Our Intimacy With God

God's highest priority for our lives determines the impact of our lives.

Genesis 1:26

One of the greatest needs is to know that we are loved. Each one of us has to feel certain, deep down in our heart, that someone loves us, cares for us, and has our best interests at heart.

That is how God designed us. He wants us to know that He loves every one of us with a passionate intensity too deep for words.

God created human beings with fellowship in mind-first with Himself and then with others. But we cannot fully love one another until we have ourselves experienced the love of God. We experience His love when we willingly surrender to His call to be our Savior, Lord, and Friend.

There are at least 3 reasons God seeks our surrender:

1. He loves us and desires our fellowship and worship. - So long as we hold something back from God, we cannot know Him completely or fully experience His love. When we surrender to Him, we get all of Him.
2. He wants our service for Him to be effective and fruitful. - The more we know and love Jesus, the more effective our service will be. The closer we draw to God, the more impact our lives will have. The more energetically we nurture our relationship with the Lord, the greater the positive mark we will leave behind.
3. He waits for the freedom to bless us. - God is omnipotent, but He will not violate His own principles. He draws us to Himself so we can experience His love and forgiveness. He asks for our willing surrender so that He can give us the best blessings He has to offer.
   
   So why do we resist? With all this in mind, why does anyone resist surrendering to God? Pride is the key reason most people resist surrender. They think they know better than God and that they can handle their life better than He can, so they keep Him at arm's distance.
   
   Others do not surrender because they fear what God will do (or not do) for them. They think that if they give Him control, He'll make them do exactly what will make them most miserable.
   
   Still others refuse to surrender to Christ because they believe Satan's lie, which tells them that God is judgemental and will punish them for their mistakes.
   
   All of this is completely false! God always has our best in mind. He will refuse us no good thing when we gladly submit to His will (see Rom.8:32). He tells us, "I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and hope". (Jer.29:11)
   
   It only makes sense to surrender to God, because when we do, we grow close to Him-His highest priority for us-and we begin to have an impact on our world.
   

ABRAHAM: The Man of Endurance

Genesis 21:1-3

Call Abraham not only a man of faith (see Gal. 3:9), but a man of endurance. The starting gun sounded when God promised Abraham a son in his old age, and Abraham "believed in the Lord" (Gen. 15:5,6). But a year came and went, and no child arrived.

Abraham kept running. Two years flashed by, and still no child. Still Abraham kept running. Despite a stumble at mid-race (Gen.16), Abraham kept running. For 25 years he kept running, until at last, at age 100, he and his wife, age 99, had a son (Gen.21:1-3).

Why the long wait? Apparently, God wanted Abraham (and us)! to learn the connection between waiting, trust, and hope (Ps.33:20). And that hope, the apostle Paul reminds us, prompts us to wait on God "with perseverance" (Rom.8:25).

Even if that means running the longest marathon of our life.

The Admirable Quality of Kindness

Proverbs 3:1-4

What does it mean to bind kindness around our neck and write it on the table of our heart? It means that kindness should be a deep, central part of our life. Unfortunately, kindness doesn't automatically become one of our characteristics when we accept Christ as our Savior. We have to work at it-we must deliberately take responsibility for our actions and attitudes towards others, and choose to act compassionately toward others. So what are some things we should do to develop kindness?

• First, we should realize that even though we don't immediately become kind at salvation, we do have the potential to exhibit kindness because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit develops the quality of kindness in us (see Gal.5:22).
• Second, we must eliminate those characteristics, actions, and attitudes within us that stops us from being loving, tenderhearted, and useful. We cannot be selfish. Rather, we must lay aside the characteristics that do not fit who we are as believers in order for kindness to flow out of our life (see Eph. 4:31-32).
• Third, we must focus on the needs of other people. As long as we are focused on ourselves-our needs, wants, desires, and plans-we are not going to be very kind. Yet, when we focus on others, we will become sensitive to who they are and what they need in life (see Col. 3:12-13).
• Fourth, we must ask God to teach us to be kind. We must look to God to make us sensitive to the situations that need a special touch of kindness and to express His kindness through us. We do so with the hope that people will be attracted to Jesus Christ as their Savior (see Matt. 5:16).
• Fifth, if we want to learn to be kind, we must practice kindness. Every day, we should ask the Lord, "Father, please show me at least one person I can be kind to today". We should look for opportunities to be kind and praise God whenever we find them, knowing that God is working through us whenever we show kindness to others.

How Can We Become a More Obedient Child of God?

Genesis 12:1

Obedience is a major characteristic of a person who is mighty in spirit. Generally speaking, obedience characterized the faith of Abraham from his first encounter with God until his death.

1. All obedience begins with faith in the sovereignty of God.
   
   If we fail to believe in God's sovereignty, we will find it difficult to obey Him. Abraham based his relationship with God on his confidence that God would do what he had promised (see Rom. 4:20, 21). Until we study and meditate on God's Word, we will never learn to trust Him. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and responding in confident trust (see Rom. 10:17).
   
2. We grow in obedience by waiting for God's timing.
   
   God is very time conscious-not in terms of minutes and seconds, but in regard to our acting in obedience according to His schedule. Throughout the Scriptures, we find Him moving in "the fullness of time" (see Gal. 4:4). He is neither early nor late. Ever.
   
3. We continue to grow in obedience by refusing to subject God's plan to "common sense" or the reasoning of the world.
   
   Some things that God requires look rediculous from a human perspective. God told Abraham he would have a son through whom He would bless the entire world. Yet He allowed Abraham's obedience to be severely tested-first by requiring him to wait nearly a quarter of a century before providing the promised provision, and later by requiring him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. When God saw the obedience of Abraham's heart, He provided a ram in Isaac's place.
   
4. The final step: prompt obedience.
   
   If you long to obey god, you will not hesitate when He tells you to do something. Many times we fail to obey God because we fear the consequences. Yet He never requires us to do anything outside His will for our lives. Our responsibility is to obey; God's responsibility is to take care of the consequences of our obedience.
   
   Our sensitivity to God's will increases as we obey Him. Along the way, He provides glimpses of the blessings waiting for us. God always blesses obedience. You can trust Him, obey Him, and be blessed. or you can disobey Him and spend the rest of your life wondering what He would have done had you obeyed Him. Once you glimpse the blessings of obedience, however, the consequences no longer matter.

How Can You Rid Yourself of Guilt?

Matthew 5:23, 24

Consider several key steps required to be free from guilt, all under the banner of forgiveness.

1. Admit to the sin that created your guilt. Repent of your sin to God. If you have sinned against another person, confess to that person. Also, in facing your sin, make certain that it is a sin before God. The "sin" you think you have committed may have been merely a mistake or error or someone else's sin. On the other hand, remember that our society is quick to accept some sinful behaviors as normal. The Bible presents very clear picture of what is sin and isn't. If you have any doubt about whether you have sinned, consult the Scriptures. When you confess to God or a person that you have sinned, don't try to justify what you did. Simply state your sin or error. Then ask God or that person to forgive you.
2. Make amends. If you have wronged another person, don't try to substitute a request for forgiveness by doing kind deeds for that person. This same principle holds for your relationship with God-don't try to substitute works for genuine forgiveness.
   In seeking to make amends for a wrong committed against another person, you may be wise to ask the person what he or she would consider fair payment for the hurt or injury, or you may want to offer satisfaction of some type. The best repayment may be a genuine change in your life (which may involve counseling or professional help or therapy.)
   Ask God to give you wisdom in identifying appropriate amends. Also ask Him to give you the courage and the fortitude to follow through on your commitment to the offended person.
3. Accept forgiveness. If you have sinned against God and have repented, you can be assured that He has forgiven you. His Word promises that He will pardon you-and God always keeps His Word. If you have sinned against another person and he forgives you, accept his words of forgiveness at face value. Don't try to second-guess his sincerity or motives.
   What happens if you confess a sin against another person and the person refuses to forgive you? That person bears the responsibility for failing to forgive; you don't. You have done what the Lord requires of you, and you stand clear before the Lord.

How The Holy Spirit Guides Us

John 16:13

The Bible promises that the Holy Spirit will guide us, with an emphasis on the word "guide". Jesus doesn't promise that the Holy Spirit will control us. He doesn't promise that He will drive us. He doesn't say that the Holy Spirit will force us to do anything. He says He will guide us.

At times I wish the Holy Spirit would control me-when I feel tempted, or when it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I need to study, but everything in me wants to grab my camera and head for the mountains. Life would be much easier (and I would be much more enjoyable person) if the Holy Spirit would just reach out and take control of me. But that is not the case.

He is our guide, not our controller. At no point do we lose our ability to choose to follow His leading. Consequently, we are always responsible for our words and actions.

The Holy Spirit guides believers into truth; that makes His guidance trustworthy. The Holy Spirit helps believers discern between what is true and what is not; what is wise and what is foolish; what is best and what is simply okay.

As the details of everyday living barrage you, the Holy Spirit will guide you. He will give you that extra, on-the-spot sense of discernment you need to make both big and small decisions. And as you develop greater sensitivity to His guidance, you will worry much less about the decisions you make.

The Holy Spirit never speaks on His own. Like Christ, this Person of the Trinity willingly submits to the authority of the Father. Everything He communicates to us directly from the Father. Jesus said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you the things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13, 14). The Holy Spirit is God's mouthpiece to believers.

When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. After all, where does the Holy Spirit reside? In you and in me! Since He has direct access to our minds, emotions, and consciences, He is the perfect candidate for communicating God's will to us.

A Clear Conscience

Acts 24:16

When you're tempted to do the wrong thing, do you listen to your conscience or do you just ignore it and keep going? Although sometimes it will seem as through people are acting without a conscience-we all have one. Our conscience is a gift of God that we should care for and give great attention to because it is given to us for our own protection.

Every day we face decisions that involve our conscience, and it sends up red flags when we're about to do something wrong. When our conscience speaks and we ignore it, it's like taking a knife and dulling the edges. It becomes ineffective. If we disregard it enough, we'll make a shipwreck of our life (see 1 Tim.1:18-20)-which means that we will have a disaster of a Christian life.

That's when we are most vulnerable to false doctrines and sin, and it's why people throughout the centuries have worshipped all kind of things. What's happened is their belief system has disappeared. In order to quiet their conscience, they've changed the way they think. They've deliberately chosen to exchange the truth of God for a lie (see Rom.1:21-25). However, no one is going to get away with that. God will allow their heart to be given over to darkness. Whoever violates the laws of God will suffer the consequences.

Is it safe, then, to let our conscience be our guide? Not really. It all depends upon how our conscience has been programmed. Has it been programmed with the Word of God? When the Word of God becomes the grid of truth that protects our conscience, then we know we can respond in the right way. This is because the Holy Spirit enables us to understand the truth and will guide us to do the right thing.

However, understand that the Holy Spirit isn't your conscience. Every person has a conscience-that's why there are people who know right from wrong, even though they aren't Christians. Yet only those who've received Jesus as their Savior have the Holy Spirit. The holy Spirit works in conjunction with our conscience and works to strengthen us and teach us the truth.

We know we can dull our conscience, but the good news is that we can also make it stronger. Paul said, "I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men" (Acts 24:16). How do we do that? We program ourselves with the absolute truth of the God's Word. God's way is the best way-it's the only way to find happiness, peace, joy, and eternal security. We have to have His Word and His Spirit as our defense.

Are you going to take heed of your conscience? Are you going to listen to what God is saying to you? Or are you going to do everything your way?

Your conscience is a gift of God to protect you, so you should take good care of it. therefore, get in the Word of God. Obey the leading of the Spirit. Make sure that you program your grid system based on God's truth ;). And strengthen your conscience by seeking God. Then you, too, will have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Effectively Tackling a Prayer Burden

Nehemiah 1:4-6

When Nehemiah heard that his people lived in great distress and reproach, that the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, and that the gates of the city remained burned and broken, he responded with prayer:

"I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days...And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night" (Neh.1:4-6).

Nehemiah was experiencing a prayer burden. A prayer burden can be defined as a strong motivation to pray for others and to carry the needs of others before God in prayer until God responds.

The Bible has a great deal to say about burdens. We are to bear one another's burdens (see Gal.6:2). We are to go the second mile in helping another person (see Matt.5:41). Much of our ability to bear natural burdens is derived from developing our ability to carry spiritual burdens in prayer.

A sense of spiritual weight usually accompanies a prayer burden-a heaviness of heart, a drag on one's emotions, a spirit of mourning, or a feeling of restlessness that we can't seem to shift ourselves away from a problem or need that has come to our attention.

God does not act in many situations because we do not pray. God waits for either the co-instigator of the negative situation to cry out to Him for forgiveness, or for the victim of the negative situation to cry out to Him for mercy. Then He will act.

If you feel burdened to pray for another person, God desires to act on that person's behalf. he places the burden to pray on your heart, and He moves through the opening. As you pray, you can get in on the blessing that God has for that person through an answered prayer.

What Does It Mean To Wait Before the Lord?

Psalm 62:5-8

Perhaps the greatest key to spiritual growth is spending time alone with the Lord. This means taking the time to speak with God about whatever is on your heart-and, even more importantly, allowing Him to speak to you.

In Psalm 62:5, King David wrote, "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." Perhaps that is why David was known as a man after God's own heart. To win that kind of reputation, David first needed to know the mind and heart of God so that he might be and do what the Lord desired for him. David sought to know God. He frequently "inquired" of the Lord. He spent time in the Lord's presence, singing to the Lord from the depths of his heart. In 2 Samuel 7:18 we read, "King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said, 'Who I am, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?'"

What did it mean for David to sit before the Lord? It means that he spent time alone in the presence of the Lord, communicating with the Lord from the deepest part of his soul, asking questions of God, and listening quietly for the Lord's answers.

Jesus frequently sought time apart with His heavenly Father. Time with the Father provided Him with a source of comfort and strength. Jesus also sought time alone with His disciples so that He might teach them and they might find spiritual refreshment (see Luke 9:10).

We are wise if we choose to spend time alone with God, in a place without distractions or interruptions, for a period sufficient for us to relax completely and focus our attention fully upon the Lord and His word. We must be willing to wait in the Lord's presence until we receive God's directives of His words of comfort.

Why don't many of us desire to spend time alone with God? The foremost reason is that we don't feel sure of our relationship with God and, therefore, we feel afraid of God. However, as David admonished, "Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." (Ps.62:8).

But those who are born again spiritually have a Father-child relationship with the Lord. Our heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and deals with us tenderly and patiently. The more we learn what He's really like, the more we see Him as Jesus saw Him, the more we will long to spend time alone with Him-and the more we will know the fullness of His grace.

How Can You Overcome Anxiety?

Matthew 6:25-34

God did not design you to be anxious or nervous. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the crowds, " Do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow" (Matt. 6:31, 34).

All of us have worried about the basics of life. When we reduce most of our anxities to their lowest terms, we discover they involve fundamental things; where we live, what food we buy, what clothes to wear, what friends we have, what others think about us. In all these concerns, the issue of believers in Jesus Christ comes down to trust.

Do you believe that you are in charge of your life? Or do you acknowledge that God directs and provides? Your answer has everything to do with your anxiety level.

Have you ever watched a mouse running inside a wheel? The faster he runs, the faster the wheel moves-but he doesn't make the slightest progress. He does not even have the sense to get off the wheel.

That is what anxiety does to you. You run faster and faster, trying harder and harder to meet the demands or prevent disaster-and still you do not have control over your circumstances. So when something does not go quite right, your frustration level continues to mount.

There is a way off the wheel, however. God created you. He knows your deepest needs (see Ps. 68:19). He longs for you to end the anxiety cycle and let Him lead (see Matt. 11:28). I Peter 5:6-7 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." The word "casting" is related to the Greek verb used in Luke 19:35, when on Palm Sunday the people of Jerusalem threw their garments onto a colt for Jesus to ride. The word describes the same motion: a deliberate action of setting something down and leaving it there.

Jesus wants you to throw your cares on Him and leave them there. You depend on Him for life itself; and you acknowledge this reliant relationship by saying, "Here Jesus. Take my problems. You have the answers! I trust You to show me what to do and to take care of the consequences."