TRUE AND FAITHFUL COMPANIONSHIP WITH GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 4, 2021.

SUBJECT: TRUE AND FAITHFUL COMPANIONSHIP WITH GOD!

Memory verse: 

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." 

(Micah 6 vs 8.)

READ: Deuteronomy 10 vs 12 - 13:

10:12: And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

10:13: and to keep the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command you today for your good?

INTIMATION:

God desires to have constant fellowship with us. He is ready to walk with us—to be our companion—if we can meet His expectations. He is willing to let us be with Him, if we will seek such a relationship; the teacher-mentor kind of companionship. God requires five things from us: (1) We must fear God’s awesome being. (2) We must obediently walk according to His will. (3) We must respond to His being with love. (4) Our lives must be one of service for His glory. (5) We must know and obey His commandments. Compliance with all that God requires results in our well-being on earth among ourselves, and our fellowship with God. 

There are four major ingredients for a relationship that would be described as an true and faithful companionship. These are: (1) Agreement, (2) Experience, (3) Conversation, and (4) Learning, and are required in our companionship with God. 

The first is ‘Agreement.’ The Scripture states clearly thus: "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"(Amos 3 vs 3.) You have to want to spend time together. This is God’s heart desire. He tells us in many different ways in His Word that He desires to be with us. Jesus said to us, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. (Matthew 11 vs 28 - 30.)

The second is ‘Experience.’ You would share experiences together because you are together by definition. One of the special privileges we have as believers is sharing our heart with God and in turn learning more about His heart toward us and others. We get to see His overwhelming goodness, infinite patience, unchanging love, and unending mercies, as we read the Bible—His "Owner's manual" to us. The Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive in our hearts and points things out from it that are specifically for us and our situation. 

The third ingredient is ‘Conversation.’ There should be conversation—fellowship—between you and God through prayers. Not just one way, but rather you wait to hear from Him. When you are with someone who monopolizes a conversation, or who does not let you talk, but only wants you to listen, you feel uneasy, dominated, and useless in the conversation. You may feel your opinion matters little since it is rarely sought.

Almost all the times we are guilty of doing this to God: We rush into His presence with our "want" list and then, in essence, after presenting our requests and/or complaints, we close the time with Him with, "In Jesus' name, Amen." No time to get His input, no time to seek His advice. Only a time to "dump" on Him. The apostle Peter advised us in to give the Lord all our burdens and cares (

First Peter 5 vs 7). 

Yes, we are to present our anxieties to Him, but then, we should wait for His response.

The fourth ingredient is ‘Learning.’ Learning from the “Superior Partner”—God. When we spend time with God, w

e would come to appreciate Him more as we get to know Him better. 

We become more relaxed in His presence. When we learn from Him, we understand ourselves better; our strengths and weaknesses, how to emphasize or overcome them, why we do things the way we do, how to change our negatives responses, and the like. We also learn much about others and how better to interact with them, showing forth all the fruit of the Spirit.

Somebody will quickly ask, 'How do we hear from God or learn from Him?' He speaks to us through His Word—the Bible. God is the same with His Word. As we study we hear Him speak to us by understanding His opinion contained in His Word, thereby learn more about Him. In the course of your spiritual development, God can speak to you in a vision, through others, or even in audible voice.

God is ready to be our true and faithful companion. He is willing to let us be with Him, if we will seek such a relationship. And it is to our utmost benefit because walking with Him frees us from all burdens, and gives us rest. A relationship with God changes meaningless, worrisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose. Companionship with God is a shared relationship with weight falling on the bigger shoulders of God than ours. We have someone with more pulling power upfront helping. Consequently, you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a greater Partner—and now that frown can turn into a smile, and the gripe into a song.

Prayer: Abba Father, I crave for Your faithful and effective companionship. Endue me with the spirit of obedience and undying fellowship with You, that I will walk in accordance with Your precepts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!