1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:14,990 Speaker 1: This is Donna Jones, and you are listening to That's 2 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:17,910 Speaker 1: Just What I Needed. Hey, friend, if you've ever been 3 00:00:17,930 --> 00:00:20,810 Speaker 1: in a conversation where you've walked away thinking, wow, that 4 00:00:20,829 --> 00:00:23,530 Speaker 1: was just what I needed, you know how life-giving that 5 00:00:23,550 --> 00:00:26,090 Speaker 1: can be. Well, that's what this podcast is all about. 6 00:00:26,410 --> 00:00:29,310 Speaker 1: We're women who want to know, love, and follow God 7 00:00:29,490 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: in our real lives, but sometimes wonder just how to 8 00:00:32,229 --> 00:00:34,990 Speaker 1: do it. So each week, we'll talk about what following 9 00:00:35,010 --> 00:00:37,430 Speaker 1: God looks like in the midst of daily demands and 10 00:00:37,610 --> 00:00:41,589 Speaker 1: crazy cultural chaos. Because this isn't just what we need. 11 00:00:41,909 --> 00:00:46,420 Speaker 1: It's actually exactly what we need. Hey, hey, my friend. 12 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to the podcast today. You already know the name 13 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: of this podcast. That's just what I needed. So by 14 00:00:53,780 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: design today. I'm going to talk about something that I 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,730 Speaker 1: know will be just what you needed. How do I 16 00:01:00,740 --> 00:01:03,630 Speaker 1: know this? Because it's just what I need, just what 17 00:01:03,910 --> 00:01:08,110 Speaker 1: all of us need. And so sit back, relax, whatever 18 00:01:08,170 --> 00:01:10,149 Speaker 1: you're doing, I want you just to take a deep breath. 19 00:01:10,410 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: This is going to be a powerful and encouraging podcast 20 00:01:14,940 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: for you today. And I know you could use some 21 00:01:17,580 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: encouragement because can't we all? I mean, every day we 22 00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:25,370 Speaker 1: need encouragement, right? Encouragement for ourselves, encouragement to see God rightly, 23 00:01:25,610 --> 00:01:28,570 Speaker 1: encouragement to see our lives rightly. So that's where we're 24 00:01:28,590 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: going today. Well, before we get to that, though, let 25 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,340 Speaker 1: me just remind you, subscribe to the podcast if you 26 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: don't already do that. And if you would leave a review... 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,850 Speaker 1: I would just be so grateful. That is how people 28 00:01:41,950 --> 00:01:45,010 Speaker 1: find out about this podcast. And, you know, there's people 29 00:01:45,030 --> 00:01:47,150 Speaker 1: that listen all over the country, and in fact, all 30 00:01:47,190 --> 00:01:51,790 Speaker 1: over the world, to this podcast. But your review could 31 00:01:51,950 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: actually get this podcast into the hands of somebody who 32 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,500 Speaker 1: desperately needs it. So just take two seconds and leave 33 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,780 Speaker 1: a review. And again, I would just be so, so, 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:03,919 Speaker 1: so grateful. Well, let me tell you what we're going 35 00:02:03,940 --> 00:02:07,170 Speaker 1: to talk about today and how this even came to be. 36 00:02:07,630 --> 00:02:09,910 Speaker 1: As I've been mentioning on the last couple of podcasts, 37 00:02:10,030 --> 00:02:13,090 Speaker 1: I recently started seminary. I'm in a, it's called a 38 00:02:13,130 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: women's leadership cohort with Denver Seminary, getting my master's in 39 00:02:17,139 --> 00:02:22,220 Speaker 1: biblical studies. And we had our first project due in 40 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: a class called Thinking Biblically and Theologically. And so we 41 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:33,380 Speaker 1: had to do this deep dive study together. into Exodus 34. Now, 42 00:02:33,540 --> 00:02:35,620 Speaker 1: I know you're thinking like, okay, what in the world 43 00:02:35,660 --> 00:02:38,350 Speaker 1: does Exodus 34 have to do with my life? Well, 44 00:02:38,370 --> 00:02:40,290 Speaker 1: hang on, because it has a lot to do with 45 00:02:40,310 --> 00:02:44,510 Speaker 1: your life. And after doing this project, I found myself 46 00:02:45,090 --> 00:02:49,169 Speaker 1: really meditating on some of the things that I learned. 47 00:02:49,610 --> 00:02:52,090 Speaker 1: And when I say meditating, what I mean is really 48 00:02:52,210 --> 00:02:55,269 Speaker 1: thinking deeply about some of these things. Like when I'm 49 00:02:55,290 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: driving in the car, all of a sudden, a couple 50 00:02:57,780 --> 00:03:00,339 Speaker 1: of these verses would just come to my mind. Or 51 00:03:00,860 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: when I was making dinner, a couple of these verses 52 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,870 Speaker 1: would come to my mind. And any time that a 53 00:03:07,330 --> 00:03:10,329 Speaker 1: verse or two just comes to your mind on repeat, 54 00:03:10,710 --> 00:03:14,210 Speaker 1: you know that God is trying to speak that into 55 00:03:14,250 --> 00:03:17,870 Speaker 1: your life. And it was so powerful to me that 56 00:03:18,250 --> 00:03:20,889 Speaker 1: I just thought, I have got to share this with you, 57 00:03:21,110 --> 00:03:24,410 Speaker 1: my friend, here on the podcast. And before I share that, 58 00:03:24,430 --> 00:03:27,570 Speaker 1: I'll just tell you one little fun fact about our 59 00:03:27,630 --> 00:03:32,389 Speaker 1: family and our relationship. Oftentimes, JP will say to one 60 00:03:32,410 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: of us, myself or one of our kids, like, what 61 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,300 Speaker 1: is God teaching you in the Word today? Which I love, 62 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:42,020 Speaker 1: by the way, because that's such an open-ended question about 63 00:03:42,180 --> 00:03:45,250 Speaker 1: what God is doing into our lives. And I think 64 00:03:45,310 --> 00:03:49,550 Speaker 1: sometimes we don't stop to really think about that. What 65 00:03:49,610 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: is God teaching me from the Word? not just what 66 00:03:52,620 --> 00:03:54,860 Speaker 1: did I fill in in the Bible study blanks that 67 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:57,610 Speaker 1: I'm doing with my women's Bible study or small group 68 00:03:57,630 --> 00:04:01,510 Speaker 1: or whatever, but actually what is God teaching me from 69 00:04:01,590 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: his word? That's a powerful thing to think about and 70 00:04:05,660 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: to then articulate to somebody else, this is what God 71 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: is teaching me. So before we even begin, you might 72 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,140 Speaker 1: just want to put that in the back of your 73 00:04:13,180 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: mind that whatever we're talking about today, that maybe you 74 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: want to share that. Maybe you want to just, you know, 75 00:04:18,620 --> 00:04:20,420 Speaker 1: with one of your kids, your teenagers, let me tell 76 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: you what I learned today. Let me tell you what 77 00:04:22,100 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: God's teaching me today. And that is a non-preachy way 78 00:04:27,140 --> 00:04:29,870 Speaker 1: to just share your life and your heart and what 79 00:04:29,910 --> 00:04:33,490 Speaker 1: God is doing in you in a very humble way. 80 00:04:34,110 --> 00:04:36,989 Speaker 1: So let me tell you what God is teaching me today, 81 00:04:37,230 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: my friend. Exodus 34, let me paint the context for you. 82 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: Moses has already gotten the Ten Commandments that happened back 83 00:04:45,660 --> 00:04:49,940 Speaker 1: in earlier in Exodus. And as he was up on 84 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:55,190 Speaker 1: the mountain, he took so long that the people got impatient. 85 00:04:55,890 --> 00:05:00,810 Speaker 1: And so they fashioned a golden calf out of all 86 00:05:00,870 --> 00:05:04,529 Speaker 1: their jewelry. And when Moses came down from the mountain, 87 00:05:04,690 --> 00:05:07,650 Speaker 1: and he has the Ten Commandments, the stone tablets, and 88 00:05:07,690 --> 00:05:10,150 Speaker 1: he's been in the presence of the Lord, and he 89 00:05:10,250 --> 00:05:13,050 Speaker 1: sees that the people couldn't even wait a hot second 90 00:05:13,250 --> 00:05:15,630 Speaker 1: for him to come down the mountain, and they're already 91 00:05:15,690 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: worshiping an idol, already trusting in something else to care 92 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,339 Speaker 1: for them than God. Put that in the back of 93 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: your mind. Already looking to something else to take care 94 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,540 Speaker 1: of them, to guide them, to lead them, other than God. 95 00:05:30,180 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: Moses gets frustrated, and so he throws the tablets on 96 00:05:34,380 --> 00:05:38,700 Speaker 1: the ground. They shatter, and the people are repentant, sort of, 97 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: but they're really stiff-necked people. And then Moses has this 98 00:05:43,220 --> 00:05:48,150 Speaker 1: dialogue in Exodus 33 with God. Now, I want you 99 00:05:48,170 --> 00:05:50,210 Speaker 1: to pay attention to this because this is really good. 100 00:05:50,770 --> 00:05:54,210 Speaker 1: So Moses has this dialogue with God. It's a heart-to-heart 101 00:05:54,270 --> 00:05:57,900 Speaker 1: dialogue with God. This is what Moses says in Exodus 33. 102 00:05:57,890 --> 00:06:02,779 Speaker 1: He says, Lord, you've been telling me lead these people, 103 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: but you've not let me know whom you will send 104 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,780 Speaker 1: with me. You said, I know you by name and 105 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,740 Speaker 1: you've found favor with me. So if you're pleased with me, 106 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,380 Speaker 1: teach me your ways so that I may know you 107 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:20,740 Speaker 1: and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this 108 00:06:20,820 --> 00:06:23,750 Speaker 1: nation is your people. And then the Lord replied, my 109 00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:26,650 Speaker 1: presence will go with you and I will give you rest. 110 00:06:27,050 --> 00:06:30,210 Speaker 1: And then Moses said to the Lord, If your presence 111 00:06:30,490 --> 00:06:33,609 Speaker 1: does not go with us, do not send us up 112 00:06:33,650 --> 00:06:36,870 Speaker 1: from this place. How will anyone know that you are 113 00:06:36,970 --> 00:06:40,289 Speaker 1: pleased with me and with your people unless you go 114 00:06:40,350 --> 00:06:44,739 Speaker 1: with us? What else will distinguish me and your people 115 00:06:45,260 --> 00:06:48,780 Speaker 1: from all the other people on the face of the earth? Now, 116 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,060 Speaker 1: I want to draw your attention to something. Moses is 117 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:57,310 Speaker 1: commissioned to lead the people from Egypt to the promised land. 118 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: And Moses doesn't ask for the plan. Moses asks for 119 00:07:04,250 --> 00:07:08,849 Speaker 1: the presence. Okay, did you catch that? He doesn't say, okay, God, 120 00:07:09,270 --> 00:07:12,430 Speaker 1: you've told me to lead these people. So God, give 121 00:07:12,470 --> 00:07:16,010 Speaker 1: me your plan. No. He says, God, you've told me 122 00:07:16,070 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: to lead these people, but I can't do this unless 123 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: your presence goes with me. I'm not asking for the plan. 124 00:07:23,340 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: I'm asking for your presence. So let me ask you 125 00:07:27,340 --> 00:07:31,380 Speaker 1: a question. In what areas of your life have you 126 00:07:31,420 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: been asking God for the plan when he might be 127 00:07:35,140 --> 00:07:38,870 Speaker 1: saying to you, sweet child, I want you to ask 128 00:07:38,910 --> 00:07:42,370 Speaker 1: me for my presence? Because here's the thing. If the 129 00:07:42,530 --> 00:07:48,050 Speaker 1: presence of God goes with us, then by default, the 130 00:07:48,170 --> 00:07:51,910 Speaker 1: plan of God will be revealed to us. So don't 131 00:07:51,980 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 1: ask for the plan. Ask for the presence. Right now, 132 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: when you finish this podcast, I want you just to say, God, 133 00:07:58,820 --> 00:08:00,860 Speaker 1: I've been asking you for the plan, the plan of 134 00:08:00,900 --> 00:08:02,580 Speaker 1: what to do with this child, the plan of what 135 00:08:02,620 --> 00:08:04,850 Speaker 1: to do with my career, the plan of what to 136 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:07,140 Speaker 1: do with my health, the plan of what to do 137 00:08:07,170 --> 00:08:09,370 Speaker 1: with my finances, the plan of what to do with 138 00:08:09,870 --> 00:08:16,510 Speaker 1: my relationships. The plan isn't bad. It's necessary, but it's secondary. 139 00:08:17,190 --> 00:08:21,150 Speaker 1: Ask God for his presence to go with you, his 140 00:08:21,450 --> 00:08:26,290 Speaker 1: presence to lead you, his presence. to guide you, because 141 00:08:26,330 --> 00:08:29,970 Speaker 1: if you have the presence, you'll have the plan. Okay, 142 00:08:29,990 --> 00:08:33,070 Speaker 1: so that's Exodus 33. Now we turn the page to 143 00:08:33,250 --> 00:08:38,810 Speaker 1: Exodus 34. And in Exodus 34, God tells Moses, okay, 144 00:08:38,830 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: I want you to chisel out two stones like the 145 00:08:41,750 --> 00:08:44,340 Speaker 1: first one. Moses is going to go back up to 146 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: the mountain, and he's asked God to reveal his presence 147 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,119 Speaker 1: to him. And God has said, okay, I'm going to 148 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,790 Speaker 1: do it. And you'll notice, as I'm going to read 149 00:08:52,830 --> 00:08:57,010 Speaker 1: these verses, God doesn't reveal his glory in the parting 150 00:08:57,050 --> 00:09:00,730 Speaker 1: of the Red Sea or the burning bush, something that's 151 00:09:01,030 --> 00:09:07,100 Speaker 1: really obvious and big and noteworthy. Sometimes God reveals himself 152 00:09:07,140 --> 00:09:09,620 Speaker 1: that way because he certainly parted the Red Sea. He 153 00:09:09,660 --> 00:09:12,819 Speaker 1: certainly appeared to Moses in the burning bush. But when 154 00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:16,569 Speaker 1: God reveals his glory this time, he does it in 155 00:09:16,610 --> 00:09:19,450 Speaker 1: a very subtle way. He put Moses in the cleft. 156 00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: of a rock, he passed by, and then what God 157 00:09:24,179 --> 00:09:29,449 Speaker 1: does is he declares his name. So God's glory is 158 00:09:30,330 --> 00:09:34,230 Speaker 1: revealed in God's character. And this is what it says 159 00:09:34,250 --> 00:09:39,550 Speaker 1: in Exodus 34, 5-7. Then the Lord came down in 160 00:09:39,580 --> 00:09:42,500 Speaker 1: the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed the 161 00:09:42,540 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: name of the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 162 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:53,140 Speaker 1: The Lord, the Lord. the compassionate and gracious God, slow 163 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:59,970 Speaker 1: to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands. 164 00:10:00,940 --> 00:10:06,140 Speaker 1: and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not 165 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,090 Speaker 1: leave the guilty unpunished. I'll stop right there. So he 166 00:10:10,190 --> 00:10:13,949 Speaker 1: proclaims who he is, and he starts out by saying, 167 00:10:14,090 --> 00:10:18,010 Speaker 1: I'm the Lord. The Lord is And the first attribute 168 00:10:18,070 --> 00:10:23,420 Speaker 1: that he proclaims over who he is is compassionate. And 169 00:10:23,460 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: this word in the original language means the kind of 170 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:34,260 Speaker 1: parental compassion that a really good parent has on their child. Now, 171 00:10:34,450 --> 00:10:38,690 Speaker 1: if you are a good parent, you know that if 172 00:10:38,770 --> 00:10:44,190 Speaker 1: somebody messes with your kid, I mean, you go into 173 00:10:44,230 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: mama bear mode, right? Well, that's what this is saying. 174 00:10:47,330 --> 00:10:51,730 Speaker 1: God is compassionate. He's tender. He like feels. And in 175 00:10:51,770 --> 00:10:55,870 Speaker 1: the original language, it's the kind of compassion that, get this, 176 00:10:56,510 --> 00:11:03,490 Speaker 1: enters into our pain. It reaches toward us. It doesn't 177 00:11:03,870 --> 00:11:09,170 Speaker 1: hide its face from us or ignore us or diminish us. 178 00:11:09,610 --> 00:11:13,670 Speaker 1: The very first attribute that God says about himself is, 179 00:11:14,490 --> 00:11:18,170 Speaker 1: is that he is compassionate. Now, why is that important? 180 00:11:18,570 --> 00:11:22,190 Speaker 1: Because you need to know that God is compassionate toward you. 181 00:11:22,210 --> 00:11:26,570 Speaker 1: That's who he is. Whatever you're going through, he has 182 00:11:26,750 --> 00:11:32,290 Speaker 1: proclaimed about himself that he's compassionate. And frankly, some of 183 00:11:32,390 --> 00:11:36,870 Speaker 1: us have grown up in religious traditions where subtly we 184 00:11:36,910 --> 00:11:41,110 Speaker 1: have believed that God is not compassionate. We have believed 185 00:11:41,190 --> 00:11:48,020 Speaker 1: that God is maybe uncaring, or maybe God is harsh, 186 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: or maybe God is punitive. And God says, no, I'm compassionate. 187 00:11:55,580 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: I'm compassionate toward you. So he says, I am compassionate. 188 00:12:00,660 --> 00:12:05,189 Speaker 1: And then he says, I'm gracious. In some translations, it says, 189 00:12:05,210 --> 00:12:10,460 Speaker 1: I'm merciful. And grace and mercy are They're realized in 190 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:15,070 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. It's getting salvation, getting what we don't deserve, 191 00:12:15,470 --> 00:12:19,250 Speaker 1: and then not getting what we do deserve, which is punishment. Now, 192 00:12:19,330 --> 00:12:22,309 Speaker 1: I want to set this in the context of Exodus 34. Remember, 193 00:12:24,190 --> 00:12:27,330 Speaker 1: God has done miraculous things for them, and he's rescued 194 00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:30,950 Speaker 1: them from slavery. His presence has gone with them. He 195 00:12:30,990 --> 00:12:33,630 Speaker 1: has parted the Red Sea for them. I mean, he's 196 00:12:33,670 --> 00:12:37,220 Speaker 1: done all these amazing things, and then they have repaid 197 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,420 Speaker 1: God by worshiping an idol, by forgetting who God is. 198 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,660 Speaker 1: And yet, God's giving them a do-over. He's giving them 199 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,179 Speaker 1: the law a second time. He's giving them the second 200 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,770 Speaker 1: commandment a second time. He's renewing his covenant with them. 201 00:12:50,970 --> 00:12:53,900 Speaker 1: He's like, even though You guys have totally blown it. 202 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,940 Speaker 1: I'm compassionate. I'm merciful. I'm gracious. So what does that 203 00:12:57,980 --> 00:13:00,660 Speaker 1: have to do with you and me? Gang, we're sinners. 204 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: We just are. And the sooner we can admit that, 205 00:13:03,980 --> 00:13:06,340 Speaker 1: the better for us because it helps us see who 206 00:13:06,380 --> 00:13:10,829 Speaker 1: God is and who we are rightly. That we worship idols, 207 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:15,850 Speaker 1: the idols of comfort, the idols of control, the idols 208 00:13:16,090 --> 00:13:20,069 Speaker 1: of self. We have so many idols in our culture 209 00:13:20,530 --> 00:13:24,180 Speaker 1: and we need to acknowledge that. and forsake that and 210 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,599 Speaker 1: understand that, oh my goodness, why would I want to 211 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,380 Speaker 1: trust an idol to care for me? An idol like 212 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: comfort or control or different things or relationships. When I 213 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,260 Speaker 1: have Almighty God who is compassionate toward me and who 214 00:13:37,780 --> 00:13:40,730 Speaker 1: has mercy on me and is gracious to me. So 215 00:13:40,790 --> 00:13:46,290 Speaker 1: he says, I'm compassionate. I'm gracious. I'm slow to anger. 216 00:13:46,890 --> 00:13:50,069 Speaker 1: God is patient toward you. He is slow to get 217 00:13:50,270 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: angry with you. He is not like that parent that 218 00:13:54,940 --> 00:13:57,540 Speaker 1: gets mad at the drop of a hat and starts 219 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:02,900 Speaker 1: screaming at you. Or worse, the parent that makes you 220 00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:07,450 Speaker 1: silently pay for your wrongdoings. God is not that parent. 221 00:14:07,830 --> 00:14:15,350 Speaker 1: He is slow to anger. He's abounding in love and faithfulness. Abounding. 222 00:14:16,110 --> 00:14:19,410 Speaker 1: in love and faithfulness. That means my friend that's listening 223 00:14:19,430 --> 00:14:22,250 Speaker 1: to me right now, what God would want to say 224 00:14:22,350 --> 00:14:25,290 Speaker 1: to you is he would want to say, listen to me, 225 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: I abound in love toward you. I abound in love 226 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: toward you. And to prove it, I sent my son 227 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,340 Speaker 1: to die for you. That's who God is. And then 228 00:14:40,380 --> 00:14:44,780 Speaker 1: he goes on to say, I abound in love and faithfulness. Like, 229 00:14:45,230 --> 00:14:48,850 Speaker 1: God will never not be faithful. It might feel like 230 00:14:48,890 --> 00:14:51,230 Speaker 1: God has not been faithful to us. That's what, see, 231 00:14:51,250 --> 00:14:54,130 Speaker 1: the Israelites kind of felt like, where's Moses? He's been 232 00:14:54,170 --> 00:14:56,530 Speaker 1: up on the mountain for so long. Okay, I guess 233 00:14:56,620 --> 00:14:59,780 Speaker 1: like we've been abandoned by God. Even though they had 234 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: already seen the deliverance of God, the miracles of God 235 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: through the parting of the Red Sea and the care 236 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,980 Speaker 1: for them in the wilderness with the provision of manna. 237 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,670 Speaker 1: I mean, they'd seen a lot of God's faithfulness. And 238 00:15:11,750 --> 00:15:14,630 Speaker 1: yet they're so like us. When they had to wait 239 00:15:14,710 --> 00:15:17,490 Speaker 1: for a hot second, then they started to think, well, 240 00:15:17,510 --> 00:15:19,270 Speaker 1: maybe God's not faithful. Maybe we need to turn to 241 00:15:19,310 --> 00:15:23,229 Speaker 1: something else. And I just believe that we kind of 242 00:15:23,250 --> 00:15:25,690 Speaker 1: do the same thing, right? And so if you've been 243 00:15:25,730 --> 00:15:29,890 Speaker 1: down in God's faithfulness and you've been tempted to go 244 00:15:29,950 --> 00:15:33,630 Speaker 1: ahead of God and try to control things, remember what 245 00:15:33,670 --> 00:15:37,530 Speaker 1: God says, I'm faithful. I abound in faithfulness. And then 246 00:15:37,550 --> 00:15:42,150 Speaker 1: he says that I maintain love to thousands, forgiving hundreds. wickedness, rebellion, 247 00:15:42,390 --> 00:15:45,030 Speaker 1: and sin. And I think it's really interesting that here 248 00:15:45,210 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: he uses three words, wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Because remember, 249 00:15:51,650 --> 00:15:55,380 Speaker 1: they had just been wicked, they had just been rebellious, 250 00:15:55,820 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: they had just committed sins. Because what was the first 251 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: of the Ten Commandments? Thou shalt have no other gods 252 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: before me, right? So they'd done all kinds of wrong. 253 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,300 Speaker 1: And yet, what does God do? Does he say, okay, well, 254 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:12,110 Speaker 1: I gave you one chance, and you blew it. So 255 00:16:12,130 --> 00:16:14,810 Speaker 1: you know what? I'm going to zap you. No. He says, 256 00:16:15,290 --> 00:16:19,710 Speaker 1: I forgive wickedness, rebellion, and sin. But then he does 257 00:16:19,750 --> 00:16:23,590 Speaker 1: come on and he says, yet he does not leave 258 00:16:23,630 --> 00:16:29,790 Speaker 1: the guilty unpunished. So for the unrepentant, there is justice. 259 00:16:29,970 --> 00:16:34,010 Speaker 1: There is punishment. So God doesn't turn a blind eye 260 00:16:34,030 --> 00:16:38,670 Speaker 1: to sin. He forgives sin when we're repentant. but he 261 00:16:38,710 --> 00:16:41,860 Speaker 1: doesn't excuse sin or turn a blind eye to sin. 262 00:16:41,890 --> 00:16:44,300 Speaker 1: So what does that tell us about us? When the 263 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,119 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, then we need to 264 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,940 Speaker 1: run straight into the arms of God. We need to 265 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: confess it, admit it, not excuse it or justify it, like, well, 266 00:16:56,450 --> 00:16:59,330 Speaker 1: I just did this because, or, well, I wouldn't have 267 00:16:59,350 --> 00:17:01,410 Speaker 1: done that if they wouldn't have done this, or, you know, 268 00:17:01,610 --> 00:17:03,410 Speaker 1: all the stuff that we do when we're trying to 269 00:17:03,450 --> 00:17:06,409 Speaker 1: justify our own sin. No, we need to confess it, 270 00:17:06,910 --> 00:17:10,820 Speaker 1: we need to admit it, And then instead of running 271 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: away from God, no, we went straight into the arms 272 00:17:14,420 --> 00:17:16,780 Speaker 1: of God, knowing that all of this stuff that I've done, 273 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:21,350 Speaker 1: he forgives wickedness, he forgives rebellion, he forgives sin, he 274 00:17:21,990 --> 00:17:26,790 Speaker 1: is compassionate, he is faithful, he is loving, he is gracious, 275 00:17:26,830 --> 00:17:30,830 Speaker 1: he is merciful. I mean, this is who our God is. 276 00:17:31,410 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 1: Why is this important? If we don't understand who God is, 277 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,859 Speaker 1: we can't love him in the fullness. of who He is. 278 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 1: And see, I'm convinced that our enemy, he twists our 279 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,830 Speaker 1: view of God. Because if he can twist our view 280 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 1: of God, he twists our commitment to God. He twists 281 00:17:50,590 --> 00:17:54,790 Speaker 1: our love of God. He twists the ability to even 282 00:17:54,910 --> 00:17:59,730 Speaker 1: experience the presence of God. I'm just convinced that what 283 00:17:59,790 --> 00:18:02,790 Speaker 1: God wants for you, for me, is for us to 284 00:18:02,910 --> 00:18:07,090 Speaker 1: experience His presence right now, wherever you are, on a walk, 285 00:18:07,210 --> 00:18:12,129 Speaker 1: folding laundry, doing the dishes, making dinner, driving in your car. 286 00:18:12,490 --> 00:18:16,470 Speaker 1: God wants you to experience his presence, not in big 287 00:18:16,580 --> 00:18:21,780 Speaker 1: flashy ways, but in his character. That toward you, God 288 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,419 Speaker 1: is compassionate. Toward you, God is gracious. Toward you, God 289 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:32,210 Speaker 1: is abounding in love. Toward you, God is abounding in faithfulness. 290 00:18:32,609 --> 00:18:36,750 Speaker 1: Toward you, God is forgiving. And toward you, God is just. 291 00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: And so, my friend, I hope that today you receive 292 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:44,580 Speaker 1: this into the deepest parts of your soul. I hope 293 00:18:44,619 --> 00:18:51,880 Speaker 1: that you worship our glorious God who reveals himself to us, sinful, 294 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,350 Speaker 1: imperfect people, and that you just humbly say, thank you, Lord, 295 00:18:56,430 --> 00:19:00,070 Speaker 1: that this is who you are, and this is who 296 00:19:00,109 --> 00:19:03,790 Speaker 1: you are toward me. Well, I hope you enjoyed today's episode. 297 00:19:04,230 --> 00:19:06,510 Speaker 1: I hope, my friend, it was just what you needed. 298 00:19:06,750 --> 00:19:09,910 Speaker 1: And as a reminder, don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. 299 00:19:10,170 --> 00:19:13,330 Speaker 1: Follow me on social media at Donna A. Jones on Instagram, 300 00:19:13,369 --> 00:19:17,470 Speaker 1: Donna Jones Speaker and Author on Facebook. And please jump 301 00:19:17,510 --> 00:19:21,890 Speaker 1: over to my website, donnajones.org, where you can find lots 302 00:19:21,950 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: of free resources. And as always, my friend, I can't 303 00:19:26,410 --> 00:19:29,460 Speaker 1: wait to see you next time for That's Just What 304 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:29,820 Speaker 1: I Needed.