God's Book -- A spiritual exercise -- Murray Dueck

The Book

Have you ever peeked into someone's journal when they weren't looking: Possibly hoping to find out what they secretly thought about you? What was your heart looking for?  Connection, love, understanding, affirmation, intimacy...maybe all of the above? God loves that inquisitive excitement! Or at least when it comes to peaking in one particular book - His journal of our lives.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

 Psalm 139:16-18

As surprising as it may seem God has a personal journal too.  A book He keeps about the highlights of our lives; in it is the story of our creation, our highs and our lows, our dreams, and our hopes –  a book that outlines our days, and more importantly records the thoughts of the Lord towards us. These thoughts being more than all the grains of sand.

This is an important book indeed!  A book so important that Moses, for the sake of the Children of Israel, risked being blotted out of it.

But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book ...”

Exodus 32:32-33

Moses' “blot me out of your book” conversation with the Lord wraps up in Exodus 33 where Moses convinces the Lord to go with Israel on the journey to the promised land.  

And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." 

Exodus 33:17

Moses' life was written in God's book, and God knew Moses by name.

Why is this all important?  Because there is another place in scripture these key words show up: “Name,” “Known,” and, “Written (in the book),”  – in Luke chapter 10.  And this book, and having our names written in it, is to make us very excited.

The Disciples Discover the Reason to Be Excited

Jesus had just sent out the 70 disciples to preach the good news of the gospel, to heal the sick, and cast out the demons.  The disciples had come back marveling at the experience – at the power and authority they had walked in due to the name of Jesus.

The seventy returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."

Luke 10:17

How does Jesus' reply?  Jesus uses the same words God used in His conversation with Moses so many centuries before...words that allowed Moses to see why God was with Him, would speak to Him, and be his friend – that Moses' name was known, and written, in the book.  And now Jesus was making sure his disciples knew the same thing.

“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure."All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Luke 10:20-22

To know someone's name is a mark of intimacy.  Think of the Prime Minister or President walking over to you in a crowd and calling you by name.  But it is even more than that.  This word “know” does not just reference a head knowledge recognition of someone, but a deep intimate knowledge.  This word is the Jewish idiom used for sexual relationships – as in Adam “knew Eve.” (Genesis 4:1 NKJ)  In other words this book that our names are written in is to make us tremendously excited, our names are known, our days recorded, and it is all written in a journal that God keeps with him. And more than anything, Jesus' wishes us to be excited about that.

Something to Ponder

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 

2 Corinthians 1:20

a) If all God's promises are yes and amen to us, think about your life, this life written in this book.  If there could be a life verse that would encapsulate your journey with Jesus, what would it be?  Why?

b)  If God could flip open the book and have it fall on a particular chapter of your life He cherishes, what would it be?  

c)  Ask the Lord why that chapter?

Also, it is possible that that chapter may change from time to time as God wants you  to review different aspects of your life with him.  Come back, sit with the Lord, and peer into the book often, you may be surprised that God cherishes things about your life – that you may have even forgotten about or took no notice of!

Murray Dueck is the author of Keepers of the Presence, The roadmap to spiritual sensitivity and God's presence. Murray also leads Samuel's Mantle, a training school teaching people “The language of the Holy Spirit” in the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. He and his wife Kelly live in Abbotsford, BC with their three children.  For more information in regards to what Murray is up to and what resources he has to offer please feel free to visit www.samuelsmantle.com 

 

 

 

Comments

[The Caffeinated Mystic (Deb)]

Very encouraging!!! Thank you!

[Heathermarsten.wordpress.com]

Isaiah 49:16 tells us we are inscribed on the Palms of His Hands. I am so grateful that He knows our names. Thank you for this encouraging post.
Heather