 and my sister is only about 5’5, just keep this in mind.)  We were guarding an inbounds play and I knew the play that was called by the other team.  So I was cheating to where the play was going.  The girl that I was guarding got very upset and frustrated after a few steals and became vocal about it.  My little sister didn’t like was she was saying at all.  I thought it was funny, but this little 5’5 thing jumped in between me and the girl I was guarding and was telling her a thing or two.  I still laugh at the thought of my sister jumping to my defense when I am head taller than her, but she was defending me.  It didn’t matter the cost.  I’m hers and she loves me enough to defend me to anyone.

Jesus feels the same way about us.  He is our defender.  He is always there with us.  He sees our triumphs, our losses and He sees when we are in a battle that we can’t win alone. As soon as we need Him and ask for His help, He is there to jump between us and the giant that we are facing.

Jesus tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9,

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Jesus is our defender when we feel we are being attacked not only in our everyday lives, but in a very real spiritual warfare. This war was waged by Satan for our very souls and Jesus defended us, and still does. He has already won the ultimate battle. He has defeated death upon the Cross. Once we accept Him as our savior, we are saved and we no longer have to face life on our own.

I may have thought it was funny when my little sister jumped up to defend me that day on the basketball court, but it still made me proud that she was there for me. There is such comfort in knowing someone has your back and I know that both of my sisters are always there for me if I need anything. But their love for me and their willingness to defend me will never compare to the love and the protectiveness that Jesus feels for me, for all of us. And “if He is for us than who can be against us.” Romans 8:31.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”  Psalms 121:1-10

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed,

Whitney

20
Jul

Redeemed and Grateful

 

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me.” Job 19:25

In this Bible verse Job is calling on God as Redeemer so that he can be vindicated and relieved of the consequences of the judgment against him.  We know that centuries after this book was written Jesus would act as a Redeemer for all of us as he set us free from the consequences of our sin. This is how God revealed himself to us as our Redeemer.

So here is what I am thinking about today in regard to my redemption: the fact that we are redeemed should transform our hearts from a place of despair to a place of gratitude. And if we are grateful that God is our redeemer, then how should that make our lives different?

My oldest child is very responsible. She routinely packs for school on her own without needing a parent to double check that her homework is done, lunch is packed or that all of her belongings are in her backpack. However, this year she became distracted and left her homework at home a few times and she learned a valuable lesson as a result.

As a parent of a school aged child it is funny how my heart jumps when I see the phone number for the school show up on my caller ID. No matter what is going on around me I immediately stop and answer it, usually expecting it to be the school nurse telling me my child is sick. This year the phone number showed up on my phone within the first 10 minutes of school several times. Instead of the nurse, I heard my child’s voice telling me her homework was on her desk in her room and could I please bring it to her. I was grateful she was not sick and so I did. Then a few weeks later it happened again. This time there was a small discussion about responsibility. The third time…well she was informed there would be no further rescuing. In a way, I had redeemed her from the consequences of leaving her homework at home.

After the third incident I picked her up from school later that afternoon and it was amazing how different she was acting. She was grateful. She was helpful. She was kind to her little brother. But, more significantly, the remaining days of school she was exceptionally responsible about packing her belongs in her backpack. She knew she was redeemed from the consequence of forgetting her belongings and she changed her behavior as a result.

It seems simple.  Jesus redeemed us from our sin, so obviously we should change the behavior in our lives that led us to a place where we need redemption.  But, if we are honest with ourselves it is much harder than that. In fact, as I have grown in my relationship with God, He has pealed off layer after layer of sinfulness revealing to me how much further I need to walk with Him and pursue holiness.

Here is what I know when I respond to Christ as my Redeemer:  Jesus redeems me from my sin. Just as my daughter’s behavior changed after she was redeemed, knowing Jesus redeemed me should change my behavior too. The more I reflect on Jesus being my Redeemer the more I should desire to change the behaviors that caused me to need redemption in the first place. I know my Redeemer lives and I know He loves me enough to help me pursue a change in my behavior so I will be more like Him.

 

Amy

 

 

19
Jul

By His Blood

The names that we have studied this summer as a team for #IKnowHIM have all spoken so deeply to me. I have found myself digging into His word and developing a relationship with Him as more of His character has been revealed to me.  As I started researching the word redeemer this week and the verses in the Bible that speak of Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for all of us, I found myself in awe.  The definition of redeem is to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something and the word redeemer is defined as Christ.  Doesn’t that paint a perfect picture for us. We are the redeemed because of our faults and our inability to save ourselves and Christ is our redeemer.  We need a redeemer and our world desperately does as well.

The apostle Paul stated: “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20,) “you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from you aimless conduct received by tradition from you fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19.)

Jesus was without sin, yet He purchased all of us with His precious blood upon that Cross.  The cost of my sin was His very death and He willingly paid it to redeem me.  He did it for every sin that I have committed and He did it for you as well.  I know that am not worthy of His sacrifice, but He did it anyway.  For this reason alone I am no longer my own, for I was bought.

It is almost to much for me to comprehend.  A love like that is precious, it’s breathtaking. But this was His purpose, this is why Jesus humbled himself and became man.  He came to offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of all men.  Jesus knew He was to die so that we may be redeemed and spend eternity with God.  That is why even in the Merriam-Webster dictionary there isn’t any other name we see as the absolute definition of Redeemer.  It is only the name of Christ-for He is our Redeemer!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

18
Jul

A Field and a Redeemer

This week the #IKnowHim blog team is meditating on the powerful, personal name of God, Redeemer. This is a name that is defined by Webster’s dictionary as:

“A person who brings goodness, honor, etc., to something again : a person who redeems something;

“A person who redeems; especially capitalized :  Jesus”

There is a beautiful story in the Bible about a woman named Ruth. She was widowed at a young age, and her mother in law, Naomi, also happened to experience the same grief with the loss of her husband. Instead of leaving her mother-in-law behind to start a new life, she chose to remain steadfast in her loyalty to her husband’s family and returned with Naomi to the land of their forefathers, destitute and with no provider. There she found herself working in a field that belonged to a man named Boaz, one of her husband’s relatives. Unbeknownst to her, Boaz had been keeping watch over her and ordered his men to leave enough barley for her to harvest so that she and Naomi would not go hungry. In a beautiful turn of events, Boaz fell in love with her and became what in those days was called her kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 3:9), someone who offered to stand in the gap for someone who had lost their provider and specifically someone that was a relative of the deceased. In this story full of divinely orchestrated events, it is evident that this is a foreshadowing of the Redeemer to come.

The world in which we live has been covered it darkness it seems, sin and death leaving a trace of sorrow every way we look. If we are honest, we too must fight our own sin nature constantly. The very moment that we are sincere in our evaluations, looking down at our dirty hands and dark hearts, realizing that we too are broken and poor in spirit with nothing to offer, our very own Redeemer willingly steps in. The story of Jesus is one of a loving God who saw someone in need, before the world ever began and decided to stand in the gap of sin, becoming our Redeemer. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Christ willingly picked up the burden and the shame of sin and carried it on His shoulders for my sake, for your sake. No matter what our circumstances are we can be certain that He is there fulfilling our payment. Just as Boaz displayed his love for Ruth by providing for her even without her knowledge, God often displays His love for us in ways we cannot see or haven’t realized yet. He is always there for those that love Him, making sure they have everything that they could ever need. By way of the cross, He has already paid the price for our sin and given us the gift of a new life.

Boaz and Ruth’s marriage meant that she no longer was on her own, desperately trying to make it day to day. It meant that someone had loved her enough to offer her a new life, a life where she was once again loved and cared for. Christ offers to come redeem us, and in addition to paying for our sins, He also offers to give us life abundant while we are here on earth. When we have a relationship with God and know Him intimately, it changes our entire outlook on the lives we are currently living. Becoming a follower of Jesus does not mean an easy road, but in fact many trials and persecution (John 16:33). Despite this, we can take heart, because our Redeemer has already overcome the world. Our Redeemer has paid the price of sin, defeated death, and is coming back for His beloved—His Church.

I’d like to conclude by sharing one more detail from Ruth’s story. She and Boaz go on to have child. A son, whom they name Obed. Obed becomes the grandfather of a man named David, who happens to be the forefather of Jesus.

God has always had a plan of redemption, and you and I are given the chance to be a part of it, today and everyday. If you ever find yourself wanting to make any kind of spiritual decision, we would love to talk to you about it. Send us an email (iknowhimblog@hotmail.com) that we can be praying with you. We’d love to connect you with a local church as you can continue to grow in your relationship with Him.

“O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause; You have redeemed my life.”

Lamentations 3:58

Rachel

14
Jul

Unexpected King

I used to be a regular evening news viewer, but I watch with angst more and more because it makes me so sad.  Anyone else feel discouraged by the world around us?  Innocent people being killed, cancer robbing our loved ones of life, Alzheimer’s robbing our families of decades of memories, innocent children being enslaved and used for prostitution, husbands leaving their families, the fatherless never knowing a daddy, parents abusing their own children, and starving babies are just a fraction of the sorrow we see.  Seeing suffering like this over and over again could leave one feeling hopeless.  However, as a Christ follower I have hope because I have a King, not an earthly king, but a Holy King.

God reveals Himself as King and it is a little bit like what fairytales describe. Some of the words in scripture that describe God in this way include: majesty, splendor, glory, reigning, sitting on a throne, jewels, victory and power. That pretty much sums up what image appears in my head when I think of a king. But a rather significant difference from fairytales is that Jesus isn’t fictional. His reign is real and He is a victorious king. He is sovereign over the world and ALL that is in it, including all that grieves me on the evening news. 1 Chronicles 16:27 says,

“Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.”

God also reveals Himself in an unexpected way, as a humble king. He first came to earth not as royalty dressed in robes on a white horse with an orb in his hand, but as a humble man, a carpenter. Several hundred years before Jesus came to earth, a prophet of God wrote this:

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!  See, your king comes to you righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Zechariah 9:9

God reveals Himself not only as a majestic ruler, but also a humble king.  Israel had waited for what many believed to be a military type authority and king, but instead He came as an unexpected king born in a stable.  Why is it significant that God reveals Himself as King both majestic and humble? The answer is because humanity needs both.

Humanity needs a majestic and humble King as we encounter this world. We NEED a majestic king to reign over this mess. We can rejoice that He is a reigning King who has DEFEATED darkness and is victorious.  But, we also need a humble King.  Because of God’s great love for us King Jesus has walked on earth as a man. He experienced pain and suffering as we do. Our King reigns with justice and mercy.  So, I am encouraged despite the pain I see on the evening news because God has revealed Himself as the sovereign ruler who loves us enough to experience the pain with us. I am so grateful that I can lay down these burdens at the foot of His throne and know that He is there and He loves the world He has created.

King over all the earth, we acknowledge our need for you as a Holy, perfect, reigning King. We need your wisdom to help us to discern right and wrong. We need your justice. We need your power to redeem us from this mess. We need you as our humble King. We need to encounter you personally and experience first hand the love of a living God. You are our Humble and Majestic King.

 Amy