A Glimpse of God
()
About this ebook
Who is God to you? Do you call Him Father? Is He at the top of your friends list? Do you count Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Is His Holy Spirit your teacher? Is His fruit growing inside you, and are you sharing Him with others?
Come and see how every dayin the ordinary occurrences, in the intense inner struggles and trials, in my failures, in the pain and hurt, in the tears and laughter, in the joy and triumphsI have found God to be all those and more. Each life is full of glimpses of God: who He is and how He wants you to know Him in every one of those ways. Maybe in sharing my glimpses with you, I can help you find some of your own!
Debra Niswander
Debra Niswander lives in Charlevoix, Michigan, and currently works as a probate register for Emmet County. She has two adult sons and enjoys being a grandmother. She is active in her church, organizing their local area mission program. She also does missionary work abroad with Fruit of the Vine Ministries.
Related to A Glimpse of God
Related ebooks
Grace Like Chocolate Syrup: Good over Everything Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Heart to Know Him: When All You Know to Be True Moves from Your Head to Your Heart Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDaily Devotions: to Obtain an Overcoming Life: The Road to Eternal Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou Can Still Walk This: Physically Walking: Spiritually Growing! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDiscipleship Discover your Identity in Christ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreater Is in You!: A Short Life Story, Bible Study Lessons, and Twenty-One–Day Journal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod’s Megathemes: A Grandfather’s Legacy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Broken: The Road Back Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLove Letters From God: An Anthology of the Faithfulness of Our God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSalvation Is a Process Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Oceans Rise: Scriptural Truths to Anchor the Soul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Path to Restoration: A Study Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinally Liberated: Through the Reality of God’S Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Conversation: When Faith Becomes Poetry in Motion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOne Thing I Ask . . .: Praying God’S Heart Through His Word Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrace Broke the Chains Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Student of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI'm Saved...What's Next?: Building a Relationship - 10 Keys to Walking with God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll in 4 God: Devotions for Young Women Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRE: A 30-Day Devotional Returning Our Hearts to God through Wisdom and Repentance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Can Hear Your Face: Ichyf a Pathway to Helping Others Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Am . . .: Identity Crisis Undone—The Discovery of Who We Are Through the Eyes of God. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJesus’S Radical Teachings: Living the Life-Changing Teachings of Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJust a Closer Walk Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIndescribable: In Your Will Is Our Peace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnswer-Key Poetry: The Keys to Life Through Poetry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYour Next Leap of Faith: How to Hear God's Voice and Boldly Follow Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCalled Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSignposts on the Road to Forgiveness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIt Is Time: It Is Time for You to Take a Stand for Christ and God's Kingdom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's Religious For You
It's True Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/55-Minute Bedtime Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bronze Bow: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Night Before Christmas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Gramps and Gran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears' Bedtime Blessings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Go First Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Letters from Rifka Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears and the Christmas Angel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Children's Bible: Illustrated stories from the Old and New Testaments Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Snug as a Bug Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Great Is Our God Educator's Guide: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears' Harvest Festival Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Case for Christ for Kids 90-Day Devotional Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Read and Share Bible: More Than 200 Best Loved Bible Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Strong and Smart: A Boy's Guide to Building Healthy Emotions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Teen to Teen: 365 Daily Devotions by Teen Guys for Teen Guys Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Action Bible Easter Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It Will be Okay: Trusting God Through Fear and Change Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Moon Shines Down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids (Boys Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Winter War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Super, Epic, Mega Joke Book for Kids Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Prince Warriors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears and the Forgiving Tree Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You Can Count on God: 100 Devotions for Kids (Short Devotions to Help Kids Worry Less and Trust God More) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies Young Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Berenstain Bears Why Do Good Bears Have Bad Days? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for A Glimpse of God
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
A Glimpse of God - Debra Niswander
Copyright © 2014 Debra Niswander.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
1 (866) 928-1240
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
ISBN: 978-1-4908-2729-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4908-2730-8 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4908-2728-5 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014903565
WestBow Press rev. date: 3/25/2014
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1-God, the Father
He Is Our Father
He Is Ultimate Love
He Forgives
He Is Our Boss
He Is the Healer of Our Soul
He Is the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End
He Is Our Refuge and Strength
He Is the Peacemaker
He Is THE Answer
I AM
Part 2-God, the Son
Jesus: A Love Story
Jesus: The Son’s Love for His Father; the Son’s Love for Us
Jesus: The Giver of Second Chances, and Third Chances, and Fourth Chances, and …
Jesus: Our Freedom Fighter
Jesus: His Scars, Our Healing
Jesus: Was, Is, and Always Will Be
Do You Know the Word of God (the Bible) and the Word (Jesus)?
Jesus: The Master Painter
Jesus: Our Savior
Jesus: You Know Him as Savior; Do You Know Him as Lord?
3-God, the Holy Spirit
Truth’s Voice
Signed, Sealed, and Delivered
You’ve Got a Friend in Him
Teacher
Equipment Man
Road Maps and GPS
Don’t Turn Off the Faucet
You’re Not Alone (Our Swimming Instructor—Our Strength)
Our Conqueror
Our Producer
Part 4-The Fruit of the Spirit
A Perfect Love
Choices
A Shared Love
A Broken Heart Healed
Stuffed
Eternal Optimist
Behind the Clouds
Who’s Your Trustee?
Living Trust
He Holds On to You Even When You Can’t or Won’t Hold On to Him
The Conquering C
The Conquering C
(continued)
Peace in Our Worries, in Our Fears, in the Unknown, in Our Hurts, in Our Prayers That Seem to Be No
Commitment: Gotta Run to Run
Endurance: I Want To!
Contentment: To Have or Have Not
Perspective: Who or What Are You Waiting On?
Honey
Nothing Random about It
What If
The Least of These
Permanent and Inseparable
Out of the Gutter
New Heart, New Eyes
The Goodness of God
I Know That I Know That I Know
Why I Write
A Little Boy, a Little Prayer, a Lot of Sun
A Sister’s Faith
Meekness Is Not Weakness
Remember Where You Were
Some Humble Pie
In Awe
God-Control
Stumbling
C.A.R.P.
To Die, Yet Live
A Final Thought
The King James version, called the Authorized Version
in England, was a revision of the Bishops’ Bible on the basis of Beza 1598, with much direct borrowing from the English texts of Tyndale 1535 and of the Genevan Bible.
Scripture quotations, in this publication are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified ® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Donehey, Mike & Ingram, Jason. You are More
. The Light Meets the Dark. CD. Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peer Music Publishing. 2010.
Cowart, Benji & Weaver, Michael David. Redeemed
. Love Come To Life. Lyrics © Warner/Chappel Music, Inc. 2012.
Preface
Dear Friends,
I was struck one day when I was rereading the story of Moses’ encounter with God through the burning bush. I couldn’t get over God’s answer to Moses’ question: Who should I say sent me? (I imagine Moses thought, I can’t tell them a burning bush sent me; they’ll think I’ve gone nuts.) Who do I tell them You are? How do I describe You? The fact that God answered Moses and the answer He gave inspired several of my devotionals. Even writing this, I just keep shaking my head. Moses was speaking directly to the Creator. The Being who caused all to come into existence had talked to Moses. What’s more, God wanted Moses to know who He was. He wants all of us to know who He is. I truly wonder what was running through Moses’ mind at that moment.
That got me thinking about the question Jesus posed to His disciples: Who do people say I am? The disciples had various responses as to how He was being described, but most of those were that Jesus was only a person. Then Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God
(Matthew 16:16 KJV). What a revelation! Did Peter really understand what he had just said? He was talking to God (face-to-face), telling God that God was God! I wonder what Peter must have been thinking.
What words do you use when you speak of God? How do you describe Him? This is the God who created everything, created man; who healed us through the stripes that crisscrossed His own body; who stopped at nothing, even His own death, to save us. I started these devotionals years ago in hopes of helping my boys learn more about who God is. It is I who has been learning the most.
Some of my devotionals were written during specific events in my life. Others developed over extended periods of time and were forged in the ordinary, everyday occurrences of living: a bad day at work, feelings hurt by a friend or family, a job found or lost, good and bad choices, lost keys, bad hair days, missed appointments, celebrations, and arguments with my kids, etc. Ordinary, everyday life we all go through at one time or another—all of which provided opportunities for me to experience the character of God and to find out who He is and how He wanted to help me through all those experiences.
This book only shows glimpses of the journey I am on. But it has been a revelation that everything in my life thus far, whether it seems good or bad, whether of my own doing or another’s, is a lesson in learning who God is and making the choice to trust who He says He is and what He wants for my life. Some days it is effortless to trust in my Creator, and then there are days, as you can read on these pages, it was and is a struggle. The days I struggle I must go back to that choice—to believe who He says He is, to trust the plans He has for my life, whether I fully understand them or know all of them yet—and to rest in that.
The more I learn of Him, the more I want to know, and the more I also realize it will still only be a glimpse until I pass into eternity. But oh, what a glimpse! The more I write, the more I see my words pale in comparison to a true description of God and who He is and what He has done for me, for you, for all of mankind. My words fall short in adequately portraying how much He loves each of us. I come to grips each time I have written a devotional (and as I reread them still) of how unworthy I am. But at the same time, I am immersed with the knowledge that because of Christ’s love and sacrifice, He redeemed me and now I am worthy to be called a child of the most high and living God. Often I have had to confess and repent while writing these devotions, but as you can see, each page reflects who I have found God to be: a Father, a friend, a lover, a Savior, and I could go on and on. And through these revelations, I have found and continue to find grace, mercy, and peace, and more.
That is what I want you, my friend, to see. I pray that you would see God on the pages of this book. I pray that even if you only see a glimpse, it will create a spark that would burn in your soul. I pray that in this spark, you would find His unconditional love, His unwavering peace, and His eternal hope. I want you to meet God, know God, talk to God, and have God talk to you. He longs to talk to you, to be your friend, to be your Savior. And if anything He has helped me to write here leads you to find that out for yourself, then I am truly blessed.
As I told a friend of mine once (and it holds true for each of you as well), it is more important to me that you have a relationship with Jesus than you have a relationship with me. For if you forget me, you have lost nothing. But you lose everything if you meet Jesus and forget Him.
Thank you again for letting me share this glimpse with you. I am humbled by all of this. I hope there will be more to come as my journey continues. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
In Christ,
Debbie
Acknowledgments
I can’t write this without thanking some very important people in my life. Thank you to Diane Dennis and Dawn Hankins for their help with editing and proofreading. But most importantly, Diane, you are such a faithful follower of our Lord and you have been such a support to me. I count it a privilege to call you my friend. Dawn, you know how much you and your family mean to me. Having your constant and loyal friendship has been one of my truest blessings from God. Love you, my dear friend.
Thank you to the people at WestBow for all your guidance, help, and encouragement. Thank you, Jan and Dale Marcum, for allowing me to share the mission field with you. Your work ethic and Christian example is amazing. I love you guys. Thank you, Tony and Pam Falcione, for giving me your love and friendship over the many years. Thank you to my friends at Family of Faith and Sisters in Christ (SIC) prayer breakfast group for supporting me. Also thank you to my friends at work who have encouraged me.
To my cuz, Michael Connell, thank you for always being here for me. We had so many great times growing up, especially with Jeannie and Buddy. I miss them both very much. Thank you, thank you for all