Jim Stephens

Your Personal God Jim Stephens 07-25-12 Reading: Isaiah 43-54; 1 Peter 4 Scripture: 3 Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! 4 That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. (Isaiah 43:3-4 MSG) Twenty-first century Americans live in a world of personal computers, personal bankers, personal financial advisors, and personal trainers. I think this trend has grown out of an "It's all about me!" attitude. But when God says, "I am God, your personal God..", it's a different matter. God isn't my personal God like a personal trainer I could hire who will come to my house, at my convenience, to help me get physically fit. God is my personal God because he owns me! I don't own him, he owns me! He is my personal God because he knows me, loves me, and plans my life and my destiny. He is my personal God because I am totally his personal "me." Here's the result, the wonderful result of the fact that God is my personal God and that I am totally his personal "me"... 1 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. 2 When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end- (Isaiah 43:1-2 MSG) He bought me back from my sin and myself. (Jesus redeemed me) He named me and called me. (Jim - called for his purpose) I am completely his. (And he takes good care of what's his!) In over my head? He's there with me. (I won't drown in the complexity of life.) Between a rock and a hard place? (been there!), it won't be a dead end (it wasn't!). Prayer: Father, Thanks for being my personal God. Help me to remember that what that really means is not that you're made in the image of my wants and desires, but that you own me outright. You're mine because I'm yours. That's how it is, that's how it should be, and that's how I want it to be - always. Amen! Copyright 2012 Resource Ministries International If you received this email from a friend and would like to receive GraceNotes in your email inbox daily click here to subscribe. To Donate To Jim Stephens' Ministry Click Here To Buy Jim Stephens' Devotional Book Click Here