Do you long to be in the presence of God? When you pass by a church do you admire the cross that crowns it, and think of Jesus Christ, and all He does for you? Do you dream of being in God’s presence, standing with Jesus before God the Father with your face aglow, and your heart nearly exploding with the joy He brings you? If so, you are not alone, and your soul is singing in unison with so many others.
We are given life in seasons, and as we go through them our bodies grow to maturity, then are diminished, and our energy is abated, but our spirit grows and is encouraged within us; ever strengthening. How wonderful it is to dedicate the years of our youth to the Lord, and to follow after our faith with strong legs, and sharp eyes. Our lives are like the tide that rushes in, and swells to reach its peak, only to recede once again, until it has gone completely out.
This morning I was reading about commonplace religion, that religion which is shaped around what is easy, formed around what others say and not by intense prayer, God's word, and self denial. We live in a feel good society "if it feels good then it must be good and right." But that isn't what the bible teaches us. So I read Titus 2 this morning, and as an aging member of my church, the scripture convicted me, but whatever your age, and whether you are a man or woman, I believe it will convict you as well.
Our God is Holy, and his holiness is majestic, so much so that the angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy to Him. We too must realize Him to be Majestically Holy, and to worship Him with the same emphasis as the angels... Holy, Holy, Holy. Yet, we too are told to be holy, but how is that possible for us? It can only happen if we are made so through our faith, and belief in Jesus Christ... by His blood.
How deep is our desire to be a child of God? Does knowing He is near cause us to breathe in short breaths, and rush to welcome Him home with loving arms? So often we see God served as if He were an honored, but never before met, dinner guest, and Jesus as His distant traveling companion who we don’t really know, just as He was unrecognized on the road to Emmaus. Do we greet them with formality, a handshake perhaps, instead of a holy kiss, and a seat at a side table instead of with our close friends? Is this our relationship; cordial, but not personal... at least until we need a miracle... some wine perhaps?
Are we ready to follow Jesus, or do we think we are following Him now? If so, then where is our cross, why are we carrying it, and where are we going with it? The cross is a powerful symbol of our Christian Faith, and as such it is a very personal emblem of suffering, obedience, and ultimately death. When we think of “The Cross” we see Jesus hoisted up upon it with nails through His hands and feet, and the image is horrific to our mind’s eye, but that is Christ’s cross and not our own. Jesus didn’t tell us to pick up His cross and follow Him, He told us to pick up ours.
Are you suffering in some way today? Have you been in prayer concerning it? If so, how do you perceive the agony you are enduring, and in what way are you asking that it be lifted from you when you pray? Is your prayer a selfish one as you pray “Father heal me!”, or do you pray A righteous prayer... “Father heal me that you might be glorified, and I might serve you better!”. How do you view the pain you suffer; is it punitive, or an opportunity afforded you by God to bring glory to His name?
How is our faith affected when we face physical suffering, and how about the times when we are tormented spiritually by people who don’t want us to speak the gospel to those who need to hear it? All of the apostle’s faced rejection and trials as they carried the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, but even though they faced great physical and spiritual abuse, they continued on... even to horrific death and martyrdom. Can we hold to our faith in the face of such persecution?
When we fear the Lord and seek after Him, we receive His blessings throughout our journey, but even this doesn’t mean we will not be without pain and suffering. We can strive to obey the commandments of our Heavenly Father, but in doing so, we pay a price in sacrifice. Before iron can be reshaped into something useful, or beautiful it must enter the furnace, and before clay can become fixed in its new shape, it must be fired. So it is with us as Christians... our redemption comes with a price, and our rebirth into a new creature requires an often uncomfortable transformation. So we rejoice in our trials, and claim the blessings they make real in us.
As we dwell on the Word of the Lord we are made to pause in awe, and with raised hands declare, in tears, His greatness. O the wonder of who He is. O the grandeur of His creation. O how our Souls are thrilled by knowing the least of His thoughts, and our hearts warmed beyond measure by the slightest touch of His hand. Do you search God’s Holy Word for a glimpse of Him? Do you see the creator in all of His creation, and Come to know anything about Him?
We say we are Christians; we say that our lives have been transformed by Christ, but has that conversion been solidified in the heat of our faith’s kiln, or is it still malleable, and able to be reshaped by the world around us? Our new Christ-like self is meant to be as He is... without sin, and founded on the Word of God, but we often treat it as temporary, and as such it does us little good. How firm are we in our faith, and how strong is the new creation that Jesus has molded us into?
Some see the beauty of the world that God created, but missing the fallen nature of man that inhabits it, and not possessing a belief in the creator Himself, they make it the sole focus of their lives. Unbelievers seek after creation rather than the creator, but as believers, and the children of God, we look to heaven and desire nothing more than God Himself. Though His creation is beautiful, awe inspiring, and amazing in every way, we worship God alone... seeing His hand in all things great and small.
God watches over His children even when they are unaware. He looks after us whether we are awake and actively praying, or asleep and dreaming about some earthly dread or sweet thing. When we are His, He never lifts His hand from us, and stands vigilant over us... even if we are not conscious of His efforts. So sleep peacefully in His care, and know that He will awaken you in the morrow.
Each week we are meant to rest on the Sabbath as God did, but so many do not listen to this commandment, and do not rest. When our lives on earth are complete the people of God will rest once again on the great Sabbath, but many people will not have listened, and will not be there. We live a hard and difficult life on earth, and it wears us down. We need bodily rest each night, and a Sabbath each week to refresh us, body, mind, and soul, as it prepares us to continue doing God’s will. Then following our judgement, those who are found worthy will rest again, and enjoy a greater Sabbath at the table of God... do you honor the Sabbath today? Will you rest, and eat the Sabbath meal with God in heaven?