by Kathleen Petersen

Google revealed the theological term “divine aseity” for exploring the question in my title. 

This term “Divine aseity” intimidates me. I doubt I can explore it to anyone’s satisfaction, including my own. In this fourth down situation (my 400 word limit – along with watching too much playoff football), perhaps I should just punt. But let’s go for it!

The wise members of our devotional team reminded me that God is not an unhealthy, codependent personality who is threatened by our brokenness. With that insight, I’ll begin here.

Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth!
You mountains, break into happy cries!
For Yahweh consoles his people and takes pity on those who are afflicted.
For Zion was saying, ‘Yahweh has abandoned me,
the Lord has forgotten me’.
Does a woman forget her baby at the breast,
or fail to cherish the son of her womb?
Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.
See, I have branded you on the palms of my hands,
Your ramparts are always under my eye. Isaiah 49:13-16 TJB

This passage compares God’s connection with us to a nursing mother and her child. As an aside, one of the scriptural names of God is “El Shaddai”, which can be translated as “nursing mother God”. To emphasize the permanence of this relationship, the passage adds the excruciatingly painful image of everlasting, seared marks on the palms of the hands that cradle the child.

My takeaway from this passage is that God’s attention to us is deeply caring, sacrificial and permanent.

Also consider these Gospel passages from the earthly life of Jesus describing Jesus weeping over the loss of connection with people who should have embraced him: Luke 13:34–35, Luke 19:41–44, and Matthew 23:37–39. 

Concern for the Nation

As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children among you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in your midst, because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.” Luke 19:41–44 CSB

Concern for the Person

When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.”  Jesus wept. John 11:33-35 CSB

The Gospel record depicts Jesus weeping infrequently. However, these passages show us his profound connection with those he considers his own. Let’s return to the question: Does God need us? Maybe we should ask, how do we need God to need us? 

Perhaps God doesn’t “need” humans in a technical sense, but he chose to create us and longs for those he has created to return to him and be eternally in his presence.

Unless we sense God’s constant, tangible presence, we may think he is indifferent to us. Of course God’s care for his children is superior to that of any animal, but read this article about seemingly abandoned baby animals to enhance your perspective on his watchful care/need for you.

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by  Kathleen Petersen

Not long ago, the secular counseling profession seemed to have solid answers concerning release from personal shame and guilt. Christian counselors used some of those methods and celebrated when their clients were freed from unnecessary anguish. But the celebration now seems premature. Waves of popular culture influencers are rapidly creating new definitions of irredeemable wrongdoing. Their fiery torches, lit on social media, seek and consume too many minds and hearts.

Help us Lord Jesus! As conscientious, caring Christians, we desperately need a healthy approach to facing our past transgressions — those transgressions that have caused lasting damage.

Providentially, we have the confessions of the Apostle Paul to give us insight. During his trial in Acts 22:3-21, he gave a lengthy account of his past which included his religious inheritance, religious accomplishments, and religious sins. These two verses sum up the shameful behavior impossible to “live down”
in his life. 

“As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ Acts 22:6-7 CSB

What Paul had viewed as the highest service to God, arranging for severe punishments for Jesus’ followers, was, in fact, persecution of his own Messiah. His later testimony reveals he never evaluated those heinous acts lightly. Here he describes his shame in raw terms:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
I Timothy 1:15 CSB

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “shame” this way:

A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation; or by that of which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal.

So, our human tendency is to hide destructive past behaviors. 

How did Paul meet this challenge after recognizing he had inflicted lasting harm on so many? Although Paul realized he could never live down those harmful and murderous acts that he sometimes agonized over the memory of, he regularly turned those recollections into deep appreciation of forgiveness granted him by the death of Jesus. Here’s an expression of the Scriptural cure for shame:

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12;1-2 CSB

In Acts 2:16 Ananias gives Paul the key to freedom from shame:

Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.

In Acts 22:19-21 Paul records a pivotal conversation he had with the risen Jesus: 

But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten. And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’

He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles. Acts 22:19-21 CSB *

This conversation outlines a time honored Scriptural practice. Once you have turned your back on sinful behavior that has damaged others, don’t try to live it down, wallow in it, or over apologize (although apologies and reconciliation may be necessary). Move forward and serve him with all your heart. 

Let God speak to you as you listen to one of these beautiful reminders. the Oslo Gospel Choir or The Power of the Cross {Grab your guitar, to strum along.}

* Although Paul immediately testified to many about his dramatic conversion experience, he was not sent on his first missionary journey to the Gentiles until he had prepared for at least another 14 years. 

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

Before pondering today’s scripture, read Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of authentic.

Authentic — genuine, bona fide, means being actually and exactly what is claimed. Authentic implies being fully trustworthy according to fact; an authentic account of the perilous journey. it can also stress painstaking or faithful imitation of an original. 

At one time I sold original, visual works of various artists. It was often a challenge to explain to an inexperienced buyer why an original, authentic work was more precious than a photographic reproduction. Artistic authenticity (authorship) is assured when an artist oversees, interacts with, or otherwise touches an individual work. That work is most often verified with the artist’s signature.

If you have studied a renowned artist such as Michaelangelo and later viewed the breathtaking quality of his workmanship first hand, you appreciate why his original sculptures and frescoes are considered inestimable treasures.

Another feature of authentic works of art is this: classical, unsigned pieces can be judged to be a work of a particular artist simply because the style and quality match the artist’s other works. Lost works by ancient masters are occasionally uncovered, either by removing an inferior overpainting or by restoring a work that has been abused or stored in an unsuitable space. Admittedly, fakes sometimes hit the market, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Read this scripture and think of God as an inestimable artist:

Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit as citizens of Heaven! Consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his holy and blameless children living within his constant care. He planned, in his purpose of love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ—that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his which has made us welcome in the everlasting love he bears towards the Son.

It is through the Son, at the cost of his own blood, that we are redeemed, freely forgiven through that full and generous grace which has overflowed into our lives and opened our eyes to the truth. For God had allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: he purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfillment in him. Ephesians 1:3-10 PHILLIPS

Our Creator has chosen us for adoption to become his masterpieces under his constant creative care. His artist’s workshop provides generous resources obtained by the sacrifice of Christ, his Son, that he has choreographed to restore what has been marred by sin. When we trust him, we will see our destiny fulfilled in Christ. And, best of all, he signs his work with the Holy Spirit in us. This passage continues:

And here is the staggering thing—that in all which will one day belong to him we have been promised a share (since we were long ago destined for this by the one who achieves his purposes by his sovereign will), so that we, as the first to put our confidence in Christ, may bring praise to his glory! And you too trusted him, when you heard the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. And after you gave your confidence to him you were, so to speak, stamped with the promised Holy Spirit as a guarantee of purchase, until the day when God completes the redemption of what he has paid for as his own; and that will again be to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-14 PHILLIPS

Our God is an expert at finding value in people others may have overlooked. Read this short article about a Cimbabue painting, which is part of this artist’s multi-paneled story of Christ painted in the medieval era. It hung in a kitchen in France for many years (note: a kitchen is a bad place to display a $26 million painting) and escaped the trash bin when the owner decided to consult an art appraiser before tossing it out. Consider how God appraises you, his valuable child.