God wants to walk among us, to be our God, and for us to be His people, but are we making ourselves presentable to Him? Have we become so involved with modern day idols like money, fame, riches, power, sex, or some other powerful influence over our lives that we have placed God second, third, or maybe way down the chain of importance in our lives? God wants to be first in our lives but dies the smell of our sin repulse Him?
By believing in God, and having knowledge of Him, God gives us life and godliness, but what do we do with them? Do we practice our faith to it’s fullest, or do we attempt to wear it around our neck like a trophy; something we take pride in having achieved? Scripture tells us that we should be more than just the recipients of God’s grace, but to partake of it, and escape the corruption of the world.
Do you trust in the Word of God? Do you believe in it as the rock that you can stand atop forever? From your perch there are you able to see all that He has created, and marvel in amazement at His magnificence, truth, goodness, and love? Do you feel the conviction, dread the wrath, hear the hammer fall on Calvary, and thrill in the grace flowing forth from the risen Christ? This is what the Bible declares to us, and this is our taste of relationship... of God Himself.
Affirmation is something we all need from time to time. Do you ever find that you begin to question something that you once felt so certain about? Do you need some time alone with your spouse so that you can rekindle your love, or maybe you feel that the profession you once thought was so perfect for you, might not be after all... you just don’t know? Well, how about your faith; are there times of questioning it as well?
Much like a marriage, which begins at betrothal, grows more certain with the wedding ceremony, and is finally made complete by consummation (which is the joining together as one flesh), so will our full adoption as sons and daughters of God not be made complete until Christ returns to claim us, and God announces us as His Children.
We talk about our treasure as being accumulated in heaven, and we also speak of our mansion there, as well as the storehouses, but do we ever stop to think about where all of the hard labor is done in building these structures, mining the gold, or cutting those gems, and how it was accomplished?
God knows us because we call on Him, we obey Him, and we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. His is a firm foundation, and in Him all things work together for good to those who love Him. If we love Him in this way, and we believe that His Word is truth, then we should know beyond all doubt that we are His, and what to expect from Him, but we should also know that He speaks to each of us individually. Do you pray as one who knows this? Is your life uniquely His, and how do you travel His Holy Highway?
God’s grace is such a precious thing when it flows into us through Christ, but even in humbly receiving this unearned gift we can sometimes be tempted into taking pride in it. Just when we feel the closest to righteousness we are tempted most by what might initially seem like a minor discomfort, or a subtle thought, yet soon is a painful sore rubbed raw by baseless pride, our sin.
Regardless of our church, whether Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, or one of the other Protestant denominations, we all speak of the Holy Spirit, and acknowledge His presence, but we seem to be afraid of what we might find if He were to come in fullness upon us. We sing songs regarding the Holy Spirit, invite Him into our services, and pray prayers inviting Him to pour Himself out on us, but is this nothing more than lip service? Have we limited our understanding of Him to the point that we are crippled? Some limping on the right leg, some on the left?
Have you ever felt alone in your faith? Have you cried out to God, and not heard so much as an echo in return? Has the silence of God overwhelmed you to the point where you asked yourself if you had been abandoned? Are you in that place now? If this is you, and you are surrounded by silence, or loneliness, take heart, because God never deserts us.
Are you reluctant to pray because you feel that your ability to express yourself is lacking, and that you are unworthy to participate in a conversation with God... within whom all knowledge exists? Are you a pastor who feels more comfortable speaking with the well educated in his church than the childlike? Well, our God hears our words, but hears first from our hearts; not our mouths.
What are the things that that our Heavenly Father has given us? Today is Father’s Day, and it is appropriate that we should always remember it on a Sunday. As Christians we have two Fathers, one who is earthly, and another who is Spiritual. Each of these has a role to fill in our lives, and certain gifts to give us. Each teaches us, and makes us to be something more than we ever thought possible.
Do we rejoice when God moves in our life? We say yes, but are we looking for His hand in all the everyday occurrences? We give thanks for the dramatic movements of God’s hand, yet we are inclined to attribute the small and seemingly insignificant happenings in our everyday existence to either ourselves, or to the natural occurrence of life. Let’s look at our days through fresh eyes, and search for God there in new ways; then, when we see Him, let’s thank Him for His presence.
When you worship are you joyous, and lifted up, or do you approach the throne off God in tears, and sadness? When you sing hymns are they morose, or do they reflect the immense pleasure, and majesty you find in God? Being humble before God does not imply a lack of joy, it actually frees us to rejoice in Him, because we realize who He is, and that we are His children... His minions.
Do you resist faith, or neglect sitting at the feet of Jesus, because you don’t feel worthy, or perhaps you snub your nose at faith, and avoid Christ because you feel these things are beneath you. It doesn’t really matter what separates you from God, the great loss comes simply from your separation. We are no better or worse from one another when lost to faith, and unable to walk with the Lord.