08/04/2023
Do we believe that our relationship with God is all we have of value in our lives? Have we given ourselves up completely to Him, or do we feel that we are glorious, and a bargain for God at any price? When we have the least thought that we might be of some intrinsic value or service to Him we have fallen from His hand. Only when we realize that we are nothing without Him are we of any true value to our Lord and Father.
“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”
John 7:18 ESV
Placing God's glory above our own brings us into total submission to Him. When we reach that point where His will is so intertwined with our own that ours becomes lost in His... then we are of use to Him in serving His purposes.
“Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!”
Psalms 96:9 ESV
We have nothing to offer God that he doesn't already have except our unique relationship with Him. He doesn't want our talents because He has given those to us. He doesn't want our intelligence because His eclipses all knowledge and understanding, and besides, He gave us that too. What He wants is to be in a relationship with us... one remarkable human creature of His making with a unique and amazing God and creator. His desire is for our love, and interaction. He wishes to walk with us, and for us to love and worship Him with each step.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8 ESV
God walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, and He wants that same closeness with us. If we look at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector we get a view of how our efforts alone are not enough... the Pharisee thought that adhering to the law was sufficient, but the tax collector humbled himself and spoke to God with a contrite heart. Listen to what Jesus said about the tax collector...
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Luke 18:14 ESV
Once we realize how insignificant we are in comparison with God, then we can enter into a relationship with Him that is based on truth, and we can walk with Him without pretense. God doesn't desire for us to humble ourselves to prove His glory; no, he wants us to humble ourselves to reveal that we understand who He is. God's glory isn't dependent on our humility; our humility simply demonstrates our understanding of God's glory.
I had a best friend in high school, we told each other our most intimate secrets and knew each other's moods even before the first word was spoken. This didn't happen overnight, and it required absolute honesty and for each of us to know and accept the other for what we were. No secrets, no jealousy, no pretending... complete honesty.
Short of God, and my wife, I wonder if I will ever have a friend like that again. It requires incredible closeness, but also a degree of separation. It is hard to disclose certain secrets about yourself to someone who is so close to you that they might feel slighted by them, or become judgmental or jealous of them. With safe separation comes a certain comfort; you can hear the details of another's life and yet be just far enough away as to be able to look upon them subjectively. Love is incredible intimacy without losing one's self in the process. It is honesty bounded by a set of rules... in faith God imposes our rules.
“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"”
Luke 10:25-26 ESV
When we submit ourselves to God we begin to form a relationship, but this relationship is made Holy by its conforming to a set of rules; like these...
“And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."”
Luke 10:27 ESV
God is first, before all else we should remember this. If we think we are worthy in any way then we are deceiving ourselves and what might have become a relationship is brought to nothing. In our selfishness we might pretend we have a relationship with Him, but God can't participate in a lie and whatever we have convinced ourselves to be friendship... is not. So do we realize God’s true majesty, and understand, like Jesus did, that without Him we can do nothing?
“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”
John 5:19 ESV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your omnipotence, and omniscience. I thank you Abba for allowing me to see just enough of you to realize that alone, without Jesus, I am unworthy to stand before you. Father you love me despite who I am and I am baffled by that. You call me friend when I can see nothing in myself that you should find worthy, or appealing. I understand you desire me to love and worship you, but Father I am unable to see anything else in me worthy of you forming a relationship with. Thus, I lean completely on my faith in your love, grace, and mercy, and I praise your name while desiring to be with you always. Holy Father, I thank you for your Son Jesus Christ and His having reconciled me to you. In my unceasing prayers I thank you for your forgiveness and love... and I seek to glorify your name always. I pray Lord that you never stop loving me, and that you will always desire to walk alone with me… transforming every way we take into a spiritual path of eternally blooming delights.
Rich Forbes