God is SO good…I cannot count all the many, many, MANY blessings that Father has
poured out upon me over and over again!!! They are countless, numberless and
full of endless joy and peace in Christ Jesus my Savior and King! I am readily
reminded of the beautiful verse we find in James 1:17-18,
“Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us
with the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
One of the greatest things that the Lord has taught me this
semester is continuing to give me strength, joy and peace in a Way that I have
not had for quite some time, because more times than not I have walked away
from pursuing this Way of Life that I should have been consuming my whole being
with! It is so simple, that I have many times carelessly tossed it “under the
rug” to pursue things of “greater importance” and of “more value” in the “Christian”
life. I have looked in all the wrong places to find the root of this priceless
treasure and therefore have failed to discover its true source, because my pursuit was ALL in the flesh
(sarx).
You might be wandering what I am talking about or maybe you
have a guess or two…but never the less it has become and is continuing to grow
as the soul joy and delight of my everyday life, even when circumstances and emotions
tell me otherwise. A strong
hint to what I am referring to can be found in a passage that the Lord has been
prompting me to memorize and meditate on, John 1. Verses 1-4 state,
“In
the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life
was the light of men.”
God has shown me that it is simply delighting in and being consumed
with one thing: A Relationship with my Father through
continually abiding in the Word and prayer. John
8:31-32 says it this way,
“Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.”
Before you “write me off” or
make the statement, “Oh, I’ve been there and done that”, let me explain what I
mean. This simple truth the Lord has brought to me before, but God is
continuing to show me a greater dimension and depth of it the deeper I pursue
Him in this Way.
I have made the fatal mistake of underestimating its immense significance
and have discounted it as something that might be secondary or even of less
importance. If I should state it plainly, what I am trying to say is that I
have way to many times turned to pursuing the Lord by the deceptive means of what
is called “RELIGION”. Religion, as defined by its fruit in the world today, has
NOTHING to do with a relationship with God but everything to do with the fleshly
efforts of man trying to master an intellectual and self-gratifying knowledge
of an infinite God, which can NEVER be grasped when He has already said that He
will NOT share His glory with another! 1 Corinthians 2:14 says,
“But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
and Galatians 3:3 says,
“Are
ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh?”
Jesus put it well while speaking to the Pharisees when He said,
“But
woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”
It is all this simple: I have heard all the “right things”, the “right
teachings”, I have worn the “clerical collar” and “religious badge of
Chrisianity” and I have even attended some of the best seminars containing the
greatest biblical truths, but have seldom ever invested the time of forsaking
ALL and burying myself in the Word and in prayer. When you do this, just be
ready to see God work and move in ways you could have NEVER dreamed of, why?
Because God honors His Word!!!
God reveals Himself to those who seek His face, but few will ever
take the time to do just that. I am finding no greater investment and no fuller
joy in my life than to “waist” my time at the Father’s feet listening and reading
His Word to me. So then prove God and see if He is a liar or if He is telling
the truth, because if He is telling the truth than 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 stands
firm which states,
“Every
man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort
it is. 14 If any man's work
abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
I guess what I am trying to say is, TRUST YOUR FATHER… YOU EXIST
BECAUSE HE EXISTS!!! He is faithful and keeps His covenant with all who will
keep His Word!!! Remember the words to the hymn Like A River Glorious, “They who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly
true”.
Trust,
Rest and Abide In Him!
~ John 15
~
Ps. Lord willing, pictures will come later… ;)
