Cognition
Self-awareness in God
Cognition means perception, the process of knowing or self-awareness. But, there is another awakening within man, and that is when one encounters G-d.
At last, a person can see “self” in G-d’s universe and come to trust God, to allow Him to walk alongside, and to learn His Word.
According to the Healthy Cognition Lab cognition is the “psychological processes underlying health behavior and behavior change. Research programs center around three main themes: nonconscious processes in the self-regulation of health behavior, a grounded cognition approach to desire and motivated behavior, and contemplative approaches to self-regulation. http://healthycognitionlab.org/
Self-awareness as part of G-d plan is the most important reality of all. Likewise, knowing how one fits into G-d’s purpose is the most peaceful place to abide.
What kind of life circumstances would help one to understand his or
her reason for existence?
I ask this question because there is no doubt that G-d’s hand is on certain individuals even before conception or shortly after childbirth. However, some found favor with G-d because of a heart of humility; these are those who demonstrated faith, a trust in G-d even though they barely knew Him.
Men such as Hevel (Abel) and Noah (Noach), without Bibles or Torah, seemed to follow a moral compass that produced righteous hearts toward G-d. On the one hand, we see that Abel took the extra step of faith to give the Lord a worthy sacrifice; only the best would do. On the contrary, Cain (Kayin) seemed to think that anything would do for a sacrifice.
To gain more clarity on what the Bible is saying here, we will use the Strong’s Concordance of the definition of the Greek word {pis-tis} “faith.”
4102 pi,stij pistis {pis’-tis}
Meaning: 1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to G-d and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it 1a) relating to G-d 1a1) the conviction that G-d exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ 1b) relating to Christ 1b1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
The Jewish Bible interprets “faith” the same way as the original Greek version:
The Complete Jewish Bible 4 By trusting, Hevel (Abel) offered a greater sacrifice than Kayin (Cain); because of this, he was attested as righteous, with God giving him this testimony on the ground of his gifts. Through having trusted, he still continues to speak, even though he is dead. (Heb 11:4 CJB)
Adonai saw the life of the man Noah, and He noticed Noah’s ethical behavior in the midst of a land filled with darkness. His lifestyle struck an interest with G-d; finally, with a heightened enthusiasm the L-rd had a human to establish His covenant (Noach Covenant).
Noah trusted and believed God for over a hundred years for a weather event called rain. The rain would flood the earth, which at that time no one had ever seen rain before, yet Noah still believed God.
Others such as Abraham, Rahab in the Old Testament and the New Testament story of a man named Cornelius all demonstrated this same type of faith. Cornelius was a Gentile who believed in the Jewish Messiah and started his private devotion in his home where God poured out His Spirit upon Cornelius’ entire household. God rewarded Cornelius for his obedience to the L-rd. Even today some people seek the Lord without someone forcing them to do so.
What is their secret to finding this type of dedication?
NLT Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of G-d above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
The Complete Jewish Bible
25 Rahab, the prostitute, is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid God’s messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. (Jam 2:25 NLT)
30 By trusting, the walls of Yericho fell down- after the people had marched around them for seven days.
31 By trusting, Rachav the prostitute welcomed the spies and therefore did not die along with those who were disobedient.
32 What more should I say? There isn’t time to tell about Gid’on, Barak, Shimshon, Yiftach, David, Sh’mu’el and the prophets;
33 who, through trusting, conquered kingdoms, worked righteousness, received what was promised, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, had their weakness turned to strength, grew mighty in battle and routed foreign armies.
35 Women received back their dead resurrected; other people were stretched on the rack and beaten to death, refusing to be ransomed, so that they would gain a better resurrection.
36 Others underwent the trials of being mocked and whipped, then chained and imprisoned.
37 They were stoned, sawed in two, murdered by the sword; they went about clothed in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, mistreated, (Heb 11:30-37 CJB).
After reading heartbreaking details about the lives of these unfortunate people, you realize that the Scriptures are not talking about who got rescued. Adonai’s Hall of Faith is about those faithful believers who glorified God from within their fiery furnaces! The real saints knew that even if God did not deliver them, they would still worship Him! And, although they had to go into the lion’ den, the three Hebrew boys knew that God controlled their eternity.
How many times have God tested you (a believer) for the simple reason to encourage His Beloved to come in for a closer encounter with Him?
Deuteronomy 32:10 KJV tells us that Adonai found us in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness, BUT, He did not leave us there. He gave us His instructions and kept us as the apple of His eye.
In Psalms 17:8 (KJV), our response is a cry out to Him:
“Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppresses me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.”
According to author and apologist, Ravi Zacharias, in Hebrew, there is no such thing as the “apple” of G-d’s eye. Zacacharis explained that a better translation would be that you are the “little maiden” of His eye. You might ask: What is the little maiden of your eye? It is somebody who comes so close to you that they can see into your eyes. For example, you may ask your dear one to look into your eyeballs; she will come closer and closer. So close, that as she looks into your eyes, she sees a miniature reflection of herself. Likewise, G-d is saying to His people: “Come close, come close, come even closer! Look into My eyes, and the miniature reflection that you see is one of yourself.” That is how near He wants us to be to Him and to know His love. G-d’s love for us is perfect and pure, yet we have nothing in ourselves to deserve it. His love is unmerited, but He is calling us to draw closer to Him.
0380 !Avyai ‘iyshown {ee-shone’}
Meaning: 1) pupil of the eye 2) middle of the night (that is the deepest blackness)
CJB Proverbs 7:2 Obey my commands, and live; guard my teaching like the pupil of your eye.
(Pro 7:2 CJB)
8 Protect me like the pupil of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psa 17:8 CJB)
2 Obey my commands, and live; guard my teaching like the pupil of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
(Pro 7:2-3 CJB)
NLT Genesis 22:1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son– yes, Isaac, whom you love so much– and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” (Gen 22:1-2 NLT)
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Mat 6:19-21 NLT)