Relating with God...

I will like to start with this conversation between 2 friends. Let us call them friend A and friend B.

Conversation:

Friend A: Tnx so much bro B…God bless U

Tnx for?....: Friend B

Friend A: Everytin,…time…care…concernin….etc

Lol…I shd say that of U,: Friend B

time…care….encouragement…etc,

ok… tnx sis…too

Friend A: <smiles> don’t mention u deserve d tnx more

Uuuuu <smiles>: Friend B

Friend A: Ok…

If you were you, would you marry yourself? That’s a great question… What can you say about yourself? Are you working to be the best? Would you love others if they were you? This is what God says concerning himself and us: Be ye holy; for I am holy - I Pet 1:16

Now life is great and beautiful when 2 friends meet and give their best to each other. But the most interesting and blessed part is where one thinks the other is the greatest thing to happen to him and the other thinks it’s the other that is the greatest and best thing to happen. Just like the conversation above. That sometimes reminds us of couples or people in courtship.

Same thing with God. He says concerning us: 

 You are the apple of His eyes – Zech 2:8

We are called His friends – Jam 2:23

You are fearfully and wonderfully made – Ps 139:14

You are chosen to be special – Deut 7:6

He has plans already made out to give you and I a future and a hope – Jer 29:11

Its amazing what God says about us and how He sees us that He would sent a pure Jesus, to die for us or to leave His treasured Holy spirit to be with us until the end of age. 

Now note: it’s not a matter of class or status or ability because those 2 friends may differ in class. In other words, God and us differ entirely in class and ability. He can do all things, He is omnipotent, omniscience and omnipresent. Clearly speaking, He is not a man. Yet He still feels this way concerning us…He still will reveal His plans and secrets to us…Amos 3:7; He still will rescue us and turn things around for our sakes when need be.

But the other part which is quite disturbing is that what do we have to say concerning Him? Do we still see Him as that compulsory good old burden, like how we see our grand-parents…too old and good but a burden? Is it because of His many rules we cant do all we love to…I mean is His laws too conditional for us? Atimes it’s like we would love to have all the partying, playing around, drinking if not for the strict, and ever frowning judge called called God and the police called satan and the bullet called sin. You know, let us imagine if sex and drinking and living an ungodly life were not sin but were just things that competed with God’s time for our attention, will we still stick to God or the world system? Assuming reading the word only gave us little benefit like loving a person, will we still stick to it? Sin does nothing to God except that is separates us from Him and make us miss His goodness. So, cant we give up what separates us from Him?

Until we get to the point where just as God thinks we are the best things to happen to all His creation, that He could send his only Son to die for, while still in sin oh; He would remain a Father even when we fall, He will stand ready to receive us even when we deny Him; that He is ready to leave His spirit with till the end of time, that He is ready to share His wealth and kingdom with; it is only then we can see God as worth our dieing like Jesus, as worth our leaving our best with like the Holy spirit, as worth sharing our wealth, money and profit with in tithes and offerings , as worth loving even when it seems we don’t get answers to prayers, as worth our standing for like the 3 Hebrews should He not protect us. It is only then would we love the relationship and want it more, giving room for it to grow not in a climate of “what He can do for us” alone, but for “what we can do also for Him”.

Conclusion:

Just as God chose you before the foundation of the world and called you to be his, you should choose him to the end of the age.

Just as He came to earth for you, you should be ready to go to heaven for Him at all costs

Jesus became humble and gave up big title to come to earth, you should be humble and give up big title to get to heaven.

God personally died for your sins, you should be ready to personally die for God’s cause if need be

God made sure someone explained the gospel to you, you should be ready to explain God to someone today

Just the same way you love to say I am a child of God, He loves to say.. I am your loving father

Just the same way He blesses us, he says to us, Come bless the Lord

Just as He says that our bodies are the temple of His Holy spirit, we should like Paul say: in Him we live and Have our being.Acts 17:28

There is God in Everything We Do...Romans 1:20

One morning, on my way to office I observed that things look a bit strange, that though they seem normal, they do not look like they just happened, like a sort of accident. It looked more like they were programmed, like some one is controlling things or as if there is something much more than just those movements. Well such thoughts are more firm and if you will agree, confirmed when you look at the world suspended and floating and then you come to think of it - just floating?, when if you were to float a bubble or fly a kite, they will definitely hit something along their path and be destroyed or at best, float out of your immediate space and control. Or ever wondered how a child is conceived after the sperm touches the ova and something without bones begin to get bones and teeth, something that was liquid end up producing a solid mass-bones. If you keep imagining along that line, you will see that things are not just ordinary and that you can interprete and read God through the lines.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: - Rom 1:20

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.-Ps 19:1

David saw God in the act of killing Saul thats why he said: "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master...to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD."- 1 Sam 24:6. Joseph seeing God in the act of sinning against him also said: "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"- Gen 39:9. 

In other words, when we see God in everything we do we rise above human limits, feelings, pity etc. The reason for avoiding sin and troubles will not be fear of avoiding punishment or what men or the church will say but fear of failing God, and disobeying His instructions. All this makes life easy to live. The knowledge that there is a big God out there at the centre of it all that can handle just anything is enough encouragement.

When we begin to see God in everything we do, then we will also function effectively in our churches and various departments. We would mind how we speak to our leaders and to each other. We would respect them enough yet be bold to tell them the truth, like David to Saul even after the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul. 

Acknowledgment:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/davesconnect/works/2039996-romans-1-20
https://www.pinterest.com/lauramarquez50/religion/

Counting your benefits...Psalm 103:2

 

Many times we pray, pray and pray over issues in our life. After all that prayer, we walk away expecting our prayers to come to us answered and announced. Life rarely works that way. It takes a good deal of watching to see your prayers answered and then acknowledging the source of the answers. This is the reason why many of our prayers and desires are answered and provided for but we never seem to see them. In fact, God provides many good things to us which we rarely ever acknowledge him for. Health, strength, life, breath, ability to walk, talk, run, jump, think straight, write, type etc, the list is endless.

Psalm 64:9 and 107:43 higlights the fact that it takes wisdom to see and acknowledge God working. So getting to see and acknowledge all of God's goodness to you and me is not just about knowing without some searching. Atimes, we may have to wisely search to see the wonderful things God has done for us - that is why we are to "wisely consider of his doing". So at most times I can see God has answered my prayers, but at other times, I have to sit back and reflect and search out the cases where he has answered me particularly in ways and time I never expected because his ways and thought and timing are different from ours - Isaiah 55:8.

So we have to like the Psalmist tell ourselves: "Bless the Lord O my Soul, and forget not ALL his benefits". How many times do we forget the many things he has done for us when we fail to note our requests and the answers; when we are not wachful in the spirit to the many ways he answers us; when we are not patient and may move out of our places of answered prayers; and when we are easily carried away by our endless prayer points and requests? Note that word: ALL...all his goodness to us-that may seem impossible but is enough assignment for us to do through our period on earth.

Forgetfulness can rob us of many blessings and build ingratitude unconsciuosly. When we do not recognise God's answers, we fail to acknowledge him, and how then can we get more? We are also tempted to believe God rarely answers prayers - how then can we grow?

Our bodies have a way of seeking after vain things, so we need to tell it out, even aloud to ourselves, Bless the Lord o my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name. A Hymn writer puts it well when he said: 

Count your blessings name them one by one

Count your blessings see what God has done

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

 

Acknowledgement:

Images: http://www.biblesinger.com/count_your_blessings/;                                                      https://joseyphina.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/count-your-blessings/

Hymn: Johnson Oatman