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God, The Great Mathemetician
Andrea Lende • April 11, 2021
Matthew 1:17
God is in the Details
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/God-is-in-the-Details-eulmhk
Matthew 1:17
“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen, from David to the Babylonian exile fourteen generations, from the Babylonian exile to the Christ fourteen generations."
Psalm 117:1-2
“O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people!”
“For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord!”
God is the Great Mathematician.
There were fourteen generations between the most important figures and events in the Old Testament which was no coincidence.
For there are no coincidences with God.
His plan is always perfect.
Sometimes I forget just how perfect His plan is.
He is involved in every detail of our lives.
The Israelites who lived in captivity in Egypt and Babylonia probably couldn’t see an end in sight to their suffering.
In their suffering, they may have lost hope and may have thought the Lord their God abandoned them.
But God had a plan.
Of course, His mighty plan was to release them from captivity.
And His plan was calculated down to the exact fourteenth generation three times.
He is Perfect.
Another example of God’s perfection is in the middle of the Bible.
The exact middle chapter of the Bible.
Chapter 117 in the book of Psalms is the exact middle chapter in the Bible and it has only two verses.
Verse one says to praise God.
Many years ago, I asked the Lord what I was here on this earth for, and He showed me it was to worship Him.
So, it is no surprise to me that the middle of the Bible tells us to praise God.
Verse two says God is merciful and loving and kind.
It says His truth and faithfulness will reign forever.
And it ends with praise the Lord!
What an amazing message the Lord gives us in the middle of the Bible!
God is a Planner.
He has every single thing planned out for our lives even when we think He isn’t watching us.
God is in the details.
He is in every detail of our lives.
And He will always take care of us.
Today I am thankful the Lord is working in every detail of my life.
May you find the Lord is working in every detail of your life and has the perfect plan in motion for you.
Daily Word:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You are working in every detail of my life. Thank You for showing me You have never forgotten Your people and You will never forget me. I am continually reminder of Your perfection, Lord. You are the Great I AM. You are the Creator of the universe and all things in it. You crafted me and my life perfectly according to Your plan. Help me do all that You have planned for me to do. Help me be obedient to You so I may serve You. Soften my heart and put Your love in my heart so I may love Your people. Make me more compassionate and loving to those around me, Father. May my every thought, word, and deed by directed by You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank you for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM working in every detail of your life and AM preparing you for My service My child.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.