Filling the Void

Read: Read Galatians 2:20-21

“They are empty, void, destroyed, deserted and demolished. Their hearts melt with fear, their knees knock together in exhaustion, their bodies and faces have grown pale with anxiety.” – Nahum 2:10 (various translations)

A young woman shared her heart with me during a mentoring session by saying, “I have a void inside of me. I want my husband to fill that void, but he is just too selfish and self-centered.” She felt lonely and unfulfilled.

Single people often relate to me that they long for a deep connection with another human being. Yet, as we see by this woman's confession, even married couples feel lonely. Sometimes their spouse is actually sitting in the very same room with them, but they are not connecting, not filling one another with love and contentment. As wonderful as a mate can be, however, even as nurturing and attentive and caring as they might act, sometimes he/she just cannot fill the blank hole in our heart. 

Only Christ within us fills this empty void in our life. He is the only One who can love us from the inside out! No earthly relationship can ever come from within us (John 14:17). Christ within us is our hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27). Only our relationship with the Lord of love, living and dwelling inside of us, can bring us this level of intimacy and fulfillment, which we human beings so deeply desire. From within our spirit His comfort brings delight to our thoughts and emotions  (Psalm 94:19). Christ’s presence in us also affects our physical health, as well as our soul and spirit (Romans 8:11).

The still, small sanctuary within our spirit is the only place where we can find true empathy and solace from the God who loves us more than life itself. When we enter this "inner closet," we strip away all confusion and clutter from our soul. We empty ourselves of our selfish desires and ambitions and chaotic thoughts (Galatians 5:24). Then, we focus solely on the voice of our Beloved. We bask in the rays of His joy and peace, as we seek His direction for each moment of our day.

Then, when we continue in the life to which God called us, we have renewed power to meet the needs within our own life, as well as in the lives of those He sends our way. We can forgive, nurture, empathize, and minister to ourselves and others by the strength of God and the direction of His Holy Spirit. This is fulfilling indeed!

If we pray as He prayed in the Garden prior to His crucifixion, “Lord, not my will, but Thy will be done”, that prayer will never fail. As we seek His kingdom, He always gives us what we need spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

If you are married and disillusioned or disappointed with your mate, this same prayer will change your relationship, because it will change your attitude and then your heart. If you are single and looking for a mate, then seeking first the will of God for your life is the only way to bring you to the place where you can meet the man/woman He has chosen for you. My husband and I met at Books-a-Million bookstore. God led us both there on the same night at the same time. What are the odds of that happening? With God, all things are possible.

I have heard it said that each partner in a relationship must be whole in Christ before they come together. Having a saving relationship with God is the first and foremost relationship we should cultivate in our own life. Then, only as we seek God’s will together, will we ever find the type of fulfillment we crave, both in our relationship with God and then with one another.  

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Your presence in us is our only hope of glory both in this world and the next. As we focus on this concept, You bring us the fulfillment and purpose we crave in this life. You avert our attention from ourselves and our perceived lack in body and soul to the nurturing fulfillment, which You provide in our lives. You give us "rest for our souls"; and in You we lack no good thing.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus satisfies our longing and He fills our hungry soul.

Let God Be God

Read: Hebrews 11: 1-40

 

“Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.” Ps 143:8 KJV

People curry God’s favor for many reasons and in many different ways. Most of us agree that we need God, but the way in which we relate to Him tells a great deal about our relationship with Him.

Some people treat Him like a genie in a lamp and entreat Him for what He can do for them. They trust in Him as their “fire insurance” to keep them from going to hell. They blame Him when things do not go their way, especially in the way in which they expected them to transpire.

Others create God in their own image. They ignore Him or curse His name in their everyday conversation. If pressed, they would say they and God have an understanding: He won’t bother them and they won’t bother Him. They only call on God when they make a bargain with Him to bail them out of some type of trouble they got themselves into; although, they never seem to keep their end of the promise in the bargain.

Then there are those who deny God’s existence. They do not blame Him, nor do they go to Him in their time of need. They may take His name in vain, but they do not believe that He has any more reality than the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

Finally, there are those who believe in God by faith. They actually stake their existence on the validity of His authenticity. They live a life of faith in His will and obedience to it. They let God be God in His own timing, wisdom, and manner in their lives. They trust in Him alone, regardless of what He provides or promises. Their faith rarely waivers, because it is built on the Rock of Christ, rather than on the sand of life’s circumstances and the behavior of others.

I suppose you can say that I held a membership in each of these groups. I shared all of these viewpoints for a short span in my lifetime. Then, I joined the ranks of Hall of Faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. I came face to face with the Savior. Now, His abundant holiness leaves me awestruck. His graciousness humbles me. His loving kindness meets me anew every morning and blesses me all through my day. His peace holds me above troubled waters and His joy is my only source of strength.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for authoring and finishing our faith. Guide us each day, and help us to trust You more. Let our light so shine that others will see our good works and glorify You as their Father also. Commission us to do Your will each day of our lives and use us to further Your Kingdom in the earth.

Thought for the Day:

Faith alone, without works to back it up, is dead.

An Eternal Perspective

Read: Isaiah 57:14-19

"Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."  - Psalm 9:10

Living with an eternal perspective gives life all the vibrancy and fragrance of a blooming flower. This lifestyle makes it so much easier to align the desires of my heart according to God’s ultimate plan for my life. I no longer look to the body or the soul to find fulfillment, although I do not neglect their legitimate needs. I delight more in reading His Word and in fellowshipping with His Body instead. I start taking every opportunity to invite people to church and to share Christ with every weary soul that He brings my way.

In order for us to have an eternal outlook, God needs to pull out all of the roots of pride, selfishness and self-reliance that prevent us from fully surrendering to Him. This takes years as the roots are strong and deep. Initially, this pruning is uncomfortable. However, ultimately, it frees us from the encumbrances of the flesh and the world. This new spiritual mindset allows us to walk in abiding joy, peace and gratitude as we accomplish His will for our lives on a daily basis.

When we sell out for Christ, we live with a stronger desire to please Him. We love God with all of our heart and we lean on Him for wisdom and guidance throughout the day. We follow Him to the cross and we lose our life for His sake; but then, we find new life through this glorious new intimate relationship with Him (Matthew 10:38-39). As we faithfully follow His precepts, our love for and trust in Him also increases. Simply doing the will of God on a daily basis brings both Him and us so much joy and satisfaction. From then on, the grief we experience when we live outside of His will sends us running back into His everlasting arms.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of Your peace and let me inspire others to believe in You and to willingly shed the pounds of earthly ties that cripple us in so many areas of our life. Give us Your eternal perspective and help us to relinquish the areas of our flesh that bind us to a carnal life.

Thought for the Day:

God's will is a continual journey, not an ultimate destination.

With All Your Heart

Read: Ephesians 3: 14-19

“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

I noticed that seeking the Lord is a lost art in today’s society. Most people search for God half-heartedly. They only give Him a few moments between events in their busy schedule. The only ones who truly connect with Him, however, are those who seek Him with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength.

God wants us to experience Him in a spiritual way, which far exceeds any superficial, intellectual knowledge. He wants to fill us through our entire body, soul and spirit with all of His fullness, until we experience the richest measure of His presence and are flooded by His Spirit. 

It is only when we love the Lord with every ounce of our being that we can reach this level of Divine infilling. With this unreserved devotion come His blessings, the inheritance of eternal life, and true joy, peace, and contentment on this earth.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, restore us to fellowship with Your heart. Let us enter into Your presence each and every day, as we give You full access to our spirit, soul and body.

Thought for the Day:

God desires a personal relationship with each of us, and He is only a prayer away.

Dedicated Devotion

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:12-13

“For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'” – Acts 17:28 (NAS)

In today's disposable society, it is easy to toss God out or to push Him aside when our life gets too full. Satan is hard at work trying to distract our time away from God. The tyranny of busyness consumes us and lassos us away from our covenant to worship God with our whole life.

Once we make time, however, the benefit of worship is that we draw closer to His presence and develop a more intimate and loving relationship with Him, which enables us to live and move and have our being permeated with His power.

God desires for us to totally commit our life to Him. This involves all of our heart, all of the days of our lives. In order to accomplish this, we first have to sort through the excesses in our lives and rearrange our schedule. We start by eliminating the less important temporal activities made of wood, hay and straw in order to make more time to focus on eternal matters that are made of gold, silver and precious stones.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to establish the discipline of praying without ceasing, having an attitude of prayer with every thought, word and deed each moment of our day, so that we walk in the center of Your will.

Thought for the Day:

God sprinkles our days with epiphanies, eases our load, encourages our triumphs and lights our path.