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GOD?

 If you drive through almost any small town or large city in America today, you're going to find numerous churches.  Churches of varying denominations, but whom all claim to worship God.  If you go to the movies or watch television, you'll see movies like Bruce Almighty and others which in some form or another portray God.  If you walk down the street and talk to 100 strangers most of them will claim they believe in God.  Our currency even states, "In God We Trust" on it. However, our nation is falling apart.  Open wickedness and sin are everywhere.  People claim to trust God on Sunday, but live the rest of their week doing what God PLAINLY has said NOT to do.  There's something SERIOUSLY wrong with this picture.
 
And I think the problem is, we've forgotten just WHO God REALLY is.  We've heard so many people talk about God all their lives.  We have people who use God's name as a curse word.  We have movies and television shows that portray God as an idiot or a goof-ball.  We seem to have no fear whatsoever of offending or displeasing or disobeying God.  We have FORGOTTEN WHO GOD REALLY IS!
 
In 1 Chronicles 29, David had just announced to the nation of Israel that his son Solomon was going to build the temple.  And David prayed a prayer to Almighty God.  Here is part of that prayer, "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever.  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name." (1 Chronicles 29:10-13)
 
David knew Who God was and is.  It is Almighty God who has created us, who controls everything, and in Who's hands is every breath of life we breathe.  If we would just stop and SERIOUSLY consider WHO God is, and the consequences we face by disobeying and displeasing Him, our lives would change DRASTICALLY.  
 
In his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of and Angry God", Johnathan Edwards said, "There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God."  Thousands of people die each day, and they suddenly stand before the God whom they have ignored, the God whom they have flippantly disobeyed and displeased and dishonored - but then it's TOO LATE.
 
We will ALL stand before God one day and give an account of our lives.  That alone should drive us to seek to please Him and obey His commandments.  If we would TRULY understand Who He is and what control He has over EVERY detail of our lives, MUCH of what we do would STOP and we would seek EVERY MOMENT to please and honor Him.
 
God LOVES each of us.  And He only wants what is BEST for our lives.  He desires a DAILY relationship with us, and fellowship with us.  And He has promised to supply and meet ALL of our needs.  Yet, at the SAME time - He is ALMIGHTY GOD, and we should not look so lightly on displeasing Him. 
 
That's why David wrote in Psalm 111:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever."  When we TRULY understand Who God is, and just WHY we should seek to do what is PLEASING to Him, it will impact our lives.  He is merciful.  He is gracious.  He LOVES each of us beyond what we could EVER deserve!  Just the thought of displeasing Him should make us STOP and THINK about what we're doing.
 
"Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 100:2-5)

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