Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a…
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments – Why God’s judgments are anchored in truth, not emotional narratives
And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” – Genesis 16:6-9
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
From the scenario that played out in our reference passage above, we see how Hagar painted a picture of her horrible mistress, Sarah, who was mean to her and treated her so badly even in her pregnant state until she had to flee the house in fear for her life. Considering that this was a period when the climate was harsh and there were not many of the comforts of life that we are used to today, Hagar must have cut a very pitiable sight indeed: a pregnant woman, in tears, looking tired, haggard, sitting alone by a spring and telling about her wicked and jealous madam who constantly terrorized her because she, Hagar, was pregnant something that Sarah had not been able to achieve.
Anyone who listened to her tale of woes would have immediately condemned Sarah and her husband for mistreating a helpless pregnant woman the way they did. Abraham and Sarah would undoubtedly have made the news headlines for being an abusive couple who mistreated their poor maid-turned-surrogate.
However, despite her very moving story, the angel of God was not impressed by the sheer pathos of it. Rather, his response to Hagar was short and direct: “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”
Who would have guessed that was how God would respond to such a matter? God that some have turned into a swooning, sentimental Being who gushes and croons at human dynamics.
However, the angel’s words offered us an insight into God’s mindset. He goes directly to the point and is not beclouded by sentimental shows and other charades that we put on to gain mileage for ourselves. He told Hagar, “Go back home and submit to your mistress.” Period. End of story.
Why? Because He had all the facts of the matter and knew what led to Hagar having to flee the house in the first place, and He was not going to allow her pathetic sight to taint His own judgment. We can all learn from that before jumping to conclusions and passing judgment over matters and people whose details we know little about.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14
Understanding God: He is A Creator In the beginning God created… – Genesis 1:1 It is instructive that “create” is the first word associated with God as we become acquainted…
Understanding God: He is A Creator – What God’s creative nature reveals about humanity, purpose, and responsibility
In the beginning God created…
– Genesis 1:1
It is instructive that “create” is the first word associated with God as we become acquainted with Him in the Bible. That word also sums up His personality and underscores one of His main attributes. He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Another word used copiously in the Bible to describe God is “the Maker.” He is the Maker of all things (Jeremiah 10:16, Jeremiah 51:19). He created both male and female, the high and the low, the big and the small, the mighty and the minnow, the poor and the rich (Jeremiah 51:19); He created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them (Isaiah 51:13).
This, therefore, leaves us with two lessons as takeaway from this meditation. Firstly, out of everything that God created, He decided to make humans in His own image, to think, speak, act, and function just like Him. By extension, that means every human has the creative ability of God.
If you stretch your imagination to consider the magnitude of creation, you would appreciate the kind of power with which God has endowed humans. We are wired to be creators just like Him. Little wonder that after God created all things in their natural state, humans, His co-creators, are entrusted with recreation, which has led to the discovery and invention of all manner of things. This is merely humans exercising the agency that God conferred on them at creation, when He created them in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27).
The second lesson to take away is that it is important to exercise our creative power in sync with God. Inasmuch as there are many good human-made creations that have graced the earth across the ages, there are also some man-made creations that God would not approve of, particularly to the extent that such deface or deform His original design and other fundamentals. In this regard, wisdom is profitable to direct.
That said, it is heartwarming to see how humans have evolved and developed the beautiful innovations and developments we have today, which are not just helping us understand our world and environments better but also helping us live a more fulfilling and comfortable life. The power of creation.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14
God of All Beginnings — A biblical reflection on Genesis 1:1, emphasizing God’s centrality in all new endeavors
In the beginning God… – Genesis 1:1 There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God….
In the beginning God…
– Genesis 1:1
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He sees the end of everything from its beginning. That is why He is called the Omniscient, the all-knowing God.
He is also not just omniscient, He is likewise omnipotent, all-powerful, and omnipresent. He is everywhere and is ever present. He is God over all.
While our reference scripture today is about to start acquainting us with the history of creation, perhaps we can also borrow a leaf from it by consciously resolving to make God part of all our beginnings. That is by inviting Him into the foray before we start anything of note or surrendering all our new experiences, happenings, and developments to Him.
Doing this will not only ensure that we have a formidable ally on our side as we proceed in our various endeavors in life, but it will also guarantee that our works are sustainable and can stand the test of time.
Why is this so? The universe is believed to be about 13.8 billion years, while the Earth, the part of the universe where we humans live in, is believed to be about 4.54 billion years old. There is no other entity around older than the universe created by God. In the same way there is no other creature on Earth older than the Earth itself. It was the story of how the universe and the Earth came into being that we are about to read in Genesis 1, and they all started with, “in the beginning God…”
Therefore, God is the God of all beginnings. That we acknowledge Him or not in our beginnings does not remove Him from such beginning, it only deprives us of His partnership. The more reason we must deliberately invite Him before we start anything and consciously involve Him as we continue with them. Doing so does not increase His stature; it only enhances our chances of succeeding thereof.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14
Understanding the Devil: He is Cunning and Deceitful – Why discernment is essential for believers facing subtle spiritual attacks
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. – Genesis 3:1
Another attribute of the devil that believers need to be aware of and must always watch out for is cunning or deceit.
The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines cunning as ‘having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion’. This tells us that the devil uses deceitful methods to achieve his diabolical ends, and we know that is usually targeted against the children of God, particularly those who maintain a good relationship with the Father.
The devil rarely bothers about those who do not have a relationship with God. Those are easy catches for him anyway. However, those who genuinely worship God in spirit and in truth are his focal targets for two reasons. Firstly, these people have a divine hedge around them that shields them by virtue of their communion with God. Secondly, they are also his most fearsome spoilers, as they have the capacity to scuttle his works on the earth or around them.
Therefore, he will go to any length to do anything that will make these his greatest threats, genuine believers, lose ground or face in the eyes of God, or not even have a settled mind to take him on. One of the ways he gets at them is through cunning tactics. According to the same Oxford Dictionary, synonyms for cunning include crafty, wily, artful, guileful, devious, sly, knowing, scheming, designing, tricky, slippery, slick, manipulative, Machiavellian, deceitful, deceptive, and duplicitous. The opposite of these is honest, guileless, naïve (innocent).
These words sum up the various ways and methods the devil will approach a believer to try and unsettle or rubbish them, so that they can lose their confidence in Christ Jesus or lose face before God.
Now, we are one tactic more aware of his devices.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14
Understanding the Devil: The Master of Disguise — How Satan uses subtle alliances to deceive and destroy
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. – Genesis 3:1
Our first introduction to the devil in the Bible was not in his natural form. He came in disguise; he appeared as a serpent.
Note, the serpent was not the devil. Serpent is another word for snake. However, to fulfil its mission of orchestrating the downfall of humanity, the devil needed an earthly collaborator. The snake was the perfect match for his scheme as the snake itself was described as having natural cunning attributes. That was why the devil partnered with it to get at the woman.
The fact that the devil did not approach the woman directly himself indicated that he knew he would not have her audience. Therefore, he had to come to her in the guise of one of the friendly neighbors of Adam and Eve in the garden, the snake.
The Oxford Dictionary defines conspirator as ‘a person who takes part in a conspiracy: conspirators had planned to seize the state.’
The synonyms for conspirators include conspirer, plotter, schemer, intriguer, colluder, collaborator, conniver, machinator, confederate, cabalist; traitor.
The classic earthly agenda of the devil as crystalized in John 10:10 as coming “to steal, to kill, and to destroy,” gels perfectly with the nature and operations of a conspirator. Therefore, a child of God must always be alert and watch out for the disguised antics of the devil and the friendly atmosphere or form he may appear.
So, in order not to fall prey to the devil’s antics, we must be prayerful and pay attention to subterfuges, developments, appearances, and entrances that come to us in a seemingly harmless or friendly form. Obviously, not every new thing, person, proposition or development that come to us are treacherous and originate from the devil. It takes discernment to identify which is which.
The more reason a child of God must be spiritually grounded, as the key to cultivating discernment is to watch and pray.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14
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Understanding God: His Balancing Act in Obedience and Promise
God asked Hagar to return to her harsh mistress, Sarah, but promised her descendants that would be uncountable. This teaches us that God pairs challenging instructions with blessings, revealing His perfect balance.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiment
When emotions run high, God still judges with perfect clarity. What Hagar’s story reveals is a God who sees beyond tears and sentiment — and always knows the whole truth.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
The Bible introduces God first not as a ruler or judge, but as a Creator. That single detail changes how we see Him, how we see ourselves, and how we understand the power placed within human hands.
Understanding God: God of All Beginnings
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Understanding the Devil: He Is Cunning and Deceitful
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Understanding the Devil: The Master of Disguise
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