MARCH 2023
How much of God do you want?
How much of ourselves do we give to God? Is this a question you have ever asked yourself? It could also be put in another way. How much of God do you want? Is this a more common question that you wonder about. When you think about it, do you want a bit, or perhaps, half, or all of Him. Our actions determine how much of Him we really want. Whatever we say, or do however, Papa desires that we have ALL of Him.
This was why Jesus hung on the Cross with His Arms stretched wide open. The greatest invitation of love that we have ever seen, which declares loudly, (Isaiah 55 v 1) imploring " come to Me….." How responsive are we to such an invitation.
So what do you think is Almighty God's greatest desire for your life when you come? His greatest desire is to mould you and I into the likeness of His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2 v 10 says that we are God's workmanship. This means He is doing a work in us Himself. So, if that is the case, then how does that align with your desire and mine? Do we really want to look or act like Jesus? Do we want to learn His ways and acts, or do we simply prefer our ways. This was Moses' cry. Have we noticed that God's ways bring perfect results, while we struggle when we go it our way, and our results aren't impressive unless God has involved Himself somehow.
This is one of those situations where to move forward, you have to go back a little. How much of ourselves do we really give to Father God to work with. Do we give less than 50% or 25%. Or do we give Him only our Sunday and the rest of the week (Monday to Friday) when we are in our work place it is ours, and Saturday is our day to relax. Some peoples lives are so compartmentalised, and we feel Father God should know where and what part of our lives He is welcome into. He also needs to stay out of certain parts because we like to be in control.
Looking at this from another perspective, do we give Him certain parts of our heart and then lock up most other parts. When thoughts come from those areas, He wants to discuss with us, we tend to ignore it because that's not available for Him to enter into. Like the person you just served in the office, what do you expect him to do so you finish working on his file application quickly. The promotion that your boss failed to give you, did that make your enthusiasm for your job diminish and you began to miss days at work?
When Father God says, "let's discuss that gossip session you had with your friend on the way from church when you spoke so disparaging about the Pastors wife, because you didn't like what she wore." Do you ignore Him, and decide that's not Father God's voice because you don't think that part of your life should be Father God's business.
You see, just as we want all of God, He desires all of us. I would say that because He created us, He is fully entitled to us. However, He is a Father of such grace, that He doesn't come from that place of entitlement. He would rather that we give ourselves to Him, out of a place of passionate and intimate love and trust in Him. He wants us to yield all of ourselves to Him. He prefers to work with a heart yielded wholeheartedly to Him. He desires a heart that is devoted to Him and fully committed to His ways.
Our total trust and faith in Him is shown in our ability to yield wholeheartedly. The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11v 6). He wants us to love Him with our mind, strength, heart and soul (Mark 12 v 29-31). In this way our intimate relationship with Him, will be driven by a love for Him that is in response to His first love for us (1 John 4 v 19).
He also goes ahead to promise that even our children shall be taught by Him and great shall be their peace (Isaiah 54 v 13). What an awesome promise. These differences between the generations is becoming so stark, that we need Father God to infuse our generation, the one before ours and the one ahead with love, mutual respect and honour. Father God seems to work in three generations at a time, so the rich fullness of this will only be fully achieved if we are open to the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Prayer…. Father God, we realise now more fully that we have not yielded ourselves fully to You.
We are so sorry, and ask for Your forgiveness.
We ask for a heart's desire to do this more fully. We pray for hearts that are renewed and fully committed to You. We pray for more trust, faith and a deep hunger for God's Word. We ask You to draw us intimately into Your Heart, and to teach us Your ways, in Jesus's peerless Name.
Amen.
