“God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” (Psalm 68:6 NASB)

My new found brothers and sisters

Shortly after my mother died I received a shocking phone call from my mother’s older sister, my Aunt Evelyn. She said, “Mike, you better sit down, I have something important to tell you.” She then told me that my father, Brach Whitson, hadn’t really died in an automobile accident before I was born as my mother had told me. “But”, she continued, “Shortly after your parents had separated he moved from California to Anderson, Indiana, and then remarried. So, Mike, you may have some kinfolk there to look up.” I was blown away by the news and immediately made some phone calls to Whitsons living in Anderson, Indiana. The first person I called gave me the phone number of Brach’s daughter, Barbra. I phoned her and told her that Brach was my birth father and I was seeking information. She seemed happy to hear from me and told me that he had recently died and there were ten children. I told her that he had also had two more children, my brother, David, and me. A couple of weeks later, I flew to Indiana to meet them. My new brother, Greg, came to pick me up. As we drove along I stared intently at him. He noticed and said, “What?!” I said, “Greg, I’m very sorry for staring at you, but you look exactly like my brother!” (I meant that he looked like my older brother, David, who had recently died!) He said, “I am your brother, get used to it!” We soon arrived to where the rest of them were waiting for us. They greeted me with hugs. Although they had been equally surprised to hear about me, they were loving and receptive. We laughed a lot and shared stories to catch each other up. It was a complete joy having all these new siblings!

Sons and daughters

“And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:18 ESV)

Your offspring shall be blessed

“Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Gen. 28:14)

 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29;13 NIV)

While visiting the Grand Canyon last summer, Susan and I enjoyed breakfast in a beautiful lodge overlooking the canyon. Our friendly waiter, Jeremiah, introduced himself and told us Grand Canyon stories. At one point during our brief conversation, I told him that I liked his name, Jeremiah, and that it was one of my favorite books in the Bible. As soon as I told him that he said, “I’ve never read it. I’m not religious.” I said, “Well, my favorite verse in that Old Testament book is Jeremiah 29:13, which says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Later, after Susan and I had returned back home, I remembered the short conversation with Jeremiah and his comment about not being religious, and I prayed for him. I asked God to touch his heart, to send others to speak to him about Christ and that he’d be receptive. There are people all around us like Jeremiah, who need to know that God loves them and that He has put together a plan for them to know Him personally. Here are some Bible passages that explain it.

God so loved the world that He gave eternal life

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

All have sinned

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (ROM. 3:23)

The wages of sin is death

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)

Jesus gives an invitation

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20)

Salvation is only through Jesus

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Forgiven when we confess

”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)

You are saved by God’s grace

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

You become a new creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17)

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (Isa. 40:28 NIV)

Helen Keller knew

Yesterday, I told how I had always believed in God as a child, but I  didn’t come to know Him until I had become an adult. I read something similar about deaf and blind Hellen Keller, who had been in a dark silent world of her own.  She was taught to communicate with others by her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who spelled words into her hand. She said about God, “I always new He  existed, but until I read the Bible, I didn’t know His Name.” Helen Keller learned about God by reading about Him in the Bible. That is exactly the right place to look for information about Him. The above passage from the book of Isaiah tells us that God is  everlasting creator who doesn’t get tired or weary. Other passages, such as the first verse in the Bible, confirm that He is creator.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1 NIV)

“Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.” (Isa. 42:5 ESV)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6 NIV)

I was confused at first

As long as I can remember, I have believed in the existence of God. But, I had a lot of confusion early on about Him. As a child, I occasionally attended Sunday school, heard Bible stories, and even listened to religious people who had came to my door. I heard a lot of religious talk, but no one helped me understand how I could know Him. It wasn’t until I had become an adult and read a small booklet explaining how God had sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, and how to pray and receive Him into my life, that I finally understood how to know Him personally. While driving down a busy road I prayed a simple prayer of faith: “Jesus, I believe in you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me and be my savior.” From that moment on the direction of my life was forever changed. I began my journey to serve and learn all I could about my savior, Jesus Christ. It was like a light had suddenly come on and I wondered how I could have been in the dark for so long. As I studied the Bible I discovered that God had been telling us about Himself for a long time!

God told us about who Jesus is long before He came

Isaiah 9:6, written 700 years before Jesus was born, between 740-680 B.C., tells us a number of important things about the coming messiah:

• “He is born for us”  (Isa. 9:6a NIV)

• “He is a gift for us” (Isa. 9:6b NIV)

• “The government will be on His shoulders.” (Isa. 9:6c NIV)

• “He is called Wonderful Counselor” (Isa. 9:6d NIV)

• “He is called mighty God” (Isa. 9:6e NIV)

• “He is called Everlasting Father” (Isa. 9:6f NIV)

• “He is called Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6g NIV)

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15 ESV)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4 ESV)

Give thanks in all circumstances

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (2 Thess. 5:18 ESV)

Give thanks always for everything

“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20 ESV)

Praise Him for He is good!

“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise?” (Psalms 106:1-2 ESV)

Therefore...

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4-7 ESV)

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57 ESV)

We are more than conquerors through Jesus

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37 ESV)

The Lord goes with us to give victory

“For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’” (Deut. 20:4 ESV)

We can do all things through Jesus who gives us strength

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

We do valiantly with God

“With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

God provides a way of escape

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:13 ESV)

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:19 ESV)

Subject to Jesus’ Name

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17 ESV)

Greater is He who is in you

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 ESV)

Resist the devil and submit yourself to God

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 ESV)

Therefore…

“And give no opportunity to the devil.” (Eph. 4:27 ESV)

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (Rom. 16:20 ESV)

“For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17 ESV)

He cleanses us from all unrighteousness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV)

A righteousness through faith in Christ

“And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (Phil. 3:9 ESV)

We become the righteousness of God

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” ( 2 Cor. 5:21 ESV)

Therefore…

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.” (1 Peter 3:14 ESV)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 ESV)

God gives you a future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

Through the encouragement of the Scriptures

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 ESV)

We rejoice in hope

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Rom. 12:2-5 ESV)

Therefore…

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom 12:12 ESV)

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Rom. 8 24-25 ESV)