Connecting with God

People often wonder why God will not answer their prayers. They accuse Him of not caring about them (1 Peter 5:7). It could be that we do not have a personal relationship with Him and He does not know us (Matthew 7:21-23). Sin may be blocking God from hearing our words or tainting the message of our prayer. Possibly, we do not spend enough time listening in order to hear His voice.

God answers our prayers with a "yes", "no", or "wait". Our Father knows the end from the beginning and knows what is best for us (Isaiah 46:10). He is not spiteful or vindictive. He does not punish us. He will discipline His children; but though He wounds, He always heals (Job 5:18). He will also heal our land, if His Saints will humble themselves and pray (2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezekiel 22:30).

A lack of a personal relationship with God (John 3:18), sinful behavior or a hectic lifestyle with little prayer and devotion hinder our ability to connect with God (Isaiah 59:2). Only repentance cleanses us as we confess our failings (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1-2). With intimate times of prayer, we have more power to stand against spiritual warfare, trials and temptations (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

King David realized that God did not want sacrifice from us as much as He wanted obedience and devotion (Hebrews 10:8-9). God would rather have us praying than working for Him without His Spirit's direction. He created works for us to do, but we will only know what they are as we pray (Ephesians 2:10). God's truest desire is that we love Him with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength (Luke 10:27).

Prayer:

Father God, we ask You to fill us with a deep desire and hunger to know You more and to connect with You through our prayer life and Bible study. Our heart thirsts after You, like the deer pants for water (Psalm 42:1). Fill us with Your Holy Spirit every day and cause us to hear Your loving kindness each new morning (Ephesians 5:18-19; Psalm 143:8). Teach us to use Your Word to pray effectual prayers.

Thought for the Day:

If we remain connected to God, we will bear fruit for His Kingdom; but apart from Him, we can do nothing. - John 15:5-8

Inner Transformation

God promises never to leave us nor to forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). When He seems distant, it is because we have drifted away from Him, not that He left us. Mental knowledge about God cannot compare with knowledge of God in a personal, spiritual relationship (John 17:3). This intimacy transforms us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

God’s presence in our life changes us from the inside out. We are still rough around the edges outwardly; but inwardly, we have more peace and joy than ever before. The fruit of God’s Spirit replaces our carnality (Galatians 5:22-23). We fall more in love with Jesus every day. Our fears, deep-seated anger and insecurities diminish as God heals the pain of our past.

Our faith in God’s faithfulness grows with each trial, which He works out for our good, as well as through each weakness He enables us to overcome (Romans 8:28). We come to Him and willingly lay our goals and desires at His feet, embracing His will for our life. Our prayer time grows from a few moments each morning to continual communication throughout the day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

We feast on God’s Word and allow it to dictate our thoughts and behavior. When we, who know God intimately, share with others what Christ does in our life, many of them will desire to know the Lord too. I do wish our passion for God was catching, so that everyone would come to know His love intimately. However, everyone does have a chance, because He calls “whosoever will” (Revelation 22:17).

Prayer:

Father God, our unity with You is our greatest joy. All of our other relationships and activities are influenced for the better, because of Your presence in our life. We love that we can be Your friend (John 15:13-15). King David gives us such insight into our relationship with You. The possibilities are endless (Psalm 63:1-8). Thank You for making us joint heirs with Jesus Christ of the glory of Your Kingdom (Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:10).

Thought for the Day:

When we fully love God and keep His Words, the Trinity makes their abode in us. – John 14:23

God Provides

King David commented that throughout his life, He never saw a righteous person forsaken or his descendants begging bread (Psalm 37:25). God provides for His own and He blesses thousands of generations of descendents of those who love and serve Him (Exodus 20:6). We are happy and put all of our hope in our Lord. He keeps every promise He makes to us with as much certainty as He uses to keep the world He created in perfect balance (Psalm 146:5-6).

He causes the Godly to flourish like a palm tree. They grow tall and He transplants them into His own garden, so that we are under His personal care. Even in our old age, He sees to it that we produce fruit and remain green and vital. Our prosperity honors the Lord, because it shows the world that God cares for His own (Psalm 92:12-15). When we are acquainted with God’s ways, we come to put our trust in Him, because He never forsakes anyone who seeks Him (Psalm 9:10).

When someone or something comes against God’s beloved, He takes it very personally (Zechariah 2:8). We are precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:3). God’s will is not an objective to achieve, but a lifestyle to live. We trust Him because He always helps those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10). He never sleeps, but watches over us day and night. He cares for us and defends us, keeping us from evil and preserving our life. He keeps his eye upon us as we come and go, and guards us in all of our ways (Psalm 121:2-8).

Jehovah made the mountains and the heavens; and yet, is mindful of all mankind (Psalm 8:4-6). He gives justice to the poor and the oppressed, as well as food to the hungry. He heals the sick, lifts the burdens of those crippled under a heavy weight, protects immigrants and cares for both orphans and widows. The Lord loves His righteous Saints and is their defense (Psalm 146:7-9). He gives His angels charge over us, so that we never stumble or fall (Psalm 91:11-12).

Prayer:

Father God, we will never forget Your promises, Your mercy and grace or the marvelous works You perform (Psalm 111:4-6). Your loving kindness pours out forever and ever on those who revere You. If we are faithful to Your covenant and obey Your precepts, Your salvation is for us and our children (Psalm 103:17). Your love stands firm forever and You establish Your faithfulness in Heaven and earth, and it endures forever (Psalm 89:2, 119:90).

Thought for the Day:

Those who refuse to obey the Lord do not comprehend His might or the wonders of His creation. – Nehemiah 9:17, 31

 

 

 

 

Or So It Seems!

Read: Romans 8: 26-28

“How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” Matthew 7:11 (NKJV)

Sometimes, because of the circumstances in our lives, God appears unavailable, judgmental, distant, unjust, condemning, neglectful, and even unkind. We look at Him from an earthly, carnal perspective and expect Him to act like a human being instead of a holy, omnipotent God. God’s ways are so much higher than our ways that we often fail to see His provision when it comes, or His love when it is offered, or His direction when He speaks in His still, small voice. Often, we fail to believe it if we do not see it with our own eyes!

In actuality, nothing happens to God’s children that He does not allow. Look at Job! For a season, his life lay tattered and ruined by Satan’s design. What we often fail to realize is that Job sat at Jesus’ feet throughout his whole ordeal. Then, in the end, God blessed Job with an abundance of every good thing, which this life offers. We can learn from Job’s example.

We can also learn from Paul when he begged God three times to heal him of the infirmity in his flesh. God told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Paul accepted God’s answer and surrendered his will to the Lord’s will. King David’s baby was sick. He fasted and prayed for days, begging God to save this child’s life. When the child died, David accepted God’s will, got up and bathed and returned to his kingly duties. Eventually, God gave him another son by Bathsheba, and God chose Solomon to continue the bloodline of our living Savior.

We can take encouragement from the lives of the characters that God chose to include in the Bible. They and all of their fellow soldiers for Christ put up a good fight throughout their lives, but they were all merely human. Life is never as it seems. God puts a silver lining on every black cloud. He causes the earth to revolve, the stars to remain suspended in the sky, and a blade of grass to flourishes before it withers and dies. Therefore, we too can rest in complete confidence that God will work all things out for our good too.

Prayer:

Lord, remind us that in you all things are possible. All humans go to one of two destinations when they die, help us to reach as many as we can, and to help them to choose life and peace rather than the torments of hell for eternity.

Thought for the Day: 

We tolerate the intolerable and bear the unbearable only by keeping our focus on Jesus, who keeps us in perfect peace.

Misplaced Trust

Read: 1 Chronicles 21:1-8

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." - Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)

Sometimes I resist God's leading when I sense that it may endanger my personal security. I place my trust in what I can see, rather than in God and the outcome that only He can see. This lack of faith also allows me to compromise with the world and allows Satan to influence my thinking. Over time, the original insecurity I felt grows, and my mind imagines all sorts of horrible things that actually may never even happen.

As a shepherd boy, David did not think twice when God told him to defeat Goliath with only his trusty sling. Yet, as an adult, King David made a big mistake and did not follow God's leading with all of his heart. He trusted in his own wisdom and power instead. He disobeyed God and counted his soldiers before committing to battle (1 Chronicles 21:1-8). Woefully, David’s decision caused some of the citizens of his kingdom to reap the consequences of his behavior.

David's compensate quality, however, lay in his willingness to repent when God pointed out his mistakes. In verse 24 of this same chapter, we see that David was not willing to take a gift of land offered to him by one of his subjects in order to build an altar to the Lord. Instead, David insisted on paying for the land. He said, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”  I love his attitude and I want to remember his example.

God continued to bless David throughout his life, in spite of his failings. God forgives us, as well, and will bless us as long as we humble ourselves and place our trust in Him. We really have nothing to fear in trusting the Lord. Whenever I surrender my will to God’s, He always works everything, even the negative things, out for my good. 

Prayer:

Father, we never want to willingly sacrifice to you something that costs us nothing. Fill us with your joy and peace as we trust in You, so that we overflow with hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Thought for the Day:
We can guard against misplacing our trust, if we keep our eyes focused on Christ's redeeming love.