Living For A Living God
James 4:8
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
There”s no church for the next month. How would it feel? To a lot of Christians it would be no different unless something happened. Unless someone was sick, or died, or they lost their job, or any number of things that can happen in life. Yes, most people wait until something happens until they search for God, but a true relationship with Him isn’t a one way street.
How would you feel if the one you desired to be with most, the one you loved so greatly said, “I just don’t have time for you.” I remember when I was a young adult just starting life, I stayed behind as many of my friends moved away. Life for me continued and I started working, started a family, and doing the things you do in life. I can remember the expectation they would have whenever these friends would come home. Often I would get a call, “So and so is home so we have to hang out.” I would say, “Listen, I have things to do! Just because I stayed behind doesn’t mean I can drop everything now that you are here, and entertain you!”
So many people don’t even consider God unless there is a reason to. I have seen Christians plan their lives, live their lives, do just about anything before they would do a thing for God or His Kingdom. I have literally heard people say, I wanted to come to church but was busy. To so many, it’s enough for them to consider themselves a believer without giving a second thought to what that even means. God is an afterthought, if a thought at all. That is until something happens. Then they come seeking God, “Where were you God? Why did You let this happen?” The truth is, they jumped on the train of life and left God at the station. He wasn’t there because they never brought Him with!
I love what 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those WHOSE HEART IS LOYAL to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” God is with those who desire Him. In Haggai 2:7, Jesus was called the Desire of nations. I love that because in one word we get direction of God, He is to be desired!
For whatever reason people think that God is so very different than we are. I know that there are some differences but we have to remember one of the first things we learn in scripture; we are made in His image and likeness. How rejection feels to you is how it feels to Him. He has placed certain desires within us: the breath of life, the spirit to seek and yearn for Him. He has written His law upon our hearts so that there would be something that always made us look for Him, and then promised we would find Him. God wants us to want Him as greatly as He wants us. How great is this desire? It is so much that He gave us everything in the form of His Son to ensure it would happen.
In Exodus 34:14 we read, “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” That says it all. Whatever we put before Him becomes our God. Whatever we put above Him is our desire. We cannot expect to have the fullness of God, which is His blessing, while we refuse Him. Don’t seek His hand and what He can do, seek His face or Who He is. Put God first and watch how your life will change. Living for Him isn’t boring, it’s truly living. Living for God is the fullness of life and exactly what He made you to be.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff
