Writing for the Five Minute Friday Link-UP. A one-word prompt and five minutes to write what’s on your mind and heart, unedited (hmmm…). The prompt this week is ONE. Here goes –

This one took me right into the rabbit hole. I went on a verse search, found three that really spoke to me and had to jump in.

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. (NIV)

One God. Here we have it in Isaiah and many places throughout the bible. One God. There is only one god. When we see Lord presented this way, it means Jehovah, the self-existent one, eternal. First and Last. I’ve written before about how God repeats to get our attention. According to the NASB Hebrew Concordance this is repeated 6,825 times (a little info I picked up in the rabbit hole).  He won’t let us miss that something we wants us to know. Do you think He’s trying to tell us something important about Who He is?

Since there is only one true God, that makes Him in charge of everything. The sooner we get that truth into our stubborn minds (I’m strictly speaking of myself, of course), the better life will be. Not trial-free, just free of whatever it is holding each one of us back.

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NASB)

Here, nearing the end of God’s word, His position as the one true God is reinforced. The iconic phasing used here, “I am the Alpha and Omega,” supports the verse in Isaiah; “I am the first and I am the last”. The use of Lord here means supreme in authority, master.

He is also the Almighty. Digging even deeper now, I learned this is from the Greek, pantokratōr, meaning the all-ruling, the absolute and universal sovereign, Almighty, Omnipotent. So, yes, there we have it—He IS in charge.

This all sounds so big, and He is big, but not so big that He doesn’t want us to know Him. To be in relationship with Him. That Greek word pantokratōr has two parts; pas means God to all of us and, I’m paraphrasing here, each of us. The second part is kratos and means force, strength, and might. He IS the Lord, the Almighty, the ONE true God to each and every one of us. Why not tap into His power by living in this truth?

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (NASB)

Are you looking for something in life and just can’t seem to find it? Do you feel like there must be something more to life? Could it be the Lord we just learned about is standing at your door and knocking? Just to open door. He’s waiting patiently for you.

References: Matthew Henry’s Commentary https://www.blueletterbible.org/; Blue Letter Bible https://www.blueletterbible.org; Strong’s Concordance: Lord H3608, Jehovah H1961, Lord G2962, Almighty G3841 (Pantokrator: Pas G3956, Kratos G29040