Intimacy with God, part 3: How to Abide in Jesus (Even When the World is Going Crazy)

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How do you abide in Jesus? Some people, I’ve realized, when they hear this word, they get an unsettling feeling of, “Ugh, yeah, I’m not doing that. That’s another thing on the list of things I need to work on.”

Work on? Wait a minute, what are you talking about? Recently, I remember telling my friend jokingly, “You don’t need to work on abiding; you just need to abide.”

You just do it. You just rest. In truth and in love, friend, God is with you; there is nothing you need to work on using your own human effort! In Christ, you are complete. In Christ, He provides everything you need. There is nothing you need to muster out of yourself to complete the work of abiding. Through your trust in Him, Christ completes you and makes you in a constant state of abiding in Him.

“…and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” – Colossians 2:10 (NKJV)

You are already with Christ and in Christ! You are already dead to sin and alive in Christ, so now let’s live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit in an intimate, abiding relationship with God (Gal. 5:25).

Not that I have never been guilty of striving, rather than abiding in the Lord–because this has been such a consistent struggle of mine! But I am so blessed that Jesus is teaching me I can find my home in Him and let Him be my Living Water in this dry and weary land.

This is something that is true NO MATTER the circumstances–at work, at school, with friends, or with family at home during the COVID-19 epidemic. You can find your home in Jesus wherever you go and whatever you do. You don’t have to be ruled by fear or pride or guilt or shame. You can be ruled by the Holy Spirit in a restful, life-giving relationship with God. Really!

Last month, I talked about what barriers you might have in your relationship with God that could prohibit you from having full intimacy with Him. (Click here to see that post.)

Now that we know what keeps us from abiding, today, I want to talk about what exactly abiding is. So, what is abiding? Here are three things Jesus says about it in John chapter 15:

1. Abide in Me – Prayerfully Depend on Jesus

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:4-5 (ESV)

You enter an abiding relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ. You remain—or abide—in Him by faith. (Not by human effort!) The Greek word for “abide” is meinete which means to “remain, persevere, stay, continue, or abide.”

Do you want to stay with Jesus? There’s certainly no other place I’d rather go! Without Him I can do nothing! Absolutely nothing of eternal value. It’s all meaningless and unfruitful without persevering by faith to stick with Jesus Christ.

Let’s keep going with Jesus! Let’s continue on. Let’s stay connected with Him.

Abiding in Jesus means a persistent stance of humility in letting Him take control of your life as you rest in the safety of His presence. As my Navigator leader put it, abiding in Christ is “prayerful dependence” on Him.

Thus, sticking with Jesus is to “pray continually” as Paul exhorts us to (1 Thess. 5:17). Prayer is being connected to God in your spirt. You cannot always be focusing your attention onto Him in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication, but you can always be connected to Him in your spirit, depending on Him fully in all things, and walking by the Spirit.

When we prayerfully depend on Christ—something new begins to happen. Joy comes, Life comes, and our branches bear fruit!

There is a drastic difference between a Christian who is dependent on themselves and a Christian who is prayerfully dependent on God. A Christian whose mind is formed by the pattern of this world and a Christian who is transformed by the renewing of his mind. A Christian who drives themselves crazy with trying to do everything perfectly and a Christian who abides in Christ and takes each step of faith exactly as it is—one step at a time.

In fact, if a Christian consistently shows he isn’t prayerfully depending on Christ, you begin to wonder if he is any Christian at all.

Abide in Him. Seek Jesus with all your heart. Stop trying to modify your behavior and let Jesus transform your heart by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). This is all about the Lord leading your life in ways that are for your good, and you resting that He’s doing that and He’s got you covered from head to foot with His grace. Surrender your own plans and trust that His are so much better. Keep looking to Jesus and enjoying His presence with you wherever you go–and you’ll be amazed at the fruit that comes up in the process, flowing from, not human effort, but a life dependent on Him.

2. Let His Words Abide in You – Meditatively Rest in Truth

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” – John 15:7

Jesus asks us to let His words abide in us. Not my words. Not yours. Not the medias. Not your friends. Not your uncles. Not your grandmas. His words and His words alone!

And guess what? God’s Word has a lot to say about you. In the book I am currently reading, Victory Over the Darkness, author Neil Anderson lists many “Who am I?” statements throughout the book that affirm our identities in Christ. He talks about how believing who we are in Christ and the acceptance we have in Him enables us to be who God means us to be. Below are just a few of the statements in the Bible that reveal the new identity God offers you. Let His Word sink deep into your heart…

“Since I am in Christ…
I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16)
I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19,20)
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come (2 Cor. 1:21,22; Eph. 1:13,14)
Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ (2 Cor. 5:14, 15)
I have been made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21)
I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life (Gal. 2:20)
I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3)…”

These are true statements about yourself! Do you believe them? Abiding in the truth of the identity God has given you in Jesus Christ will free you to live your life according to who you already are, not according to who you want to be.

Because of who you are in Christ, you can draw your strength from Him and be empowered by your union with Him. Fleshly efforts mean nothing. Absolutely nothing. They don’t work! Our only hope is to surrender our human efforts and depend fully on God.

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” – Galatians 3:2

Believe what you have heard Jesus tell you! That is the only way to true life. Depending on our futile works of the flesh don’t bear fruit. Only believing what Jesus tells us and abiding in that truth produces anything of eternal worth. Believe Him, Beloved!

The truths about your identity in Christ, and many more, are so important to meditate on and rest in throughout your day. If our minds are not filled with truth, then what are they filled with? Yes, lies. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and fill your mind with the truth about who you are in Christ, and who God is in every circumstance you face (Hint: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! – Heb. 13:8). His truth will set you free to live a life empowered by the Holy Spirt and connected to Jesus, the true source of life!

3. Abide in His Love – Eagerly Delight In His Favor

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” – John 15:9

Looking through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), anyone can see how deeply God the Father loves His Son, Jesus. The Father calls Him “My Beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17).

Take another look at the above passage. Read it slowly. Can you believe it—Jesus loves us the same way the Father loves Him? We, the Church, are the Beloved bride of Jesus, the Lamb of God! Jesus calls you His Beloved.

Abide in the love Jesus has for you. When I enjoy sweet fellowship with Jesus, soaking in the riches of His love, my connection with the vine grows stronger and my love for God grows deeper. Slow down and rest in His love for you. He really means every word He says.

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long; and the one the Lord loves rest between His shoulders.” – Deuteronomy 33:12

Rest secure in Him, because He is protecting you, His beloved child! Marvel at His acceptance of you. Take a load off and relax with Him. Wait on Him. Stop and just…

Breathe.

In the presence of God, there can be no doubts or fears. Only peace. Trust in Him! In Him all things hold together (Col. 1:17).

If we’re going to stick with Jesus, let’s abide in His perfect love that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18)! There is more love in Him than in any person in the world. More hope. More life. More freedom. Confess to Him your lack of belief and plead with Him to show you how much He loves you. He has rescued you from sin and death and raised you up and seated you with Christ in heaven, securing you a place in the Father’s family for all eternity (Eph. 2:6)! He loves you. Believe me. Well, don’t believe me. Believe Him! The riches of His Word provide us with so much confidence in His love for us.

Abide in His love, Beloved. Let it wash over you and break down your defenses. Melt in His loving embrace. And never, ever hold anything back from Him, the Lover of your soul.

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” – Psalm 62:8

 

So, this is the gist of what abiding is. This is a picture of what intimacy with the Creator of Heaven and Earth looks like. This is only a shadow of the far more wonderful relationship with Him that is to come in heaven, but even now it is like a taste of heaven and brings satisfaction and life to the soul here on earth. God is so good to us!

Abide in Jesus. Abide in His Word. Abide in His love.

Keep asking, seeking, knocking to see what His good, pleasing and perfect will is. Keep wanting Him more than anything.  Keep believing who you are in Christ and believing who He is—holy and perfect and loving. Keep basking in His sheer delight and favor towards you. Keep trusting in Him with all your heart and leaning not on your own understanding; keep acknowledging Him in all of your ways, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Persevere. Stick with Jesus. Cling tightly to Him, to your only source of life in this desolate, fear-driven world. He will always always be there for you; and you can always run back to Him no matter what junk you have hoarded up in yourself for a time. The way to purify yourself not by trying to feel clean and erase the sin from your memory, but rather to confess your sins, and let Him forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Receive His forgiveness and invite Him to lovingly rule your life again!

Keep believing, dear friend. Keep trusting Jesus and keep loving Him. Abide in Him. Abide in His Word. Abide in His love.

He really loves you so much.

And from this abiding, deep fellowship with the Lord, fruit will emerge, fruit that points the world back to God.

Intimacy with God, part 2: 5 Reasons Why the Connection Might Feel “Off”

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To read “Intimacy with God, part 1: What is Intimacy?” click here.

Do you ever feel “stuck” in your relationship with God? Like there’s a plug in the sink that’s blocking off the connection? Or do you ever feel like you’ve never really felt connected to God in the first place? Whatever the case, there’s just this feeling, you don’t know what it is, but just this feeling of disconnectedness, distance, and lack of love, desire, and joy in relating to God.

Have you ever felt like that?

I know I have.

When I was in my early teens, I yearned for the feeling of being close with God. Somewhere inside me, I knew that’s what I needed, that’s what I wanted, and that’s what I was searching for.

And so I searched. I sought after Him. I prayed. I studied the Bible. But the single most earth-shattering truth that brought me into intimacy with God was simple and it was this: God actually loved me.

When I believed in His love for me, when I really, truly, deep down believed, everything shifted. I didn’t just think He was with me, I was aware that He was with me. I didn’t just know He cared, I lay at His feet and I let Him love me. I didn’t just wonder what He was thinking, I began to hear His own thoughts, spoken to me through the Holy Spirit within me (1 Cor. 2:10).

When I experience God in this way, it means more to me than anything else in the world. And it means more to Him than it could ever mean to us! Drawing close to God pleases Him far more than any of our vain efforts to “impress” Him. Remember the story of Mary and Martha, when Jesus is gently rebuking Martha:

“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” – Luke 10:41-42

As I’ve grown closer to God and experienced Him and been aware and in awe of His love for me, it becomes easy to notice whenever I suddenly feel like that connection isn’t fully there anymore.

And I ask God: Why? Why is the connection gone? What happened? I was having such close intimacy with You, and then it just disappeared, God. Why???

As I ponder what is going on that makes me feel off in my walk with the Lord, He has asked me at different moments to consider possible barriers that may be in the way of beautiful intimacy with Him. I detail these barriers below. Search your own heart and ask God to reveal to you what may be making your connection “off” today:

 

1. Sin.

This is the first and foremost thing we need to address if we want to be close to God! Don’t neglect bringing your sin into the Light. In the last post I talked about Psalm 139, how it describes the depths of God’s intimate knowledge about us. Because God knows us so well, ask Him to search your heart for any way you may have offended Him recently by sinning. Sin is rebellion against God, whether it is done purposefully or unknowingly. Any sin can be a blockage in your relationship with God. The Holy Spirit wants us to open our hearts to God’s loving gaze so we can become aware of what sin we need to remove from our lives, by God’s grace.

Side note: If you have never confessed your sins to God before, I encourage you to turn to God and do that right now! Through Jesus Christ you can be freed from sin and brought into a new life with Him (see John 3:16)! Your life will never be the same again!!! (See this post for more details.)

For those of you who have put your trust in Jesus, it is important to note that while you are completely covered in Jesus’ blood and are secure in God’s family, your relationship with your Heavenly Father will still feel distant if you are living in rebellion, unforgiveness, or in compromise, refusing to fully submit to Him. Check out Psalm 139, in verses 23 -24, where David prays humbly to God about his sin, an example for us to follow: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

This is a great prayer to pray if you feel distant from God! As you seek the Father, if He reveals any specific sin in your life, repent and turn to Him quickly, and then open your heart to receive His forgiveness! He SO wants to forgive you! Only when you receive His forgiveness fully will you be empowered from then on to live your life pleasing to Him in this area you have given Him control over.

And He is always, always waiting to forgive you! I know I have often wrongly wondered if God could ever forgive me if I kept messing up again and again. But the truth is: You are never too far from His grace! He is faithful and just in forgiving us, and He is faithful and just in restoring us back to Himself in full union with Him.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9

 

2. Lies.

Are you believing any lies about God? Catch yourself. Think about how you’ve been thinking, Beloved. Have you been degrading yourself, giving over to self-loathing or self-pity? Or have you been overthinking, because you don’t believe God is trustworthy enough to take control of your life? Or have you simply forgotten how much God loves you?

By all means, Beloved, stop believing lies! Don’t forget how wonderful God is. Ask God to show you His truth. Get deep in the Word and remind yourself of His unfailing, steadfast love for you. Discover His strength, His purity, His righteousness, His kindness, and all the goodness that He is.

Get to know God! Often, our wrong thinking is due to our wrong view of God. We think God is too small, or too haughty, or too harsh. These are lies straight from the devil! He is bigger than you can imagine, He is NOT too proud to overlook us, and He is tremendously patient and tender-hearted toward you.

He is not only ALL of these things, but He wants to be intimately involved in your life, no matter how messy it may be! He, after all, is the only One who can heal you, refine you, and shower you with the love you so desperately need. Get to know Jesus, because He is the truth, and the truth is what’s going to set you free!

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

 

3. Lack of Communication

This one just sounds like the #1 rule of relationships, right? Well, as it turns out, you are in a relationship with God, ladies and gentlemen! So, the same rules apply. 😉

Communicate with God how you really feel. All the frustration, worry, anger, pride—lay it all down. Express to God how you’re feeling deep down inside. How you’re struggling. Even though He knows everything about you, He wants you to share these intimate parts with Him so you can have a real relationship with Him! Tell Him your deep desires, your secret fears, your aching hopes, your heavy burdens, and your crazy dreams. He can handle it! And what’s more, He wants to meet the needs of your heart in ways you can’t even fathom! Every need, every burden, every longing, every hurt, every struggle, every pain, every fear, every little bit of unrest, everything—He wants you to lay all of that openly before Him. In your most vulnerable place, He will meet you with tenderness and care for you in the most loving ways. 

Don’t withhold any of your mess from Him! And don’t forget to share with Him all your joys, gratitude, and excitement with Him as well! Either one of these forms of honesty are so sweet to Him, like worship. As soon as you lay before Him how you’re doing, you will feel so free. And you’ll want to do it again and again—at all times, as the below Psalm urges us to do.

Come to God in your totally, completely honest place, and He will be so glad to meet you there. Pour out your heart to Him! Whether it be a disastrous mess or pure bliss, share it with Him, Beloved. He is your safe place. He is the safest place for you to be, whatever happens and wherever you go in life!

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”- Psalm 62:8

 

4. Lack of Surrender.

Are you willing to surrender all to God? This is not a question meant to bring guilt, but conviction. We will never be fully willing to surrender all to God. I have no idea what things I am not obeying God in and trusting God in. We will never achieve perfection in this earthly life, so we will never be completely surrendered to God, in the sense that we will never be fulfilling 100% of what God desires for us all the time, by our own efforts.

Oh… wait. Jesus, again? This is exactly where I’m going! Because you are covered in the blood of Jesus, you are fulfilling 100% of what God desires for you right now. He SO delights in you! He adores you! He finds you altogether beautiful, and He sees no flaw in you (Song of Songs 4:7). And that’s all because you were paid for at a high price, and you are clothed in robes of Jesus’ righteousness. Isn’t that incredible? God is so good!!!

So what do I mean when I challenge you to surrender? If God thinks so well of us, why do we need to do anything He wants us to do? Well, precisely because He thinks so well of us, is why we should be more than willing and happy to do anything He asks of us!

Really! You read that right. Jesus is calling out to you and asking you to let go of the things of this world. He wants you to trust Him. He wants you to believe that He is in complete control of all things and that He is worthy of your everything.

Nothing you surrender to Him truly matters in light of eternity, so you don’t need to be afraid that you will lose anything of ultimate value if you surrender to Him. Choosing Him above all else means you gain everything that truly matters!!!

Jesus is ALL that matters! Because Jesus has offered us the fullest life possible with Him now and forever, everything else we have once treasured so highly in life should not mean so much to us anymore. We should be willing to forsake anything that the Lord asks of us (Luke 9:23).

This does not at all mean we cannot enjoy this life! This means we need to, as Corrie Ten Boom said, “Hold loosely to the things of this life, so that if God requires them of you, it will be easy to let them go.”

And more often than not, there are things in our life which we must quickly rid ourselves of in order to draw near to God. The process may at first be painful, but on the other side there is always freedom!

Ask God to search your heart for what you need to get rid of. Often I find that removing distractions and hindrances leaves so much more space for God and I to have sweet fellowship together! You will be so grateful you did, and most of all, God will feel so pleased with you, Beloved.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” – Hebrews 12:1-2a (boldness added by me)

So ask yourself, honestly, what is distracting you from God today?

 

5. Lack of Desire

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m plagued by flat-out indifference or apathy toward God. This lack of desire and love for God leads straight to complacency if I don’t do anything about it. Don’t let yourself fall into complacency. Let God burn a fire in your soul for Himself alone! He is so abundantly worthy of all our passions and affections!

So, how do we get ourselves out of this rut of apathy?

Well, just because you don’t feel love for Him or feel that He loves you, doesn’t mean that you have absolutely no desire for Him, or that He has no desire for you. Don’t let the devil get you to believe that your feelings determine reality! The truth is, that no matter what happens with your relationship with God, even if you feel completely emotionless toward Him, you can always be sure of one thing: He loves you.

So, in spite of your lack of desire or love for Him, in spite of you becoming apathetic toward Him, in spite of you feeling weary and tired of everything, He wants to be ever so near to you, Beloved. It was never about your love for Him, anyway. It was always about His love for you! Let His love refresh your soul! Your apathy is a sign that you need God more than ever.

Ask God for more of a desire for Him. Ask Him for a greater revelation of His love for you. When I tell you to ask God for things, I’m not at all saying it because its the easy thing to say, I’m saying it because I really mean it! These are things you can ask God for that He is all so willing to give you.

Pray in faith that He longs to give them to you and He will soon do that beautiful work in your life. Jesus isn’t kidding when He says in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” What a wonderful promise that is!

After you ask God for more desire for Him, soon, sure enough, you will find a greater love for Him in your heart. A greater desire to do His will and walk in obedience to Him. None of these beautiful things we find in our hearts were ever from us, anyway! Faith, love, desire–all come from God! We need to continually ask for more of Himself and continually want more of Himself, or we will slide into apathy and then soon after into complacency.

So, ask Him, Beloved! Seek Him with all your heart. Knock confidently at His door. He is just waiting on the other side to respond.

 

 

In conclusion, sin, lies, lack of communication, lack of surrender, and lack of desire are some possible barriers between yourself in God. Take an honest look at yourself. Let God reveal to you what the issue is for you specifically. It could for sure be a combination of these things, as many of them are interwoven together.

The root of all these problems is simple: a lack of faith. When we don’t trust that God is better than our sin, when we don’t trust Him for who He really is, when we don’t trust that He cares enough to continually hear how we’re doing, when we don’t trust that God is better than any earthly distraction, when we don’t trust that God is  worthy of our pursuit even when we don’t feel like it–when we don’t trust God in any of these ways, there is inevitably a barrier between us and again. Pray in faith, asking for more faith, and choosing to believe God in all of these ways!

Whenever I feel like my connection with God is “off,” I search my heart and He often reveals one or more of these things to me that is a blockage in our relationship. He is so faithful, and He wants us to remove all hindrances so we can have full intimacy with Him!

You may be wondering: But how? How do I have “full intimacy” with God once I remove all these barriers. What in the world does that mean??? That’s what I’ll be covering in my 3rd and final post in this series about “Intimacy with God.” (It will be about abiding in Him.)

Today, pray and seek the Lord about why you feel distant from Him. Ask others to pray for you. I will pray for you as well.

I will pray that you have a wonderfully intimate time spent with the Lord today, free from all barrier and restrictions and overflowing with the Love of God! And as Hosea wooed Gomer the prostitute, I pray you experience God’s love for you in the midst of yourself dishonoring His name, and that you find His grace is sufficient for you now and always.

I hope you truly have a beautiful day! Enjoy the song below as well. ❤

“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.” – Job 36:16

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.” – Hosea 14:4

P.S. Originally, I had two title ideas for two separate posts related to intimacy with God: “Let God Break Down Your Defenses,” and “Be Totally and Completely Honest With Him.” I decided to condense those ideas into one uniform idea in this post. And in my next and final post, I will be talking about abiding in the Lord, while including the very important part of wanting Him more than anything (which was previously going to be in a separate post).

Intimacy with God, Part 1: What is Intimacy?

 

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This is one of 5 parts in a series of articles titled “Intimacy with God.” My personal intimacy with God has meant everything to me, so I cannot emphasize enough the power and beauty of drawing near to God in a daily, intimate relationship with Him. I hope you enjoy reading these, and enjoy drawing nearer to our gracious God, because in return He promises to draw near to you (James 4:8).

How do you feel when you hear the phrase “intimacy with God”?

Recently, a small group leader in a biblical healing class asked us this question. Understandably, it was met by some hesitation.

Two years ago, I would have felt the same uneasiness. I felt like there was a certain place a person could reach in their relationship with God, and that I had not arrived there yet. There was a place so deep, so pure, so close, so exciting, so wonderful, and so beautiful to be—and it was with God. I just knew it. So, how was I supposed to get there? Such deep intimacy with God seemed impossible! And too good to be true.

But soon, I learned with great surprise and joy that intimacy with God was true, and not only that, but it was better than I could have ever imagined.

What is intimacy anyway? I’m not asking what the culture’s definition of it is (a one nightstand, perhaps), but what the best kind of intimacy is: being close to God. This kind of intimacy is what our hearts are all longing for, whether we know it or not.

Nevertheless, instead of coming to God, we so often search in empty and barren places, in hopes that mere men or women, fame or money will fill our deepest desires.
In the Bible, the Hebrew word “yada” is used to mean “to know intimately, to understand, to experience.” (If you want to read more about intimacy with God aside from my blog post, check this informative article out.)

This “yada” is a great word to look at in our study of intimacy, because it encapsulates what we are searching for to fill our longings: someone to know us. To really know us. And to still, somehow, love us deeply, passionately, and tenderly, in spite of the dirty things we have ever done or thought.

Interestingly, the word “yada” is used both in Genesis 4:1, “Adam knew Eve,” and the many times David says “know” in Psalm 139, as in verse 1, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” How is it that the same word “yada” is used for two seemingly different topics (Adam and Eve’s sex vs. David’s relationship with God)? Well, in English we have it tricky, because we have only one word for “know.”

In Spanish, for example, there are two different words for “know”: “saber” which means to know about something, like information, and “conocer” which means to really know a person, rather than just know about them. The word “conocer” often refers to knowing or being familiar with a person, rather than a surface level ability to know that, say, the capital of China is Beijing.

In a similar fashion as “conocer”, the Hebrew word “yada” isn’t your typical word for “know.” God doesn’t merely know information about us. He doesn’t simply know that we are smart or clumsy or talented or naïve. While He does know certain things about us at face value, His knowing goes far beyond the facts. He knows our hearts. Our faults. Our shortcomings. Our desires. Our longings. Our hopes. Our fears. Our dreams.

God knows every single part of us. He knows us intimately. From the beginning, He has known all about us. And not only that, but He loves us in spite of our deep failure. Because God knows us and loves so well, He made intimate knowledge of Himself and intimate communication with Him available to us through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross. Jesus paid His very own life to pull us out of the muddy pit where we have rebelled against God—all so we could come to intimately know God in a personal relationship with Him!

And this is all because God desires deeply for us to come back into relationship with Him. He desires this because knows all about us and loves us anyway. He knows us completely and thoroughly for all that we really are and all that we really do. In Psalm 139, David was well aware of God’s intimate knowledge of himself:

“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.”

Wow! God knows us so well. These are only the first six verses of this Psalm. I encourage you to go and read the entire Psalm when you are finished with this post. It is one of my favorite Psalms, because of how close to God it makes me feel. It is so full of God’s intimate knowledge of David, which transfers to that same intimate knowledge He has of us. For example, in verses 17-18, it talks about how God numbers each one of our thoughts and regards them as precious! God is so wild about us that He would be so careful and thoughtful to do a thing like that. He so adores us and is pleased with us! (Can we just appreciate God for a moment? He is pretty sweet. Hallelujah!)

Getting to know a person is a huge part of loving that person. When you meet up with a  new friend or significant other you are dating, you naturally have a desire to get to know them more. The reality that God knows EVERYTHING about us and still hasn’t struck us with lightening bolts is pretty significant.

He is mighty, He is holy, He is just, but He is also faithful, merciful, and full of steadfast love. He desires good for us. And it is plain for Him to see that, in all honesty, getting to know Him intimately is what will do us the most good in our lives. This isn’t pride or arrogance, this is pure, honest, love. It would be selfish for Him to withhold knowledge of Himself from us, just like it would be selfish for a friend to ignore us and not keep us updated on how they are doing—how they are really doing. He allows us to get to know Him by filling us with the Holy Spirit, once we put our trust in His perfect Son, Jesus, for our salvation. He reveals to us the deep things about Himself through His Spirit inside of us!

“However, as it is written:
‘What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived’ —
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9-12

So, the Holy Spirit helps us get to know God in a deep, intimate way!

And through His Spirit, we have the ability to understand God’s primary source of knowledge about Himself: His Word! Always, always, always, go to His Word, the Bible as your safe place to get to know God with full certainty that everything in it is true. Unlike every other book in the world, the Bible has not one trace of a lie in it. God has provided His Word so we can stand our ground on what He says is true! (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Bible is powerful and God-breathed, but as we read it we must keep in mind that it is only a way of getting to know God! Getting to know God in a personal way goes much deeper than simply reading off a few verses and then rushing off to work or school. We need to not merely listen to the truth, but do what it says (James 1:22). And not only that, but we need to get to know the Truth as it really is, a person (Jesus), and get to know Him intimately and personally! Only then can we do what His Word says out of love for Him, and not out of false religion.

The truth is, you don’t get your life from the Bible, you get your life from Jesus! Here Jesus says in John 5:39-40: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”

Come to Jesus to have life! Get to know Him in a personal way, through reading and soaking in His Word, and through constant, faith-filled prayer.

For me, having intimacy with God has changed everything about my life for the better. I have always felt a deep need inside me to be loved. To be valued. Cherished. Adored. Delighted in. Important and special to someone. I have often felt that, and always thought, unconsciously, that some man out there would be able to fulfill that longing in my heart, someday.

Lately I have been pondering it more. No matter what “perfect” fantasy I have of the man I marry (when I am not taking my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ as it says to in 2 Cor. 10:5), the Only one who can truly make that fantasy become a reality is God Himself. He doesn’t romance our hormones; He romances our heart and soul, our entire beings!

Get beyond the ideas of sex and romance culture imposes on us and listen to the heart of God, to the dream that He allows for us to come true: being intimately known and loved by Him, and given the offer to intimately know and love Him in return.

This is SO much better than earthly romance! Really. I have experienced it myself, and it is soooo true! Being laid bare before God can at first seem intimidating, frightening, and far too vulnerable, but you will soon find that your vulnerability leads to deeper trust in Him, because as it turns out, God doesn’t hurt us when we are painfully honest with Him. Instead, He leads us patiently out of our sin and into paths of life, joy, and peace, one step at a time.

I feel the Spirit weighing these words on my heart, so once again, I will say, with greatest sincerity and tenderness, Beloved: God doesn’t hurt you. He doesn’t hurt you in your honest, raw, naked moment. He knows all about you, but He doesn’t hurt you. Unlike every other human relationship, we can get close to God without Him hurting us with words or deeds at any moment. And not only is it in His entire nature to never hurt you, His child, but He graciously covers you with the blood of Jesus and fully accepts you into His family. Trust in the good Father, who wants nothing but to lavish good things on you! (Matthew 7:11)

I have come to a point where I often (not always) feel intimate with God. I am sensitive to His Spirit, and I pray to Him often. I have moments of deep peace and joy, where God lifts my burdens and gives rest to my weary soul. I have moments where God speaks to me about a specific area of my life that I need to bring to His loving gaze for mending and repair. I have moments where God reveals His truth to me in a powerful way that greatly encourages my heart.

I know God, and I love Him, and somehow He accepts me, in spite of my imperfections. Somehow He speaks to me and encourages me and helps me. Somehow He delights in me, and there are moments where I am deeply aware of His delight, and filled with His love. I am far from perfect, but God cleanses me daily through Jesus’ blood, allowing me to have unbridled, deep intimacy with Him.

It is a wonder to me that I have come this far in intimacy with Him, and yet it is not overly surprising, considering that I have often asked God for more of Himself. He is always willing and gracious to answer prayers like that, so I encourage you: press into God, and ask for more of Him in your life! You won’t be sorry you did, and I mean that with all my heart! He wants your whole heart and your full attention, Beloved. And He is so, soooo worth it!

Because I have experienced the beauty and power of being intimate with God, I want others to experience intimacy with Him, too. No longer am I bound by chains of perfectionism. It’s not about me anymore. It’s all about Him! I want others to have this, too.

Intimacy with God changes everything. Because I am in relationship with Him, I want nothing more than to know Him, to love Him, and to do what He says. And because I am in relationship with Him, I can do what He says. I have the ability! After all, I am not relying on my own ability anymore, but on His enabling Spirit that works within me day by day, by His grace alone! Praise God!!! Thank you, Jesus!!! Amen.

OK, maybe you get the idea by this time: developing an intimate relationship with God is super important. And not only it is important, it is life-changing. The God of the universe “yadas” (intimately knows) you, and now it’s time for you to “yada” Him.

So, now you might be wondering, how do I do that? How do I begin to have intimacy with God?

Well, come back next week to find out! Because this is such an important topic, I have split this topic into 5 sections: “What is Intimacy?,” “Let God Break Down Your Defenses”, “Be Totally and Completely Honest with Him”, “Want Him More than Anything”, “How to Abide, Remain, and Rest in Him At All Times.” I might change things up once I start writing, but this is what it’s looking like at least for now.

Today, begin to trust Him. Begin to get to know Him. Begin to love Him like never before. Today is the day to draw near to God, to go deeper than you ever have before! He is waiting for you. He is waiting for you with hopeful anticipation. He is waiting for you to begin your adventure and romance with Him and to continue with Him for a lifetime, and even afterwards, into all eternity.

I hope you enjoy this song, and have a Spirit-filled, intimate day with the Lord!

This Light

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I’m not a friend of the darkness
I’m a friend of the Light
And not only that
But I follow the Light wherever it goes.

I’m not a lover of darkness
I’m a lover of Light
And not only that
But I love all the goodness that the Light shows.

I’m not a servant of darkness
I‘m a servant of the light
And not only that
But I serve the Light because it’s all I know.

What is the Light?
The Light is life
It’s peace and joy and truth and hope
It’s grace; it’s love
It’s never letting you go
It’s exposing the darkness
So you can find freedom and growth.

This Light is Jesus
This Light is in you
This Light is Him who wipes sin from you
He is no kin to darkness
All that has to leave
Because here with Jesus
I am finally free.

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” – John 12:46

True Strength and Our Best Faith Arrives When We Seek Jesus as a Child

 

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Guest Post by Austin Ring

Our Own Strength is Limited and Fickle

Have you ever tried to rely on your own strength to get through the day? The week? The month or beyond? Some days we can do it. Other’s we cannot. Why is it that we don’t have the strength alone? Why is it that we need to ask for help from God? I think that these questions and more can be answered when we shift the perspective of what it is we are seeking.

If we are seeking strength and productivity through our own means, it can be dredging and difficult to bull through procrastination, slothfulness, and waking up on time–things we all know well and through. But what if we asked for strength, in humility and sacrifice, as a child would ask for something from his/her parents? What if we sought and talked to the Lord the same way children do when they ask their parents for a snack or a treat? Would God tell us to grow up and abandon our childlike thinking and demeanor? Would God tell us to talk to Him using big words and sophisticated language?

Let’s take a look at this scripture for some answers:

“Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:13-14, KJV)

The disciples had sought to stop the children from coming to Jesus to be prayed over, but Jesus rebuked His disciples and told them to endure them and their childish ways, “for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” I just love that. What patience Jesus had with the children. What love.

Does the Lord Require that We Come to Him as Children?

Of course not. The God Most High will always meet us where we are. That’s what so special about Him. It’s one of my favourite qualities about His nature. That being said, I still think that it would be wise to approach Him as a child. Why not? It’s just easier, not to mention more fun! Take a look at this scripture with me as we seek clarity on this subject.

“And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”
(Mathew 21:15-16, KJV)

First, to put this scripture into context. Jesus had just entered Jerusalem and had gone into the temple of God. Jesus responded to the scribes and priests’ question by saying that out of the mouths of the young comes praise and worship. Jesus even goes so far as to say that younglings have perfected praise!

Why is it that God uses the young to praise Him and be an example to others? Why doesn’t God use adults to bring Him honour in the same way that younglings do? There is something special that He sees that maybe we don’t. Let’s lean into more scripture for further clarity.

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” (Luke 10:21, NIV)

Again, with the context first. Jesus was speaking about the power of the Holy Spirit that we all have access to, and then was filled with the Holy Spirit to reveal a truth about how God operates. Jesus said that the Father is pleased to reveal “hidden things” to the young, and to hide them from the wise and learned. What are these hidden things that Jesus is speaking about, you might ask?

I could take a guess and say wisdom, knowledge, or other interesting secrets. But I would think that it would be better for you to ask God yourself what these hidden things are for yourself. Besides, His Word demonstrates this process of revealing secrets all throughout the Old and New Testament. I would encourage you to get into the Word and find out some secrets for yourself! 🙂

How Should We as God’s Children Approach Him in Prayer and Character?

So back to the question about how we should approach God in prayer, “Do we need to be articulate and speak in sophisticated language when we pray?”

Think back to the words of Jesus in the previous passage. He says that the children that rushed over to Him to be prayed over were the kind of people that inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Notice how Jesus didn’t say, “Only the rich, powerful, and eloquent in speech may come to Me to be prayed over, for such is the kingdom of Heaven.” No. Jesus said that children are those who are welcome in the kingdom of Heaven.

You see, something happens when we all grow up. We tend to bend to the world’s mold of what an adult should be. We think that being mature means that we need to be strong for ourselves. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Personally speaking, when I tend to ignore asking God for things, both little and big, I try to rely on my own strength. Or when I pray, I will only ask certain things of Him and not bring up more pressing issues that I think that I have a hold on. This is when I need to ask myself, “what am I trying to accomplish alone? Where is my childlike faith? Why don’t I just be honest with myself and God and include Him in the conversation?”

This is when I need to check myself and my own heart and really seek the Lord with a heart that is more childlike–more humble, honest, and earnest in nature. By flipping this switch, I have noticed that I am more confident, more humble, and more me. I like to think that God is the perfect shepherd and perfect solicitor of Grace and Mercy, because He is. When I really think on His character and promises, I am reminded that I need to be more childlike. Not to mention that it’s just so much more fun to let Him rule my life completely and just be a giddy and giggling child along for the ride! This is an important character trait that I think Jesus wants us to make central to ourselves, both in personality and in demeanor.

What Does Being More Childlike Look Like Practically?

It looks like obedience. It looks like genuineness. It looks like humility. It looks like fun! We don’t have to rely on our own planning skills, wisdom and intellect, or strength of body and mind. The Lord above offers these things to us FREELY as long as we ask for them.

For example’s sake, let’s say that when you were younger, for Christmas you asked for a new barbie doll or a cool toy truck. And let’s say that you received it. How stoked would you be by getting exactly what it is that you asked for? Wouldn’t it make you adore and trust your parents more? I know that it certainly would for me. Now think about this example when approaching God. It may seem like something scary and intimidating, but in reality it’s actually easier.

You see, God is a good God. He loves to give us good gifts. He delights in hearing from us and providing for our needs. It says so in His Word! “ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Mathew 7:11, KJV)

In the example that I’ve provided, it presupposed a sinful nature in our parents, those that provided us good gifts, and that fundamentally distorts the quality and idea of the gift that was given. But God, our perfect Father, doesn’t have that same nature. He knows EXACTLY what it is that we want and need, and He is willing to provide those things to us IF ONLY WE ASK. See Mark 11:24.

So all this to say, be more childlike and watch as the Lord provides for and sustains you. This isn’t something that we as believers should just shrug off and think about later, this is important to God, and therefore, it should be important to us as well. It all starts with submitting yourself to His will and trusting in His provision. Just ask Him today, “God, what is it that I need to do to be more childlike. What is it that I can do to be more like those that you use to be an example to others in childlike faith?”

I think that you might be surprised in His answers. Haha. God bless you all reading, peace and blessings be upon you, in the name of Jesus! 🙂

 

Austin Ring, Blogger at GodMeandFantasy.com

“Exploring imagination in the vast realm of Fantasy, sharing my experiences in Truth and Transparency, and unashamedly proclaiming the Love and Truth of Christ Jesus, our Lord”

Read more from Austin Ring on his BLOG.

This insightful guest post was written by Austin Ring. His message about coming to God like a child is so true and important in this day and age where we so often come to God like business men or critics, only trying to get something out of Him or questioning everything He does. Be His child today and simply trust in the good Father, boldly asking Him for things and confidently letting Him serve and love you. I hope you enjoyed this post and have a blessed day! ❤

 

The Quiet Heart of A Child

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“My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.” – Psalm 131:1-3

Calm yourselves, overthinkers. Rest, those who are weary. Quiet yourselves, those who feel condemned. There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). You have absolutely no reason to be condemned, or to be exhausted, or to try to fix all your problems. Do NOT concern yourself with things out of your control!

Humble yourself and relax in the Father’s arms. He is really with you, holding you. Stop striving and struggling to get out of His embrace. His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

You are a royal child of the King of Kings—and this is NO exaggeration! Through the shedding of Jesus Christ’s blood, you are saved from eternal condemnation. You have rest in the Father’s love. And you have the quiet assurance that God is in control of your whole life, working everything out for your good, because you love Him.

Do not belittle yourself with the uncertainty of if you love God. You know that He is worth loving. Worth serving. Worth worshipping and praising for all eternity. You know that deep in your heart. This isn’t about feeling love for Him, this is about showing up and trusting. Trust and receive His goodness and mercy. Ask for a changed heart, a quiet heart, a childlike heart. A heart that knows Him and loves Him. That’s all you need.

Put your hope in the Lord, children of God. He is a tender Father, merciful, patient, and forgiving, if we only turn from our sins and come running into His arms. Through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we have fullness of life.

Relax. Completely relax as if you were a weaned child in her mother’s arms. Take a deep breath. Be certain that your Father will never let you go. You are securely attached to Him. Whatever has been on your mind bears no important in light of eternity. Your life is but a passing vapor, a mist that appears for only a second, and then disappears. He has everything under control. He is taking perfect care of you. 

Your life is meant to be lived in the presence of the Holy One.

So — Live in His presence! Abide. Dwell. Rest. Soak in the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord (Romans 11:33). Through Jesus Christ, you have everything you need, everything your redeemed Spirit-filled heart desires. Just stop paying attention to all those things that fill you with pride, and turn your undivided attention to the One who created your soul. You won’t be left empty! He has the things that have eternal weight and value. Only abiding in the Father’s love, following the good Shepherd, and living by the Spirit will have any lasting importance.

To have intimacy with Christ, is to be completely absorbed in Him. To not want anything besides Him. For Him to truly be your All in All. If you can’t say that about yourself, have no fear. As the man desiring healing for his demon-possessed son exclaimed: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

The Lord will help you if you only ask for help. Trust Him. Seek Him wholeheartedly. Step into the identity He has given you with full assurance that the Holy Spirit will do the rest. Step out in faith, trusting that God knows what He is doing, and He can shine His glory and power through your utter weakness. Dig into the Word; pray your heart out; listen to the voice of God. He is speaking. He answers. He cares.

“Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” – Psalm 116:2

Don’t give up! If there seems to be a void left unfilled, a question unanswered, that is only the testing, the trying. He doesn’t always speak in the ways we expect, but He always speaks.

Have perseverance, be faithful to the One who will always be faithful to you (2 Timothy 2:13). Take heart; He has overcome the world (John 16:33). The only thing left for you to do is to overcome your unbelief. And all that requires is a simple, childlike request for more faith.

Confidence in The Father’s Love: Part 2

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In my last post, I related my personal revelation of the Father’s perfect love for His imperfect children. In this post I will go into further detail about being in Christ as well as the ways God-confidence affects our lives practically.

Our deepest need is to be loved and valued. This need for acceptance will either manifest itself as insecurity if we do nothing about it, or manifest itself as security, if we let God fulfill that need. 

Although God perfectly loves all people, His perfect love cannot fulfill our need for acceptance unless we allow it to reach deep down inside of us and transform us from the inside out. We are not made perfect in His love if we choose to sin and to refuse His great act of love of Jesus dying for us. His love is finally made perfect in us when we turn from sin, put down our guard and accept Christ in our life.

Jesus was, is, and will always be, but right here and right now is when you need to let Him into your life. You need Him. And wow, I need Him, too–as desperately as ever! Inviting Him into every corner of my life is a continual process for me.

When we believe that He loves and values us just as perfectly as He loves and values Jesus, we have nothing to fear! With this total confidence in the Father’s love for you, you have a solid rock of courage from where you can bring glory to Him—to love others well and proclaim His truth both gently and boldly. With Him, anything is possible. You are a new person in Christ capable of doing wonders for His kingdom if you rely on His strength and power rather than your own.

So, what does it mean to be a new person in Christ? How is that possible when we are so sinful and prone to wander?

Well, when you put your trust in Christ, you are made righteous in God’s sight. You are given a new identity. Your sin filthily covers Christ, and His righteousness graciously covers you.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

We must identify ourselves with Jesus now; as little Christs. When we do wrong, that is not a part of our true identity, and this must be thrown off from our lives so that nothing can hinder us in our victorious walk with Christ.

God is slow to anger, and patient to forgive you. Never be afraid to come to Him brokenly and honestly to let Him heal and restore you! It is NEVER too late to confess your sins and let Him forgive you. It is NEVER too late for you to be made new. He gives everything to anyone BECAUSE HE IS GOD, and not because of yourself. He loves you so much!

In your time of need, remember that this is a particularly crucial time to have confidence in your Father’s love. Jesus has paved the way for you to approach your Heavenly Father, so have the confidence to come to Him for help!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16

Because of this new identity and this full acceptance you have in God’s throne room through Jesus, you have all the confidence you need to obey His commands no matter where they might take you out of your “comfort zone.” His ways for you will bring healing to your soul, while your former ways have only led to self-destruction. Jesus Himself says that following His commands is for the sake of your joy to be made complete!

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” – John 15:9-11

Praise God for the confidence we can have in Him to follow His ways! He filled me with confidence that night when I received and trusted in the perfect love of my Heavenly Father. Remaining in Him is the greatest joy!

If you struggle with low self-esteem, remember who you are—a beloved son or daughter of a good and merciful Father! 

The next morning after God revealed His perfect love to me, I woke up, and my first reaction as always was to panic: Yet another day. Yet another day to have wavering beliefs and a mundane life lack of courage.

But wait a minute! Why does my reaction to living a new day have to  be negative when I have a God of infinite love and power on my side? When I remembered the love God showed me the night before, my heart was filled with so much joy once again. The truth set me free!

And so each day after that I am making the aim to press onward, each morning renewed by the Lord’s mercy. Life has full meaning and purpose with Jesus on your side. The gospel is for us each day, not just that day long ago when we came to first believe in Him. Jesus Christ sustains us now and forever!

When you feel like you will never measure up, be confident that God is still ready and able to work powerfully in your life. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you!

“[Be] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

And, finally, Beloved, when you are tempted to throw away your confidence in Jesus Christ, stand firm and do not waver. He is coming soon. There is unspeakably marvelous things awaiting those who stand firm till the end. Trust in the Lord — by the grace of God, you will remain confident in Him till the end of the ages. You are not the one who is going to shrink back and be destroyed!

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” – Hebrews 10:35

Remember who God is and who you are, Beloved. Let Him take all your burdens on yourself. Have a beautiful day! (Also, this song is amazing!)

P.S. I didn’t have time to go more into this, but I highly recommend you check out this short blog post from Joseph Prince Ministries about John 17:22 (I mentioned this verse in my last post). Basically Jesus has given us the same glory the Father gave Him, which means the glory of God shines through us and makes in impact on others. We have weightiness as children of God, and the essence of our beings is influencing people for the Kingdom of God, even when we don’t realize it. All the more reason to be confident in the Lord! Here’s the post: https://www.josephprince.org/blog/daily-grace-inspirations/gods-glory-has-been-restored-to-you

Confidence in The Father’s Love: Part 1

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Do you struggle with low self-esteem or a lack of confidence? Are insecurities a daily battle for you?

I have been wrestling with this for awhile. Only recently did I decide to confront it with the Lord more directly, and pray for Him to give me confidence. I prayed that this confidence would not be in myself, but would be totally and completely in Him and Him alone.

The Lord gave me the confidence that my prayer would be answered in one way or another (which was all the confidence I needed in that moment!). This was a desire I had that He would graciously fulfill. Ask and you will receive! This is the fullness of joy that God wants us to experience—our prayers being answered.

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” – John 16:24

The other night I had a different topic other than confidence on my mind as I was thinking and praying. I hadn’t felt God’s acceptance for me very deeply for a long while. I’d been so prone to insecurity, and I knew I was in need of His steadfast love—the most secure thing to rely on. Living insecure is not only not how we want to live, but it’s not how our Father in heaven wants to live!

As I was thinking and praying, a thought entered my mind that I now realize must have come from the Holy Spirit: As the Father perfectly loves His Son, so He perfectly loves you.

Could this be true? It was a radical idea. Although I’d heard something similar before, I was never totally sure I believed it. Could the God who called Jesus “My beloved Son” call us His beloved sons and daughters (Matthew 3:17)?

That night I wasn’t sure if the Bible agreed with that beautiful, incredible thought that entered my head, but I couldn’t help experiencing His perfect love in that moment and being filled with His joy. His perfect love casts out fear! (1 John 4:18)

Though it was incredible to think that I could share in the same kind of love the Father bestowed on His Son, believing this truth was setting me free. It had to be true. After all, the truth is supposed to set us free! (John 8:32)

And, sure enough, the next day I found this passage from Jesus’ prayer to the Father in John 17:22-23:

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (boldness added)

This astounds me! The Lord Jesus Christ has given us who trust in Him the same glory that the Father gave him. He gives us the honor that comes from being declared righteous because of His blood, and being declared children of God. This divine awareness of the glory we have as sons and daughters of a great Father, makes us more than able and more than willing to be united together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

With a united confidence in the Father’s love for us and a united goal to do the Father’s will, anything is possible! Our unity as believers allows the world to see that Jesus truly came from the one and only living God and that the Father pours out His perfect love on His children.

And so it IS true: The Father loves His imperfect children perfectly, just as perfectly as He loves His perfect Son, Jesus.

Let this fact bring joy in your innermost being! The Father delights in you and cherishes you just as you are. He accepts you in all your brokenness. He reaches out to touch you even when you feel completely flawed. Let this lead you into awe and worship of the Holy and Righteous One!

And if you have not been adopted into the Heavenly Father’s family yet, never fear! He perfectly loves you, too. He Himself is Perfection, so He can love you in no other way but perfectly.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 (boldness added)

No matter where you are in life, God loves you perfectly. He is always reaching out to you, and He is never very far from any one us. (Acts 17:27) Choose to turn from sin, insecurity, shame, and guilt; choose to believe in Jesus who takes all of that upon Himself for your sake! His truth will set you free!

It’s so easy to assume I maybe-perhaps-kind-of believe God loves me, but that night, I knew I believed. Wavering beliefs are a huge factor in insecurity—or perhaps the only factor. If you aren’t sure of what you believe, it’s impossible to be confident. You may appear confident on the outside, but it’s really just a façade you put on to cover up your insecurity.

Let’s not cover anything up. Let’s be real and honest with God about our insecurities. Ask for confidence in Him and Him alone, and watch how He changes you!

I hope and pray the Holy Spirit fills you with confidence and certainty of the Father’s love for you. I pray the Holy Spirit overflows you with the love of God. Today–or tonight–rejoice in the Lord, who is your strong tower!

P.S. I wrote so much about this that I had to separate it into two posts, so keep a look out for Part 2!

 

Victory Over and In Things—Because of Christ

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We should expect to be victorious in the Christian life, not because we have any strength, but because we have HIS strength. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13) By trusting in Christ’s strength, we have victory over sin and death–this is because Jesus died on the cross, paying the price for our sins. Not only that, but by trusting in His strength, we have victory in our everyday life, because He rose from the grave after three days. We can “live by faith in the Son of God” and allow it to be not we who live, but Christ who lives in us (Galatians 2:20).

This is all a part of the good news! The gospel is for our everyday lives. Anything that is not lived by faith in Jesus but by faith in our frailness or the pleasures of this world, we can confess to Him. He will always forgive you when you confess to Him! (1 John 1:9). Once you have admitted you are wrong and turned to Him, you can ask Him to change your desires to be aligned to His.

He will pick you up when you fall in the miry pit and set you on a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). Then you can move forward loving Him and trusting in His strength to live your life according to how He commands you.

In a relationship, you desire to please the other person. This is the same with Jesus. You only rebel against a person if they are your enemy; Jesus is your greatest friend and hero, and He has given everything you need to live a godly life. So there is no reason to live in defeat! We have full victory in Jesus! The only thing that can hold you back is (1) disbelief in Jesus’ power or (2) disbelief that God’s way is the best way.

(1) This leads back to the beginning of the post. You can do all things, not because of yourself, but because the same God who raised Jesus up from the grave can lift you out the miry pit of even your deepest, darkest failures or circumstances. He lifts up the lowly! You are able to live freely in the right way when you trust that Jesus’ righteousness lives inside you and you allow Him to live through you!

(2) A godly life is a good life–a sweet fragrance of purity, love, and righteousness–it is life-giving, peace-giving, hope-instilling. It is lived because of, out of, and through the LOVE of God. A godly life is BEAUTIFUL, because it’s the reflection of a soul-satisfying relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s reflection of our genuine love for Him. This kind of life is healing to the soul. “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.” (Hosea 14:4). Living compelled by Christ’s love is the life God created us to live, and He created us to live it FOR OUR GOOD.

When I choose God over my sin and I seek Him and find Him, I begin to see that the godly life is beautiful. I don’t have anything to live this beautiful life when I look to my own resources; but when I look to Jesus, spend time with Jesus, and get to know His character, I have everything!

It is by grace that we have victory OVER death and victory IN life! Thank You, Jesus!

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” – Romans 8:37

Freely Flowing

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I want to live like I write – flowing and flowing – every moment rich and full with meaning – not missing a beat – catching the present moment and soaking it in – deeply soaking, dreaming of now. Being there—no, right here – and not in the clouds – taking in everything as it is and nothing more. – I don’t want to assume or to wonder or to ponder over hidden things that I do not know – I want to enjoy what I do have – to breathe without panting – to climb the cliff without pausing and waiting over the dreaded heights. I don’t want to panic – I want to jump overboard with joy and breathe in the sweet aroma of peace. What is it that keeps me from freely flowing whenever I go out and live? What is it that stops me and breaks me into a million pieces leaving me wandering and wanting for more? Dear Lord, help me, because I want to die. Either that or I want to thrive – I don’t want to be stuck in the middle – just wishing. Please, set me free. Give me a life of humility under Your wings, living in safety. Then I can flow out like a river and be like streams of water and find the ocean to spread out and wander farther than I can see. Being with You right here – Lord, teach me how! To be freely flowing, every moment rich and full with meaning – living just like I’m writing right now.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” – Galatians 5:1