Awesome God

In the midst of all the galaxies in our universe, God singled out the planet earth to inhabit with His people. He will bring New Jerusalem, His 1500 mile cubed city, down out of heaven and dwell with us here for eternity (Revelation 21:2).

This city, paved with streets of gold, shows us that what we value more than anything in this world in which we now live will be common place in the city of God (Revelation 21:21; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

We revel in nature as we see it on earth; yet, God will give us a new heaven and earth which resemble Paradise before Adam and Eve fell into sin. This is something else which we cannot imagine.

Even more awesome than any of this, however, is that God gives His Saints the gift of His divine presence abiding in our life now and forever.

There is no longer any separation between God and humanity, because Jesus bridged the gap by His death and resurrection.

He left the glories of heaven to include us in His inheritance of God's Kingdom.

Yet, we take this illustrious fact for granted, and spending time with God is the least of our priorities. We know He will always be there for us, so we only visit Him when we have a problem we cannot handle on our own.

God is jealous for our time and attention (Exodus 34:14). He created us as His own special people. He calls us out of the world to abstain from the evil desires of sin and to seek only His will and way for our life (1 Peter 2:9-12; Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:10).

Daily Bible devotion, Christian fellowship, hearing the Word of God preached and singing the high praises of God all bring us into fellowship with God Himself (Psalm 95:2, 100:4; Romans 8:29).

We walk in His presence continually; and even at night, our spirit communes with the Spirit of God as we sleep (Psalm 16:8). We pour out our heart to Him daily; not only with our needs, but primarily with our praises in both good times and bad (Psalm 62:8).

Prayer:

Father God, in Your presence is fullness of joy and in Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). There is nothing which we need that You will not provide for us (Matthew 6:33). You have our best interest in Your heart and You love us faithfully. We continually abide in Your love (John 15:9).

Forgive us for foolishly running after the things of this world to improve our station in this fleeting life (James 4:14). We get new homes, cars, clothes, hobbies and expensive toys that take even more of our time away from You.

Yet, You continually call us back to Your presence; to spend more than an hour of devotion, and to abide in You all day and night long. There is nothing worthy of our attention beside You and we desire nothing on earth except Your presence in our life (Psalm 73:23-26).

Thought for the Day:

The Spirit of our awesome God goes with us always and He gives us continual rest for our weary soul. - Exodus 33:14

More Intimacy with God

As human beings we long for deep connections and we attempt to discover this link with other human beings, a career, a pet or a cause. We can try for a lifetime and find fulfillment in many ways, but we are still left unsatisfied and wanting more.

As a single person, our life is not deprived; and as a married person, our life is not automatically fulfilled. Our social, occupational, financial and marital status, nor the number of children or grandchildren in our life, cannot bring us true and abundant fulfillment.

Our greatest human need is to intimately connect to the family of God, because we are all one Body of Christ with each of us linked in as an integral part of the Body. When one member is not there, the whole Body suffers.

We start by forming a love bond with God, our Father, through the sacrifice of Jesus, our Brother, by the connection to them afforded to us by God's Holy Spirit through salvation (Matthew 22:37-40).

Following our own or Satan's plan for our life will leave us lifeless and depleted; but walking in the Spirit brings fullness of joy (John 10:10). Only God can grant us the premier and most fulfilling rewards in this life and the next.

God does not require that we make our self holy before experiencing this intimacy, which He makes available to us. However, we do grieve and quench His Spirit through disobedience to His Word (Ephesians 4:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

The greatest gift of all is Christ in us in whom we find abundant life in spirit, soul and body. He wants no competition for our affections and is jealous of our time spent away from Him pursuing things of this world (Exodus 34:14).

God is always there within us (Hebrews 13:5), comforting us in our tears, nurturing us in our fears and insecurities, turning us from sin, loving us unconditionally and guiding us by His Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, You speak to us in our soul when we read and meditate on Your Word; through Your Spirit in our spirit during prayer; and in our body, soul and spirit through the circumstances of our life (John 10:27-29; 1 Peter 5:6-8). Teach us to pay attention and to obey Your every prompting; so that we do not reap the destruction of disobedience (Romans 12:2).

Thank You for Your mercy and grace, which cover a multitude of our sins (1 Peter 4:8); and for not making us reap everything which we sow in disobedience. Only You can save and perfect us (Matthew 27:1-66; 1 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:1-3). We desire intimacy with You more than anything else this world has to offer; because only through Your presence in us do we find a truly fulfilling life.

Thought for the Day:

Being in intimate fellowship with other Believers helps us to develop more intimacy with our Father and His Son by His Spirit.

Intimate Love

I used to think that romance movies were fairy tales and that no human being was capable of sustaining that much love. I was mistaken. My husband is like that and so much more, even after 20 years of marriage.

Yes, he does have too much on his mind sometimes and is preoccupied and neglectful. Yet, when he hugs me, there is warmth and nurturing in each caress; when he talks to me, he looks into my eyes.

He gives me focused attention every day, listens to me when I get his full attention first and loves me more than he loves himself (Ephesians 5:28-29). He also loves God more than he loves me, which is as it should be.

When he thinks of me throughout the day, he does or says something thoughtful and romantic. When he forgets, I snuggle with him in his big chair and he is always so welcoming and glad to see me.

He appreciates everything I do for him and does not take me for granted. He cherishes my company and is thankful for my devotion to him.

Yet, his love for me cannot complete me. Only Christ is capable of that amount of intimacy (Colossians 2:10). Jesus lives inside of us, and there is no human relationship, which is that close.

God knows us better than we know our own self (Psalm 139). He fulfills us better than any person ever could. He gives us His abundant life now and for eternity (John 10:10). Our love is first and foremost for Him alone (Matthew 22:37-40).

When God comes to dwell in our spirit at salvation, He never, ever leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). A human being may change their mind about us and abandon us, but God never will.

God desires that we focus our attention on Him. So much so, that He actually feels jealous when we attempt to replace Him in our affections with another person, place, animal or thing (Exodus 34:14). He wants our undivided devotion.

God understands us and provides for our needs before we even realize we have them. A personal, intimate relationship with God through Christ by the Holy Spirit is the most fulfilling connection we can ever experience.

Prayer:

Father God, when we realize our need for You and confess our sins to You, You forgive us completely. In fact, You love us unconditionally, even while we are still sinners (2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 27:1-66; Romans 5:8). Thank You for renewing our human mind and giving us spiritual ears to discern Your voice (John 10:27-29; Romans 12:2). 

Thank You for putting us in Your Body to give us caring, nurturing people who will cherish us like You do (Psalm 133:1). Yet, remind us to talk to You as our best friend, and to prove our love to You by keeping Your commandments (John 14:15, 23; 1 Peter 5:6-8).

Thank You also for giving us rest for our tired soul and loving us so sacrificially (Matt 11:28-30; John 3:16-17; Psalm 51:12-14). When we abide in Your presence as a branch on the vine, we enjoy Your intimate love each moment of our day (John 15:1-17).

Thought for the Day:

Developing an intimate personal relationship requires our time and attention; so, we cannot allow anything to rob us of our time with God, who is the most devoted lover of our soul. 

- Isaiah 38:17