thoughts by Suzanne Benner Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

Published May 29, 2024

Who God Is

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

What forms your idea of God?

Childhood memories, personal experiences, and unmet expectations can create a skewed picture of God.

To rightly understand who God is, we must look to the only completely reliable source: God Himself, as He reveals Himself in His Word.

In the verses above, God proclaimed His name to reveal Himself to Moses. English Bibles translate God’s personal name as “LORD.” In Hebrew, only the consonants “YHWH” appear. The name Jews considered so holy that they dared not speak it or even write it completely, is “I AM.” With His name, God corrected the Israelites’ misconceptions. Not a calf formed out of gold earrings (Exodus 32:2-4). Not the image of anything in heaven or on earth. The self-existent One. Not made by anyone.

Merciful and gracious. Although ready to destroy the Israelites because of their idolatry, God relented when Moses interceded on their behalf (Exodus 32:7-14). The people deserved death; God gave mercy.

Faithless, grumbling and quarreling, the people questioned God’s love. Yet God did not change with the Israelites’ feelings. His abounding, steadfast love remained the same.

Forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty. This statement must have puzzled Moses. How could God forgive sin without clearing the guilty? How could God be both forgiving and just?

Not until Jesus’ death and resurrection could we truly understand this mystery. But the Bible has been clear all along. God is who He says He is.

Holy God, when you revealed yourself to Moses, he “quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped” (Exodus 34:8). May I do the same. You are. You always have been. You always will be. You are merciful and gracious, far beyond what I can comprehend. Teach me to think rightly about who you are. Thank you for your steadfast love and faithfulness. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Love Those We Don’t Like

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

The call to imitate God sounds impossible. Yet, just as a small child imperfectly mimics a parent’s actions, disciples of Jesus copy him. These verses in Ephesians contain a key way to imitate God: walk in love.

Love, by definition, gives time, attention, and compassion. Love spends energy, intellectual resources, and money. Love sacrifices personal interests, wants, and needs for the interests, wants, and needs of others.

Indeed, love requires sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice for us reveals what real love looks like. John explains what “love” is in his first letter.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The call to “walk in love” goes far beyond loving nice, similar-to-us, or likeable people. God calls us to love dirty, unattractive, and needy people, too. He commands us to love greedy, ungrateful, and adversarial people. God directs us to love these people because that is who we once were. Paul tells the believers in Rome,

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

To walk in love is to daily put others ahead of ourselves. We walk in love, not because others deserve our love, but because Jesus first loved us. “

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”
(1 John 4:11).

Holy Spirit, fill me with your presence so that I might walk in love as Christ loves me. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

The Beginning of Wisdom

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7

Beyond the connection between fearing God and righteous living, the Bible presents a tight link between the fear of the Lord and wisdom.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.” (Psalm 111:10)

“The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28)

“A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil.” (Proverbs 14:16)

“The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom.” (Proverbs 15:33)

Once we’ve accepted that we need to fear the Lord, we pursue the path of wisdom. At the same time, seeking wisdom helps us understand what it means to fear God.

“My son, if you accept my [wisdom’s] words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5)

We will understand the fear of the Lord by:

• Accepting God’s words
• Storing up God’s commands
• Turning our ears to wisdom
• Applying our hearts to understanding
• Crying aloud for understanding
• Searching for wisdom as for hidden treasure

Seeking wisdom and fearing God requires a concerted effort. The two go hand in hand. Wisdom begins with fearing the Lord. We must acknowledge His authority to rule our lives and submit to His will. Then, as we listen to and accept God’s words, as we apply His commands to our hearts and ask Him to give us understanding, we start to make sense of the difficult concept of fearing God.

God, lead me on the path to wisdom. Teach me to fear You. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Born to Worship

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.” Romans 1:25

Human beings were created to worship. Unfortunately, we are easily misled into worshiping men who were created rather than our Creator, God Almighty. We must guard against worshiping men or allowing people to worship us.

The New Testament gives examples of our propensity to worship men in Acts 10:25, 26:

“As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. ‘Stand up,’ he said, ‘I am only a man myself.’”

Even the apostle John was tempted to worship a created being:

“And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’” (Revelation 22:8, 9)

Why are we so prone to worship men? When are you tempted to allow others to worship you?

Holy God, You alone are worthy of our worship. May I never worship anyone but You, nor allow anyone to worship me. Amen.

Today: Ask God to show you if there’s anything in your life that you are worshiping.

by Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Nothing Can Separate Us

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Are you facing trouble or hardship or persecution? Is conflict in your marriage, a loss of a job or illness weighing you down? Has your family disowned you or your friend deserted you? Are you experiencing a famine of food or a famine of hope? Is there danger or death looming on the horizon?

Then let me remind you that:

God chose you. (Romans 8:29-30)
God is your powerful ally. (Romans 8:31)
God gave up His Son for you, so He will look after you. (Romans 8:32)
Nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:39)

We can be confident of these truths because, “Jesus Christ, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Can death separate us from God’s love?
No, because through Jesus we have the promise of eternal life. (John 3:16)

Can life isolate us from God’s love?
No, because God has promised to be with us always. (Matthew 28:20)

Can angels or demons keep us from God’s love?
No. Though there are spiritual forces at work in our world, God is greater than them all. (Matthew 10:28)

Can present troubles or future fears cut us off from God’s love?
No, because God is the great “I AM”, the God who is and was and is to come. (Revelation 1:8)

Can any powers that man or Satan exert over us defeat God’s love?
No, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Thank you Holy God that because of Jesus, nothing can separate me from Your love. Amen!

by Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Strengthening Souls

“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.” Acts 14:21-22

The Book of Acts chronicles the work of the Holy Spirit in the early Church. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they immediately began to preach the good news of Jesus. The verses above highlight three things Paul and Barnabas did, which we can emulate.

Strengthen souls. Truth makes our souls stronger. Let us daily speak truth from God’s Word. Truths like: for my sake, the sinless Jesus became sin so that I might become righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). My old self died when Christ died, so now I live for Jesus in his power, not for myself (Galatians 2:20).

Encourage them to continue in the faith. You are reading this devotion because you want to know the only true God. Continue to seek him. Read the Bible. Pray for guidance. Trust God for all you need.

Say that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Remember, God never promised an easy life. Because of the brokenness of this world, we face trouble, pain, and grief. But by following Jesus, we find real life in his kingdom.

So, press on. There are souls to be strengthened. Like the early Christians, share how Jesus changed your life. Tell people how Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven, rose again so that we could live eternally with him, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

God, you rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into your kingdom. By the power of your Spirit may I strengthen the souls of those around me, encourage them to continue to believe in Jesus and to remind believers that these troubles are not unexpected, but part of the journey into your kingdom. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
used by Permission

Love Notes for You

God has written a letter to you.

The Bible isn’t just a storybook about God, the people of Israel, and a man named Jesus. It is a love letter from God to you.

When Jesus walked on earth He said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:9) John wrote it that the crux of the gospel message is a love note.

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

I encourage you to open your Bible today and look for evidence of God’s all-consuming love for you, like these verses from Romans:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38, 39)

What are some of your favorite “love notes” from God? Do you live in a way that shows that you believe God loves you with an everlasting love?

Loving Heavenly Father, thank you that You have left me little notes to remind me of how much You love me. Help me to keep reading Your Word so that I will see them and remember.

Thought: Ask God to give you an opportunity to show His love to someone in your world today. When you feel God prompting you, act on it.

by Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Full

“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 6:5)

“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8)

What fills up your being? The book of Acts gives us a compelling description of Stephen. I long to be characterized as he was.

Consider what these qualities would mean in a person’s life:

Full of faith – Faith in God is not wishful thinking or hoping that all our personal desires will be fulfilled. Faith believes that God created us, loved us, redeemed us and is in the process of transforming us.

Full of the Holy Spirit –A life full of the Spirit is in tune with God’s desires and purposes and follows His leading rather than demanding her own way or seeking her own wants or needs.

Full of God’s grace –Patient and generous, she gives herself in service to others without expecting anything in return.

Full of God’s power –Able to withstand the attacks of Satan and the world, her foundation cannot be shaken because it is rooted in Jesus Christ our Rock and our Redeemer.

How do you define faith? What do you most want to be full of and why?

Father we want to be full of You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Fill us with faith. Fill us with Your grace. Fill us with Your power. Amen

Are you walking a Holy Spirit Filled life?

by Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Who Alone is Worthy

“Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’ Revelation 4:8

The book of Revelation gives us a myriad of examples of how to worship God and outlines many reasons why He is worthy of our praise. Revelation chapter four portrays living creatures constantly glorifying God with the words, “Holy, holy, holy.” Elders fall prostrate before God and relinquish their glory, power, and wealth to Him.

As the self-existent One, God is worthy of our praise. Before the world began, He was; in this moment, He is; at any and every future time, He will be. He is holy and unique, unlike any other.

God sits enthroned above all heaven and earth. God reigns more powerful than any other ruler, physical or spiritual, seen or unseen. God created all things. By His word and by His will, all creatures exist. His power alone sustains every living thing.

God is worthy. We need no other reason to worship Him.

Holy God, You alone are worthy of my praise. I worship You because You are holy and because You created and sustain all things. Like the elders, I humble myself and acknowledge that any glory, power, or wealth I have comes from You. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Walk in Love

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

The call to imitate God sounds impossible.

Yet, just as a small child imperfectly mimics a parent’s actions, disciples of Jesus copy Him. In these verses in Ephesians, lies a key way to imitate God: walk in love.

Indeed, love requires sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice for us reveals what real love looks like. John explains what “love” is in his first letter.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The call to “walk in love” goes far beyond loving nice, similar-to-us, or likable people. God calls us to love dirty, unattractive, and needy people, too. He commands us to love greedy, ungrateful, and adversarial people. God directs us to love these people because that is who we once were. Paul tells the believers in Rome,

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

To walk in love is to daily put others ahead of ourselves. We walk in love, not because others deserve our love, but because Jesus first loved us.

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

Holy Spirit, fill me with your presence so that I might walk in love as Christ loves me. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Expecting God to Speak

“So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Acts 10:33

Even more than Cornelius’ actions, it’s his attitude that inspires me. Cornelius served as a centurion in the regiment based in Caesarea. Although a Gentile, he feared the Jewish God as the one true God. Cornelius worshiped God, prayed regularly, and gave generously to the needy. So, when God sent an angel to Cornelius, he immediately obeyed the angel’s instructions to send for Peter. Cornelius expected God to speak through Peter. He gathered his family and friends in that spirit of expectation. They were ready to listen — ready to obey.

Every day, when I read God’s word, I want to come with that same spirit of expectation. God’s Holy Spirit teaches, corrects, encourages, comforts, and convicts us through His written Word, the Bible. Though recorded thousands of years ago, the Bible remains living and active (Hebrews 4:12) to all who seek truth.

Cornelius also understood that God was present in his home among the group of God-fearing, truth-seekers assembled. Whenever and wherever we seek God diligently and with open hearts, He is present.

God longs to speak to us.

Let us come to Him, ready to listen and expecting Him to speak.

Let us gladly submit ourselves to Him, ready to obey and eager to be molded into His likeness.

Holy God, I surrender myself to you. I believe you speak to those who seek you. Help me to seek you with my whole being. Make me a good listener. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by permission

Just and True

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3-4

A lot of people talk about right and wrong these days,..as if they were random or variable things.

If no absolute truth exists, then the powerful determine what justice is.

Isaiah’s words — written thousands of years ago — sound eerily like our current society. “

So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey” (Isaiah 59:14-15).

Yet, it’s not merely today’s society at large that has a warped view of justice. Too often, Christians doubt God’s justice. Believers read the Old or New Testament passages about God’s wrath and think God acts unfairly.

So, John reminds us in today’s verses from Revelation that all God’s ways are just. God defines and exemplifies righteousness, justice, and truth. All God’s deeds are righteous. Indeed, all creation will worship God because of these attributes.

God can’t act in opposition to his nature. So, it’s impossible for God to do anything unjust. In fact, our internal sense of justice comes from being made in the image of the true and just God. We wouldn’t know what justice meant if God hadn’t revealed it to us.

Therefore, we must approach difficult passages with humility. Our limited knowledge and perspective make it absurd for us to judge God. Instead, by affirming the truth of God’s character and submitting to the Holy Spirit for guidance, we ask God to show us how to correctly view his justice.

Lord God Almighty, you are just and true. Show me how to think and speak and live in a way that reflects that reality. There are so many things that I don’t understand; give me faith to believe that you are who you say you are. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

The Fruit of Our Lips

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” Hebrews 13:15

The phrase “sacrifice of praise” catches my attention. Praise and sacrifice don’t seem to go together in my mind. But the writer of Hebrews says the sacrifice of praise comes by people declaring their allegiance to Jesus.

Praise of God calls for sacrifice.

You see, just previous to the verse stated above, we read about the disgrace Jesus suffered when He died to make us holy (Hebrews 13:11-12). Then we hear the author’s urgent instruction to us: “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore” (Hebrews 13:13). Acknowledging Jesus as our Lord requires us to bear the disgrace He bore.

Don’t fall for the lie that says, “Jesus suffered so I wouldn’t have to.” Knowing Jesus and becoming like Him includes experiencing the shame and rejection that He experienced. Consider the apostles’ reaction when the religious rulers of their day whipped and threatened them: “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41).

The apostles didn’t complain about their suffering. They didn’t seek compensation or retribution for their humiliation. Instead, the apostles rejoiced because their disgrace came from being aligned with Jesus.

God calls us to openly acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Messiah. When we admit our status as needy sinners, dependent on Jesus for salvation, scorn and abuse may come. Yet, we don’t despair. Rather, we give thanks to God for the privilege of being treated the way Jesus was treated. That’s a sacrifice of praise.

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge Jesus as my Lord. May my life — my actions and my words — declare this truth regardless of the consequences. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Nothing On My Own

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” John 5:30

Incredibly — though divine, eternal, and one with the Father — Jesus initiated nothing on his own throughout his time on earth. Instead, he listened to the Father and carried out the Father’s will.

Isaiah foretold that the Spirit would reside in the Messiah.

“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2).

Jesus fulfilled that prophecy.

So, while on earth, the Eternal Son of God didn’t base his decisions on his human intelligence — though no human had greater understanding. He didn’t look at the facts or listen to the various sides of the argument to make a judgment (Isaiah 11:3). Rather, because Jesus knew his Father to be perfectly wise, perfectly just, and perfectly good, he trusted him completely and did what he wanted.

Thanks to his perfect obedience, the Holy Spirit now indwells all believers in Christ who have opened their heart to him. If Jesus could do nothing on his own, neither can we. We shouldn’t even try.

You see, the Spirit’s primary role isn’t simply to help us make decisions. Just as Jesus came to reveal God to us, now, the Holy Spirit reveals God to us. Therefore, through the Holy Spirit, we come to know God’s will by coming to know God.

The Spirit shows us God’s goodness, his glory, and his power. The Spirit reminds us of Jesus’ obedience, his sacrifice, and his love. By revealing God’s character and reminding us of God’s commands, the Spirit guides us to do nothing on our own, but only the will of the Father.

Holy God, I acknowledge that I can do nothing on my own. Thank you for sending your Spirit so that I can know you. Reveal yourself to me more and more so that I will know your will. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Invited to Rest

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

My life, (particularly over the Christmas season), often feels scattered, frenzied, and harried.

If that sounds like your life too, take a moment to ponder these words of Jesus, found in Matthew’s gospel.

Jesus invites us to rest.

His invitation draws us. We are so tired. Yet at the same time, we resist this rest. There is so much to do. Our society says rest comes simply with inactivity. So, we put up our feet and watch a movie. We take a luxury vacation to escape the real world for a while. Or, when overwhelmed, we do nothing and allow external forces to push us from one situation to the next. Yet none of these things brings us real rest.

The rest Jesus offers requires action. He instructs us:

Take My yoke upon you.
Learn from Me.

Jesus tells us to bind ourselves to Him. Like the ancient wooden frame that joined two oxen, Jesus asks us to make His way the framework for our lives. Following God’s commands provides the direction we need and frees us from the bondage of sin. Instead of frantically seeking approval from people, we rest in the knowledge that God loves and accepts us. Worry and fear fade away as we trust God to provide and release control to Him.

Jesus also calls us to learn from Him.

His gentle care for us teaches us patience and mercy. His humility and selflessness show us how to unselfishly serve others. Real rest comes when we put our lives in God’s hands and learn from Jesus.

God, I’m floundering. Life is pulling me in too many directions. I want to follow your ways and find real rest. Amen.

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Category: <span>thoughts by Suzanne Benner</span>

What forms your idea of God?

FURTHER READING

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

Holy Spirit, fill me with your presence so that I might walk in love as Christ loves me. Amen.

FURTHER READING

FURTHER READING

FURTHER READING

Further Reading

FURTHER READING

God has written a letter to you.

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

The call to imitate God sounds impossible.

Holy Spirit, fill me with your presence so that I might walk in love as Christ loves me. Amen.

Further Reading

God longs to speak to us.

Let us come to Him, ready to listen and expecting Him to speak.

Further Reading

If no absolute truth exists, then the powerful determine what justice is.

Further Reading

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” Hebrews 13:15

Praise of God calls for sacrifice.

Further Reading

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” John 5:30

Further Reading

My life, (particularly over the Christmas season), often feels scattered, frenzied, and harried.

Jesus invites us to rest.

The rest Jesus offers requires action. He instructs us:

Jesus also calls us to learn from Him.

Further Reading