Intimacy with God (VIII) Called up, not out

In our earthly relationships, if we do ten things right and one thing wrong, likely the thing that will be remembered, is the wrong. In our relationship with God, if we do one thing right, and ten things wrong then, provided we confess, what He will remember, is the one thing we did right. We know this from His Word, for He has told us that He will not, He chooses not, to remember our sins and inequities (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 8:12).

He not only remembers the good, He sees the good we are capable of, even when we don’t see it. He believes in us, even when we do not believe in ourselves. We see this clearly in the story of Gideon. Gideon had been threshing wheat in the winepress hiding from fear of the Midianites. You cannot thrash wheat in the winepress, you need the wind to take the chaff away. Gideon was afraid, but the angel of the Lord came and addressed him “Hail mighty warrior.” The Lord saw what Gideon could not see, and that was that he was indeed a mighty warrior. But because God saw him this way, and what God sees is true, then Gideon began to see himself as God saw him, and he rose to the occasion (Judges 6, 7).

The Lord has promised to supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). And when our need is for a coach, He will coach us. As with Gideon, He comes alongside and tells us “I am with you, you can do this!” In other words He calls us up to all we can be, rather than calling us out. One of the many ways that He does this, is that He calls us saints (i. e. Ephesians 1:1). Some versions correctly translate “saints,” as “holy ones.” So in calling us “holy ones,” He is calling us up to live holy and blameless lives. We cannot do this without Him, but when we surrender to Him, He gives us the wherewithal (grace) to do what without Him we cannot do (Romans 5:2). He then turns round and rewards us for doing it! And in the process of doing of all this, He forges an ever deeper intimate bond with us.

Father, there really is no one like You. My heart is full this morning Lord, as I think about all You have done, all that You do, and all that I know You will do. Words cannot express the depth of my peace as I come to You morning by morning. And I know that You have not finished with me yet! I know that You will keep right on helping me to grow in You, and to grow closer to You (Philippians 1:6). And I thank and praise You again this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen