Mute is an old word meaning “to change.” God’s character and His love for us will never change. So when it seems He has, what is really happening?

Let’s start with the original definition of the word immutable. Its root is mute – a verb that first meant “to change”. Immutable means “not having the ability to change.” The Psalmist writes that everything God created will change, decay, and wear out, but He will never change. When this earth is gone, He will still be good and loving, just as He is today and just as He was at the beginning of time. It’s a comfort to know that God’s goodness and His love for us will never decay and disappear. He will never become less of Who He is.

We use the word mute differently now. Mute is the button on a remote control which turns off the volume of our electronic devices. We often ask others to mute things – to turn them down so the volume is lower or off. Does this fit God? Is God not-mutable? Yes. We cannot turn down His communication with us. He continually talks to us and consistently reminds us of His love for us. He always warns us of things that will hurt us. Unfortunately, we often turn up the volume of many things around us and tune into competing voices. He has not changed. We have.

Heavenly Father, Help me to remember that You are immutable – You never change and Your messages of love, hope and peace never fade away. Help me turn down the volume of the things that compete with Your voice and listen intently to You. I want to hear You above the chatter and clatter of this world. And Father, even as my body slowly decays and my memory fades, keep reminding me that You are always the same.

What have you found to be helpful in muting the competing noises in your life so that you can hear God’s voice?

More than ever, we need to know the God of Peace, Jehovah-Shalom.

Lessons Learned from Gideon’s Call:

• Listen when Jehovah speaks your name and your title. He called Gideon “Valiant Hero.” But Gideon wasn’t valiant, he was afraid. He wasn’t a hero. He was hiding. God sees what we are capable of, what He has made us. He calls those things out of us so we can accomplish the tasks He has prepared for us.

• When we remember God’s faithfulness or stories of His faithfulness, let’s tell Him. Ask Him to show us why we don’t see it at this time. It’s okay to ask. Sometimes He answers those questions. In those cases, let’s respond to what He reveals to us. Sometimes He just continues to speak of His plans.

• Listen to His responses to any questions. His instructions often include His promises. At any time, we can accept the assignment given to us. But if we need more information . . .  

• It’s okay to ask “How” questions, but don’t be surprised when the answer is His presence. Remember, though, that asking “how” reveals that our thoughts are on trying to determine how we can accomplish the task rather than how He plans to do it.

• He knows sometimes we need a sign, so He doesn’t mind revealing Himself to open, honest seekers. When He gives a sign, we will know it is from Him. It might be scary. If it is, be honest and then listen again. If it is from Him, He will reassure us. He wants our reverence, and true reverence has an honest bit of fear it in.

• Peace doesn’t come from seeing the sign. Peace comes from His presence and hearing His calming voice. When we are at peace with God, we are encouraged to obey. We recognize we can rely on Him and His character. We don’t argue with Him or give excuses for delayed obedience or or ask Him to reconfirm things we have already heard. We understand He is God and He is with us. Our response is to allow Him to work.

• Peace with God often means that we are at odds with others, particularly unbelievers. Maybe our first decisions must be: “Where does my peace come from? Who would I rather be at peace with – the Prince of Peace or those who promise peace in this world?” All our responses (both actions and words) to those who don’t understand should directed by God. He knows how to bring peace to those folks as well.

Heavenly Father, Help me to listen carefully to Your words to me. Help me remember that all You do is focused on bringing peace. Your Son is the living, walking, working Prince of Peace and Your Holy Spirit grows this fruit in my heart, mind, and life. Your peace is eternal and much grander than simply a lack of strife, struggling, and heartache.Your peace calms my heart. Your peace makes me strong. Your peace helps me do things that I could not do on my own. Let me live a life ruled by your peace!

Do you know the God of Peace?

All God’s promises to Abraham started with a promise to see and provide what Abraham needed. God promises that to us, too.

The story of the name Jehovah-Jireh is hard to read. How could a good God tell Abraham (the man He made great promises to) to take Isaac (the only son who could make those promises reality), go off, build an altar, and sacrifice him? When the story is told out of the context of Abraham’s life, it doesn’t make sense. But, long before this day, Abraham had heard God tell him to move away from his family and go to a far off country “that I will show you.” The Hebrew word “show you” can also be translated “see or provide.” (Genesis 12) Abraham obeyed, went, and God provided.

In Genesis 22:1-19, Abraham got up and took Isaac to the place that God showed him. Along the way, when Isaac begins to question, Abraham answers, “The Lord God will see and provide.” Abraham says this in faith (trusting obedience to God). Then, he made preparations to obey God (even when it seemed contrary to God’s original words and promises). This was the hardest part . . . it was a test of Abraham’s heart: Would he trust Jehovah (our infinite, omnipotent [all-powerful], good, loving God) or spare Isaac (the child he loved more than anything else and the one in whom many of the other promises resided)? Abraham decided to trust God and God interrupts him and tells him to stop. God had already seen the need and supplied the sacrifice in Isaac’s place. In verse 13, Abraham sees a sacrificial ram caught in the thicket. God wasn’t out to destroy the promise. He was testing the heart of a man.

Abraham’s test is a foreshadowing of Calvary, where God gave His only begotten Son, In that place, there was no other option. For each of us, God sees the need and provides the Answer. Our response? Lay ourselves down first.

Heavenly Father, Help me remember that when I am tested, Your promises to me do not change. Your words do not change. You are faithful. You keep Your promises. Help me keep my eyes focused on You and obey – even when it’s hard. Help me remember Your faithfulness. I know you respond to yielded hearts.

Are you in the midst of a hard place? Remember God – Jehovah-Jireh – sees all and He will provide.

An infinite, all-powerful god who is not also good would be a frightening thought! Our God is good.

We serve a God who is good. But, what exactly does that mean?

Have you ever needed a pair of shoes for a special occasion? Let’s imagine that you were going to the barn, a working barn and you needed a pair of shoes. You go to your closet and you find all kinds of shoes. Converse Chucks are there and they are pleasing to the eye and fit you well, but you know the barn is full of muck and you don’t ruin your vintage tennis shoes. So you move on. There is a pair of house slippers, they are very comfortable and they protect your feel from the cold floors in the winter. When crushed acorns are brought into the house on the sole of shoes, these slippers protect the bottom of your feet from the pokey bits. But are they really the best shoes for the barn? What about your Sunday best? You move on . . . you are looking for something: pleasant (fit your feet correctly), agreeable (suit the occasion), beneficial (protect your feet), with integrity (without holes), not hurtful (won’t impede your walk because they’re too big or too small), and helpful (help you do the work needed without creating unnecessary problems.)

Heavenly Father. Thank you for remembering how You made me and working with me in a way that is perfect for me. Thank You for meeting me in each situation and providing what I need. Thank You for saving me from my own destruction – when it has come from my own decisions or carelessness or the decisions or carelessness of others. Thank You for being faithful. You leave no holes, nothing unaccounted for. Thank You for not calling me to do things that are too far beyond my ability to work with You, and thank You for preparing me (teaching me and training me) for the things You know will come in my life. Thank You for being the One who is always helpful – the One who does not create problems, but the One who makes a way through the problems in this life. Help me continue to trust You, learn from You, listen and wholeheartedly obey You, and delight in and hold dear Your words.

What other way would you describe God’s goodness?

In a world where we don’t always have the ability to do what is needed or desired, it’s comforting to know we have a God who is all powerful.

Consider this: The God who has no limits, the One breathed the breath of life into man, the One who created the blue marble we live on with just His words, the One who spoke the stars into existence, the One with no beginning nor end – He still speaks. He is still at work. And, not a thing we can think or imagine is too hard for Him.

So why do things seem to be wrong so often? Why does it seem I can’t see Him at work?

Heavenly Father, Could it be my fear that keeps me from seeing Your work? Could it be that I’m afraid You want change me and will ask me to do things that are too big or too hard for me to do? Help me remember that You are still the one who has no limits and, with You and only You, I can do whatever You ask of me. Let me have the faith of Mary so I can say, “Nothing is impossible for You. I am Your servant.”

What holds you back from trusting the One who can do things beyond what you could even think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)?

I have been working through Paul’s letters and find myself at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  The letter to the Corinthians could have been written to the Church of 2021. Paul has already addressed a couple of lists of problematic, troublesome, what-not-to-do things and then there’s this to-do:  Glorify God with your body.

(1) My body is a gift from our Creator and was made to be a sacred space where the Holy Spirit dwells. I must treat my body as the dwelling place of God. I don’t do things with it that would cause His Holy Spirit to shy away. I keep the internal doors of my heart open for Him to have access to every part of my life. 

(2) Items for sale don’t determine their price or value. It’s not even the seller who determines the value. The one who determines the true value of the item is the purchaser, the one who is willing to make an exchange. God willingly gave up His Son for me. Jesus Christ willingly exchanged His life for me. I was bought at a great price – not because of any value I believe I might have, but because I was made in the image of the Most High God and as a place for His Holy Spirit to dwell.

(3) God made me in His image and I can never repay Him for rescuing me, but I can reflect Him and His character (to the best of my ability) into the world around me. Living as He wants glorifies (honors, holds in high esteem) God while I am in this body. 

The first step to glorifying God is to understand who He is. I could never fully comprehend His magnitude, I can catch glimpses of His glory, thank Him for being Who He Is, and sharing with others (being salt and light). So for the next few weeks, we will be taking a look at Who God really is, His character, and ways to glorify Him.