Post by solitarysoul on Jan 3, 2007 15:43:51 GMT -5
Today's Scripture
"So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:11)
Today's Word
It sometimes seems today like people believe that loving God is simply a matter of acknowledging that He loves us. Many people will say they love God, but what many of them may mistakingly really value is the blessings from God, rather than the actual relationship they have with Him.
This can be well compared to many relationships today, which, ironically usually end in breakup or divorce. Many people will say they love someone, and they think they really do, but then once something goes bad, once that person hurts them or does something they don't like, they aren't really there for them like they should be, they get upset and may even leave the person because in reality it isn't the person they love, it is the attention and joy they get from that person. So if for a while those blessings stop coming, they seek a new source of happyness. I've had several friends in the past and one person in particular who I was much closer to, who all claimed to have loved me. But true love cannot be broken, it is eternal and is without fear or worry. That person sticks with you through the good and the bad at whatever cost. These people would love my presence when everything was great, when they were happy and being pleased or entertained by me being there with them. But if I was having a bad day or treated someone wrongly, they would turn away and find someone else, instead of loving and forgiving. That is not real love, but simply loving the blessings that person may give us.
Similarly, many people today tend to simply enjoy the blessings they get from God, but that's all. They even take many things for granted, and do not often praise and thanks God for what He has given us. But then once something goes wrong in our lives, we turn to God in prayer, begging Him to fix things. Is this loving God? No this is loving the gifts, but not the giver.
God wants to have a very close relationship with all of us. Many Christians call Him Lord and Father, and worship Him during scheduled times of day or once a week, but they do not have a true close relationship with Him. The Bible says that God wants us to be friends with Him. God should be our best friend.
But how does an omnipotent invisible being become our best friend?
I'll share with you two "secrets" that I have learned over the past several years. If you know me in person, you realize how quiet of a guy I am. Many people look down on quietness, but it has actually taught me things that have changed my life forever. I remember a few of my friends back in high school use to joke about if I had found the meaning of life yet, because I'm always so quiet, just sitting around thinking about things. Well the amusing part is, I don't think anyone, especially me, ever took it seriously, because to be honest I have always hated being quiet, I just havn't been able to help it. But ironically, I have in fact discovered the meaning of life, and it is really pretty simple. The purpose of life is to simply love and glorify God in everything you do.
I have grown very close to God over the past several years because of two reasons, which I actually did not discover are written in the Bible until after I had already been practicing this. You can very easily have a continuous conversation with God. I will elaborate more on that in tomorrow's devotional. If you communicate with God continuously, and also meditate on His Word all the time, God will become your best friend. You will start to experience His presence, and He will even share secrets with you. When you reach this kind of real relationship with God, you will never truly feel alone, because you will over time learn to know in your heart that God really is there with you. But be careful not to do this for the purpose of experiencing God's presence. Sometimes you will not feel anything. If you praise God for the purpose of trying to feel something, you are doing it for the wrong reason, as I stated in the beginning of this devotional. It is great to experience His presence of course, and He wants us to, but to praise God and love Him, we must do it for the purpose of glorifying Him, for His pleasure, not ours.
Over the next couple days I'll send devotionals that follow up a bit on this one, that will share what I've learned and how I've grown so close to God, and am growing closer every day. It is important to learn that what God desires most out of us is our faith in Him, and a real personal loving relationship with Him. You cannot love God if you do not know Him, and you cannot know God if you do not know the Bible well and learn how to communicate with Him and praise Him continuosly.
Make an effort to become more personal with the real loving God, rather than just praising Him through our worldly doctrines and churches. Before there ever was a church or a religion of any kind, God had a very close relationship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They enjoyed His presence, and He enjoyed theirs. That is the kind of relationship with God we should all seek to have if we truly believe in Him, love Him, and wish to join Him in His Kingdom.
Today's Prayer
God, living in a physical world with so many temptations and distractions, it is often very difficult to even remember that you are there. I want you to be first in my life and I want to learn how to praise you continuosly and to truly love you for who you are. Please help me to recognize that it is you I should love, not just your blessings, and please help me to learn how to always put you first in my life, and to make you my real best friend. Amen
Today's Task
Today see how often you can remember to praise God and be thankful for what you have. If you're doing great right now, you have many things to be thankful for. Let God know that you really are thankful for recieving them. If you are not doing so great right now, thank God for what you do still have, and as you go about your day, whisper under your breath or in your mind short little prayers, not simply for you to gain blessings, but praises toward God. Tell Him you know He loves you, or you wish to love Him more, or that you are very grateful for what He has given you, etc.
If you would like to recieve these devotionals as a daily e-mail, PM me your e-mail address and I'll you to the mailing list. God Bless
Written By: Scott Morgan
Bible passages taken from the New Living Translation
"So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:11)
Today's Word
It sometimes seems today like people believe that loving God is simply a matter of acknowledging that He loves us. Many people will say they love God, but what many of them may mistakingly really value is the blessings from God, rather than the actual relationship they have with Him.
This can be well compared to many relationships today, which, ironically usually end in breakup or divorce. Many people will say they love someone, and they think they really do, but then once something goes bad, once that person hurts them or does something they don't like, they aren't really there for them like they should be, they get upset and may even leave the person because in reality it isn't the person they love, it is the attention and joy they get from that person. So if for a while those blessings stop coming, they seek a new source of happyness. I've had several friends in the past and one person in particular who I was much closer to, who all claimed to have loved me. But true love cannot be broken, it is eternal and is without fear or worry. That person sticks with you through the good and the bad at whatever cost. These people would love my presence when everything was great, when they were happy and being pleased or entertained by me being there with them. But if I was having a bad day or treated someone wrongly, they would turn away and find someone else, instead of loving and forgiving. That is not real love, but simply loving the blessings that person may give us.
Similarly, many people today tend to simply enjoy the blessings they get from God, but that's all. They even take many things for granted, and do not often praise and thanks God for what He has given us. But then once something goes wrong in our lives, we turn to God in prayer, begging Him to fix things. Is this loving God? No this is loving the gifts, but not the giver.
God wants to have a very close relationship with all of us. Many Christians call Him Lord and Father, and worship Him during scheduled times of day or once a week, but they do not have a true close relationship with Him. The Bible says that God wants us to be friends with Him. God should be our best friend.
But how does an omnipotent invisible being become our best friend?
I'll share with you two "secrets" that I have learned over the past several years. If you know me in person, you realize how quiet of a guy I am. Many people look down on quietness, but it has actually taught me things that have changed my life forever. I remember a few of my friends back in high school use to joke about if I had found the meaning of life yet, because I'm always so quiet, just sitting around thinking about things. Well the amusing part is, I don't think anyone, especially me, ever took it seriously, because to be honest I have always hated being quiet, I just havn't been able to help it. But ironically, I have in fact discovered the meaning of life, and it is really pretty simple. The purpose of life is to simply love and glorify God in everything you do.
I have grown very close to God over the past several years because of two reasons, which I actually did not discover are written in the Bible until after I had already been practicing this. You can very easily have a continuous conversation with God. I will elaborate more on that in tomorrow's devotional. If you communicate with God continuously, and also meditate on His Word all the time, God will become your best friend. You will start to experience His presence, and He will even share secrets with you. When you reach this kind of real relationship with God, you will never truly feel alone, because you will over time learn to know in your heart that God really is there with you. But be careful not to do this for the purpose of experiencing God's presence. Sometimes you will not feel anything. If you praise God for the purpose of trying to feel something, you are doing it for the wrong reason, as I stated in the beginning of this devotional. It is great to experience His presence of course, and He wants us to, but to praise God and love Him, we must do it for the purpose of glorifying Him, for His pleasure, not ours.
Over the next couple days I'll send devotionals that follow up a bit on this one, that will share what I've learned and how I've grown so close to God, and am growing closer every day. It is important to learn that what God desires most out of us is our faith in Him, and a real personal loving relationship with Him. You cannot love God if you do not know Him, and you cannot know God if you do not know the Bible well and learn how to communicate with Him and praise Him continuosly.
Make an effort to become more personal with the real loving God, rather than just praising Him through our worldly doctrines and churches. Before there ever was a church or a religion of any kind, God had a very close relationship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They enjoyed His presence, and He enjoyed theirs. That is the kind of relationship with God we should all seek to have if we truly believe in Him, love Him, and wish to join Him in His Kingdom.
Today's Prayer
God, living in a physical world with so many temptations and distractions, it is often very difficult to even remember that you are there. I want you to be first in my life and I want to learn how to praise you continuosly and to truly love you for who you are. Please help me to recognize that it is you I should love, not just your blessings, and please help me to learn how to always put you first in my life, and to make you my real best friend. Amen
Today's Task
Today see how often you can remember to praise God and be thankful for what you have. If you're doing great right now, you have many things to be thankful for. Let God know that you really are thankful for recieving them. If you are not doing so great right now, thank God for what you do still have, and as you go about your day, whisper under your breath or in your mind short little prayers, not simply for you to gain blessings, but praises toward God. Tell Him you know He loves you, or you wish to love Him more, or that you are very grateful for what He has given you, etc.
If you would like to recieve these devotionals as a daily e-mail, PM me your e-mail address and I'll you to the mailing list. God Bless
Written By: Scott Morgan
Bible passages taken from the New Living Translation