DURING THE 17TH CENTURY, OLIVER CROMWELL, LORD PROTECTOR OF ENGLAND, SENTENCED A SOLDIER TO BE PUT TO DEATH FOR HIS CRIMES. THE EXECUTION WAS TO TAKE PLACE AT THE RINGING OF THE EVENING CURFEW BELL.
HOWEVER, THE BELL DID NOT SOUND. THE SOLDIER’S FIANCÉ HAD CLIMBED INTO THE BELFRY AND CLUNG TO THE GREAT CLAPPER OF THE BELL TO PREVENT IT FROM STRIKING.
WHEN SHE WAS SUMMONED BY CROMWELL TO ACCOUNT FOR HER ACTIONS, SHE WEPT AS SHE SHOWED HIM HER BRUISED AND BLEEDING HANDS. CROMWELL’S HEART WAS TOUCHED AND HE WAS HEARD TO PROCLAIM, "YOUR LOVER SHALL LIVE BECAUSE OF YOUR SACRIFICE. CURFEW SHALL NOT RING TONIGHT!"
I THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT EVERYONE ABSOLUTELY ADORES A PASSIONATE AND GALLANT STORYLINE IN A LOVE STORY. ACCORDING TO “AMAZON.COM,” ROMANCE NOVELS ACCOUNT FOR 53% OF ALL MASS MARKET PAPERBACK BOOKS SOLD IN THE U.S. REACHING OVER ONE-BILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL SALES.
THE INTERESTING THING I FIND ABOUT ALL OF THESE STORIES AND THEIR ADVENTURES IS THAT ALL OF THEM ARE FICTION. YET, THE LURE OF THESE IMAGINARY TALES OF WHIRLWIND AFFECTION STILL MANAGE TO TOUCH MANY PEOPLES HEARTS.
IF WHAT IS IMAGINARY AND FICTION CAN PULL THE STRINGS OF OUR HEARTS AND UNFASTEN THE DOORS OF OUR IMAGINATION, WHAT MORE CAN ENFLAME OUR HEARTS AND BROADEN OUR LIVES OTHER THAN LIVING A REAL LOVE STORY OF HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER?
I HOPE THAT ALL OF US ARE SEEKING A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE “RELIGIOUSLY” INSTEAD OF“RELATIONALLY.”
WE SHOULD THIRST FOR GOD. WE SHOULD BE CRAVING TO HAVE A VIBRANT, GROWING, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. CRAVING INTIMACY WITH GOD IS SYNONOMOUS WITH WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF DAVID, IN PSALM 27:4, “ONE THING I HAVE DESIRED OF THE LORD, THAT WILL I SEEK: THAT I MAY DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, TO BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD, AND TO INQUIRE IN HIS TEMPLE.”
I HONESTLY DO NOT THINK YOU CAN BE TRULY HAPPY AND FILLED WITH JOY IF ALL YOU HAVE IS SUPERFICIAL SPIRITUALITY. WE MUST SEEK GOD MORE AND MORE. PSALM 42:1, “AS THE DEER PANTS FOR THE WATER BROOKS, SO PANTS MY SOUL FOR YOU, O GOD.”
THIS IS THE JOY OF BEING A CHRISTIAN IS DISCOVERING A LOVING, PERSONAL AND INTIMATE GOD WHO WANTS MORE THAN ANYTHING TO HAVE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
GOD GOES FAR AND ABOVE THE “NORM” TO INITIATE THIS INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH US. JUST CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF: WHEN ADAM AND EVE SINNED IT WAS GOD WHO PURSUED AFTER THEM TO RESTORE THE LOST RELATIONSHIP (GENESIS 3:8-9).
GOD CAME TO NOAH (GENESIS 6:11-13). GOD CAME TO ABRAHAM (GENESIS 12:1-3). GOD CAME TO EACH OF THE PROPHETS (1 SAMUEL 3:1-11). GOD CAME THROUGH HIS SON JESUS TO THE TWO MEN ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS (LUKE 24:13-27). THROUGH JESUS, GOD CAME TO SAUL ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD (ACTS 9:1-6).
OUR LOVING FATHER HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE INITIATOR. JUST AS HE CAME TO SINFUL PEOPLE IN THE PERSON OF HIS SON, JESUS, TO REDEEM US, HE NOW COMES TO SAVED PEOPLE IN THE PERSON OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT, TO INDWELL US AND FILL US WITH INTIMACY.
WE CAN HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER! WE CAN HAVE THIS CONNECTION WITH GOD IF WE WILL SIMPLY DO OUR PART WHICH IS TO FOSTER SUCH INTIMACY. AFTER ALL, ANY VIBRANT RELATIOHSHIP HAS TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE PURSUING EACH OTHER AND INTIMATELY RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER.
IF WE DESIRE TO PURSUE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP THEN LET US FIRST TRUST GOD THAT HE IS PURSUING US TOO! JEREMIAH 29:11, RECORDS GOD’S PROMISE: “FOR I KNOW THE THOUGHTS THAT I THINK TOWARD YOU…THOUGHTS OF PEACE AND NOT OF EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.”
GOD WILL NEVER LIE TO YOU (TITUS 1:2); HE WILL NEVER GO BACK ON HIS WORD (NUMBERS 23:19); AND HE WILL NEVER CHANGE ON YOU (JAMES 1:17). SIMPLY PUT, GOD IS ABSOLUTELY STELLAR, ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, AND ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY. TRUST GOD BECAUSE HE ALWAYS HAS YOUR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART.
SECONDLY, IF WE DESIRE TO PURSUE INITIMACY WITH GOD, THEN WE MUST FIRST HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WE FIND THIS SIMPLE PRINCIPLE IN JAMES 4:8, “DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU.”
WE ENSURE OUR LIVES OUR RIGHT BEFORE GOD BY ALLOWING REPENTANCE TO BE A HEALTHY PART OF OUR LIVES. WE CAN MOVE CLOSER TO GOD BY REMOVING ANY SINFUL OBSTACLE THAT COMES IN BETWEEN US. JAMES 4:8-10, “CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS; AND PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, YOU DOUBLE-MINDED…HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP.”
EVERY TIME WE CONFESS OUR SINS AND FORSAKE THEM, WE REDUCE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN GOD AND OURSELVES. EVERY TIME WE ASK GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND RECOGNIZE WHO HE IS AND WHO WE ARE, WE REDUCE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN OUR HEART AND HIS. A SECOND STEP TO TAKE TOWARD INTIMACY WITH GOD IS TO HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
THE FINAL STEP IN SEEKING INTIMACY WITH GOD IS TO COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE MY TIME AND THE NEED TO INVEST THAT TIME WITH GOD IN SOLITUDE, STILLNESS, AND SILENCE.
BUILDING INTIMACY WITH GOD IS A LIFE LONG PROCESS. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN IF ALL WE DO IS GO TO CHURCH ONE HOUR EACH WEEK OR FLIP THROUGH A DEVOTIONAL READING EACH DAY.
IF YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW GOD, YOU NOT ONLY HAVE TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM, BUT SPEND TIME IN SOLITUDE, STILLNESS, AND SILENCE. YOU NEED BLOCKS OF TIME ALONE WITH GOD.
TIME ALONE IS CRUCIAL TO DEVELOPING A MEANINGFUL RELATIOSHIP WITH GOD. INTIMACY WILL NOT COME WHILE WATCHING TELEVISION, SEARCHING THE NET OR SENDING E-MAILS. IN THIS FAST-PACED SOCIETY OF ACTIVITY, WE MUST DEVELOP THE ART OF INACTIVITY BY SITTING ALONE BEFORE GOD.
PSALM 46:10, “BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.” LET GOD COME TO YOU AND SPEAK TO YOU. ISN’T IT INTERESTING THAT YOU HAVE TWO EARS AND ONLY ONE MOUTH? SOME SAY THAT IS TO SHOW US TO DO MORE LISTENING THAN TALKING.
THAT IS TRUE! IT IS ALSO NOTED THAT THE EARS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO ALWAYS BE OPEN, BUT THE MOUTH WAS CREATED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAN BE CLOSED.
IN HIS BOOK “THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY,” A.W. TOZER WROTE, “WE HAVE LOST OUR SPIRIT OF WORSHIP AND OUR ABILITY TO WITHDRAW INWARDLY TO MEET GOD IN ADORING SILENCE.”
PLEASE DON’T BE SATISFIED WITH JUST SALVATION. PLEASE DON’T BECOME CONTENT WITH JUST KEEPING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ON A SUPERFICIAL LEVEL. PLEASE DON’T LET THIS RELATIONAL FAITH BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN RELIGION.
LET YOUR WORDS BE THE SAME AS IT WAS FOR PAUL IN PHILIPPIANS 3:10, “THAT I MAY KNOW [CHRIST] AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH.”
WHEN WE COMMIT TO DEVELOPING AN EVER-DEEPENING INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUR FATHER, WE WILL QUICKLY DISCOVER THAT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN SECURING OUR PLACE IN HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE.
AS IT STATES IN PSALM 16:11, “YOU WILL SHOW ME THE PATH OF LIFE; IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULNESS OF JOY; AT YOUR RIGHT HAND ARE PLEASURES FOREVERMORE.”
BETWEEN COMING TO KNOW THE PATH OF LIFE IN SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND THE ETERNAL PLEASURES OF LIVING WITH GOD OUR FATHER FOREVERMORE IN HEAVEN LIES THE JOY OF GOD’S CONTINUAL PRESENCE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
GET TO KNOW THAT JOY! GET TO KNOW GOD INTIMATELY! IF YOU WILL SIMPLY DO THAT MUCH, YOU WILL MAKE THE JOURNEY AS FULFILLING AND HAPPY AS THE DESTINATION! FIND INTIMACY WITH GOD, TODAY!
