I want to start by unpacking this verse. There is a reason that this promise sounds a little bit like marriage vows, and the reason is that it’s God’s intention and that Christian marriage should be a living parable of our relationship with God (Ephesians 5:31,32). In particular our relationship with God is intended to be very, very real. And the very least of what that means is that we are intended to experience our relationship with Him. How else could He comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:3,4), and what else would it mean that He is a very present help in times of need (Psalm 46:1)?
And this is meant both individually and corporately in our various fellowships. Has He not promised that when we meet in His name He is there in the very midst (Matthew 18:20)? And while He is the unseen guest, does He intend that this is nothing more than a mere platitude? Are we not told, that He inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3 KJV).
For the first twenty or so years of my Christian walk, I heard very little about this aspect of Christianity. It’s not that it wasn’t there, it was kind of taken for granted. But the sort of thing that was emphasized was rules, regulations, holiness and working for the Lord. In fact I can look back on this period and realize that I was a Christian workaholic.
Now I am not saying that these things are not important but, at least what I was getting was that the emphasis tended to be on that the above things were what made me right with the Lord. And at about the end of that time, I began to see that these things were intended to flow out of my relationship with Him, rather than form the basis of it. I also started to understand, that my emphasis on these things were actually hindering my relationship with Him.
In fact I really did not know who I was in the Lord. I was taking my identity from what I was doing for Him. But then through a major crisis in my life, when things began to fall apart, I was thrown back on relationship. It started with my need to tap into the comfort that He brings. In many ways it was a crossroad. Did I believe that He was real, and did I believe the many promises He had given me? I have said this before, but it’s true that we don’t know that God is all we need, until God is all we have!
So how did I get there, how did I get where I am today? I’m not saying that I have arrived, because no matter how close we get to Him, no matter how deep our relationship with Him, there is always more. I want to close with two scriptures. The first is a promise from James 4:8. It says “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you!” It’s not that it’s all up to us, in fact God is the great initiator. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2). What more could he have done then send his son to live and die to reconcile us to Himself? But we do need to respond, and that is part of what the James reference means. In fact the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Matthew 22:37). So this is the second Scripture. And I have found that when I do my part, He meets me more than halfway, and I am drawn more and more into the heart of His extravagant all healing love.
Father, I thank You for Your presence in my life, and in the fellowship. Thank You Lord, that You are far more willing to enter into this relationship of love, than we are to pursue You. Thank You that You are the great initiator, and that You pursued me as it were down the labyrinth of ways. Thank You that You more than make up what I bring to You. Help me, help all of us to draw near, that we might receive Your promise that You will draw near to us. I give You all the honour, and all the glory of all the praise in Jesus Name Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment