RELATING WITH GOD HEARTILY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2024.

SUBJECT : RELATING WITH GOD HEARTILY!

Memory verse: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42 vs  1.)

READ: Matthew 22 vs 37:

22:37: Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

INTIMATION:

The heart is the chief organ of physical life, and occupies the most important place in the human system. By an easy translation the heart came to stand for man’s entire mental and moral activity, both rational and the emotional elements. In other words, the heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life. The Scripture regards the heart as the sphere of divine influence. The heart, as lying deep within, contains ‘the real man or hidden man.’ It represents the true character but conceals it. 

The principle by which one must live life is summed up in the statement that Jesus made in the passage we read today. With such love one establishes a correct relationship with God by obedience to His will. If one loves God, obedience to His word will be the natural part of his life. Then his affections and feelings must be directed toward what God would have  him be in his life. His intellectual capabilities must be focused on knowing God and His will. 

The craving for communion with God should define the spiritual character of God’s people. God desires to have fellowship with us. But most of us are afraid to have fellowship with Him because of our sin. Though sin breaks our close relationship with God, but Jesus Christ, God’s Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with God. He longs to be with us. He actively offers us His unconditional love. Our natural response is fear because we feel we can’t live up to His standards. But understanding that He loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove the dread.

In our relationship with God we can respond and obey either out of love or out of fear.

When we realize God's desire to be our Faithful Companion, we find Him less an authority figure and more a desirable companion Who is no less in charge in our lives. We now realize He is on our side, how much He wants the best for us, and how absolutely dependable He is. The inborn unhealthy fear of God that stems from our sin nature and is often stirred up by the enemy of our souls, is weakening as we are getting a clearer picture of who He really is.

Unfortunately many people never really seek Him with all their hearts. They are content to learn as a child would. That is, learning and following rules in order to avoid big problems, but not as willing to spend any great period of time with the Lord in the free time they have. There is little delight in the relationship, only obedience out of necessity.

We may live basically good lives and yet miss doing what is most important. A lifetime of doing good is not enough if we make the crucial mistake of not following God with all our hearts. A true follower of God puts Him first in all areas of life. A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head."

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire You as my companion. Build in my heart Your steadfast Spirit, so as to follow and obey You in every aspect of my life. My utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You. But by my strength I can do nothing. Help me to accomplish this, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!