Aug 26 2009
August 26, 2009
Reading for today: Ruth 2:1-17 and 2 Thess. 3:4-5
“Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” 2 Thess. 3:5
Who is directing your heart? Paul’s prayer to the church at Thessalonica was that they would allow their hearts to be directed by God. This would require those people to be looking to God and listening for His voice, tuning out the noise of the world and abiding in the Word. Hearing and understanding God’s direction for our lives is not a passive thing, but an active pursuit of Him. Read, pray, fellowship with Spirit-filled believers and be open to His leading and direction in your life. No matter the path God has for you, the destination will be His love.
Intimacy With the Father
Do you know who God is? Do you know something specific about His nature that goes beyond what you have learned while sitting in church or having conversations with friends? Many believers know about the Lord, but they do not have an personal relationship with Him. We were created to have intimate fellowship with our heavenly Father. And yet this amazing blessing can also prove to be our greatest challenge: knowing and loving God above all else—putting away sin and being single-minded in our devotion to Him.
A. We can have an intimate relationship with the Lord because He loves us even when we sin.
Nothing you do surprises or disappoints God—He knows all things. Although He does not approve of wrongdoing, He loves us despite our sin.
As believers, why can we approach the throne of God confidently, despite our shortcomings (Heb. 4:12-16; Rom. 5:1)?
There is a void within our hearts that only the Lord can fill. One of the primary reasons people sin is that they have a longing for God but attempt to satisfy it apart from Him. When we fail to surrender our lives to Him, we’re especially vulnerable to fearful thoughts, feelings of discontentment, selfish desires, pride, and lust.
B. Prayer is essential to developing intimacy with the Lord.
A step-by-step walk with God must begin with prayer. One of the Father’s greatest desires is that you and I would not just give Him “lip service” on Sundays but would truly long to know Him and His ways.
The private, intimate moments we share with the Savior—such as times of personal devotion—provide the best opportunity for God to reveal Himself to us.
The closer we get to God, the more we will trust Him. This is true in any relationship. As we spend time with a friend and learn more about him or her, the more likely we are to rely on that person. As trust increases, we find ourselves opening up and talking about our feelings and struggles. Trust and intimacy are tightly interwoven. And when we have confidence in the Lord, we will obey Him.
C. We must grow in knowledge of God if we are to have a close relationship with Him.
If Moses had not turned aside to see God’s presence, he would have missed a wonderful opportunity: this was the point where his personal relationship with the Father began. The time Moses spent in the Lord’s presence signaled the beginning of his journey into deeper wisdom and more profound knowledge of God and His ways.
Is there a point in your life where God began calling you to a deeper, more personal walk with Him? If so, describe it.
David was another biblical figure who learned the ways of God. He had first drawn near to the Lord while tending his father’s sheep. Later, David could place his confidence in God, despite the difficulties he faced on the run from King Saul.
David learned that God’s love never changes, and He is completely trustworthy. If you are a believer in Christ, you can be confident that nothing happens in your life without the knowledge, permission, and purpose of our loving Savior.
Conclusion: When we have an intimate relationship with the Lord, we can quickly discern how to stand firm in our faith even though the winds of adversity blow. We can also spot Satan’s lies, which are words always framed in fear and personal ruin. By drawing near to God, we’ll have all we need to stand firm in our faith at every turn in life.
Prayer: Father, too often my relationship with You consists of attending church on Sunday and some hurried times of prayer during the week. Draw me closer. I long to have the type of relationship with you that Moses had, where he spoke with You as one speaks with a friend. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.