Companionship

"'Don't let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God, and trust also in me.

there is more than enough room in my Father's home.

If this were not so,

would I have told you that I am going 

to prepare a place for you?

When everything is ready,

I will come and get you,

so that you will always be with me where I am.

And you know the way to where I am going.'"

John 14:1-3 NLT

God is all about togetherness.  He has been from the beginning.  He wants to enjoy closeness with me.  He made me for Himself.  So, when He sent Jesus, its no surprise that His mission was restoration of this bond that has been broken by sin (Romans 5:10, John 3:17).  It's what He really wants; for us to be together.

What does this companionship with God look like in the here and now?

Connection.  There is only one God, but three parts.  Our God is a triune God: each person separate and distinct, yet completely and fully God.  In the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I see a picture of what it means for me to be connected to God.

Jesus is the conduit, the delivery system that transports all the good things from God to us.  In His death, I am offered abundant, eternal life, all through faith in Jesus.  Therefore, it is vital that I stay connected to this delivery system, Jesus, in order to continue receiving the power I need to live a fruitful life.  I can't produce the fruit on my own.  It comes from my connection to Jesus (John 15:5)  

Jesus demonstrated the need I have for my heavenly Father when He walked the earth as a man.  He said, "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19) There is a relationship there where the Son resembles the Father in character, but all power and authority comes from the Father.  He is the source.  

Jesus set the example but He is also the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Therefore, I must stay connected to Jesus to receive the power to live as I'm called to live.  This ability to love, to have peace that makes no sense, to experience joy, to be able to wait, it all comes straight from the Father, delivered through the Son and installed into my operating system by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus is my connection to my Father as the Source and His Spirit is the manifestation of that relationship.

Exchange.  To live as a child of God through faith in Jesus, I must stop fighting against Him.  In order to live in His house as His daughter, I must yield to His plan for my life.  As a rule, what God wants for me is at odds with what I want for myself (Galatians 5:17).  Therefore, if I am to live in the peace with God that Jesus secured for me, I must stop resisting His work and let Him have His way.

Jesus beautifully and powerfully modeled this obedience to His Father's bidding when He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane before His trial, suffering and death.  As He prayed to His Father, dreading the horrible ordeal He was facing, He appealed to Him, asking His Father to "take this cup of suffering away from me." (Luke 22:42a NLT)  Then, in submission to His Father's wishes He continued, "Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (v 42b NLT)  This is to be my attitude as well.

Companionship with God means exchanging my will for His.

Enjoy.  Contrary to popular belief, religion is not dry and boring.  Well, maybe religion is, but relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and expressed by the Holy Spirit in my heart is meant to be enjoyed.  It is what I was made for so it makes sense that it would be what brings the greatest sense of fulfillment and joy (Psalm 37:4, Matthew 6:33).

The Sons of Korah, those singers of psalms, knew the joy that comes from living in relationship with the One who made them.  They sang to the Lord, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." (Psalm 84:10)  Were they saying the most fulfilling service is that which is done to the Lord, or were they speaking of their relationship with God?  Since one came through the court in order to enter into the King's presence or to draw close to God in His temple, I believe they were singing of communion with their Father.  There is nothing better than to be in the presence of the Lord, for that is what I was made for!

I was created to live in relationship with God, and this companionship is where joy is found.

Loneliness is perhaps one of mankind's greatest modes of suffering.  It hurts to live this life alone and I was not meant for such agony.  Instead, I was made for relationship, primarily with the One who made me.  Therefore, when I enter into a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ I'll find the connection with Him is vital, and that it is necessary to stop fighting against Him and exchange His will for mine, and that I was meant to enjoy Him forever.  This is the companionship for which I was made.  This is the companionship for which I have been searching.  This is true companionship!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let my guard down so that He can draw as close as He wants to me.

When am I afraid of intimacy with God?

How am I resisting His will in my life?

So He Prayed

"But when they said,

'Give us a king to lead us,'

this displeased Samuel;

so he prayed to the LORD."

1 Samuel 8:6

He couldn't believe his ears.  After all he had done for them, a lifetime of service as their prophet and leader, all the sacrifices he had made for them, and these people had the audacity to discard the rich heritage the Lord had supplied?  I admit my sons are not fit to serve as leaders, but a king?  Are they serious?  How dare they rebuff me in such a way!  Samuel was irritated to say the least.  Have these people any loyalty?  Is there a grateful bone in their body?

When Samuel was irked by the attitude of the people, he could have done many things.  He could have given the people a piece of his mind, walked off in a huff, sought revenge, or come up with a plan to minimize the fallout from such a request and perhaps try to turn the tide in his favor.  Instead, Samuel turned to the Lord in prayer.  When he did, Samuel learned a few things.

When I make my first response when irritated, disappointed or hurt to talk to the Lord, I will also discover a few things I would otherwise never learn.

Learn God's Will

I'm sure that I am right.  The strength of my conviction is strong.  I surge forward in confidence, convinced that what I'm about to do is exactly what needs to be done.  Before I know it, my best laid plan is failing and the fallout is quite extensive.  Where did I go wrong?  I ask myself.

It's easy to think I have a good plan.  After all, it seems so right to me.  Unfortunately, my line of thinking is faulty, tainted by my sin nature and narrow in it's point-of-view.  It's no surprise, then, that my way is not the best way.  (Proverbs 14:12)

When I make my first step after hearing news that hurts me to the core, flies in the face of what I feel is proper, or disappoints me deeply, to cry out to God, I will learn at least some of the plan He has for me.  Otherwise, I'll just follow my own.

When Samuel turned to God, he was given his marching orders.  It may not have made sense to him to go ahead and give the people what they asked for, but this is what God said to do.  In the same way, when I spend time with the Lord in prayer, seeking out His will in a situation, He will show me exactly what He has prepared in advance for me to do. (Ephesians 2:10) This is why it is so important to stay connected to the Source. (John 15:4-5) Apart from Him I will never know the path He has marked out for me to follow. (Psalm 16:11, Hebrews 12:1)

So, when I am hurt by a friend's words, I can either vent to the first person I come across, or I can turn it over to the Lord.  If I do the latter, I will learn how He wants me to proceed and I can be assured that His way will bring about healing and growth.

When my rights have been violated and I can't believe the treatment I'm receiving at work, I am ready to hire a lawyer and sue.  Everyone tells me I am justified in such an action and to neglect doing so would be to let justice fail.  If I make my first step to seek the Lord, however, I will learn the way He has planned for me.  His aim is to glorify His name and purify my heart, not defend my honor.

When those involved in a ministry I've been appointed to lead suddenly drop away, my first reaction is to take it personally.  Therefore, it seems the obvious first step would be to seek reconciliation with the people I'm convinced I have offended.  If I turn to the Lord with an open heart, however, I will learn what God really wants me to do and my mind will be set at ease.

I will only find out what God wants me to do in a difficult situation if I go to Him at once.

Discover God's Mysterious Ways

If it were up to Samuel, I'm sure he would have denied the peoples' request for a king.  He could give many godly reasons why this was not a good decision, starting with the fact that God had instituted a system of government which was far different than seen in any other nation.  God sent judges to rule the land of the Israelites as His own representative, to lead them and to remind them of God's ways. (Judges 2:16-18)  Even though Samuel knew a king was not a good idea, God's plan was for Samuel to give them what they wanted.  This weary leader would have never discovered such an outlandish plan if He had not first consulted the Lord.

There is no way I can comprehend the plans God has for my life. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) My way of thinking is so different from God's!  I may think it best to follow the smooth, straight path, but He knows the most excellent way for me to travel is down the rocky road filled with potholes.  

As Isaiah prophesied to the people of Judah, revealing God's plan of punishment at the hand of the Babylonians, the prophet reminded them of His superior way of thinking.(Isaiah 55:8-9) While they may have thought they were standing on solid ground, only He knows what was needed to bring His people back in submission to Him.

Therefore, it is imperative that I seek out God's will in every situation, big and small.  If I only follow my own shallow, self-centered way of thinking, I will miss out on an opportunity to go through situations which will strengthen my faith, or tackle obstacles which will give me a bigger view of God, or endure suffering which will humble me and exalt the Lord.  Whatever the outcome, I will never know the strange and baffling path God has designed for me to follow unless I seek Him first and foremost.

I will only discover God's mysterious plan for a difficult situation if I go to Him at once.

Gain God's Perspective

From Samuel's point of view, the people's request for a king was a rejection of him as their leader.  He thought they had grown weary of his leadership and couldn't bear the thought of another prophet at the helm.  It could be he was offended by their appeal, taking it personally, as if they were rejecting his patient and gentle leadership.  He must have been taken aback, surprised by their sudden change of heart.

Once Samuel turned to the Lord, however, he discovered a new perspective and the true state of the peoples' hearts.  It was not he they were rejecting.  His leadership was not what they were refusing.  Instead, it was God's headship they no longer wanted.  This higher perspective must have given Samuel a whole new outlook.  It would have surely sobered him to realize the depth of their depravity.  Surely they don't mean to kick God Himself to the curb! he could have thought.

It's easy for me to take offense when I'm treated cruelly.  If I take it to the Lord, however, I'll learn what is beneath the behavior.  The nastiness could come from past hurts, a low opinion of oneself, or fear.  Whatever the root of the conduct, a revelation that comes from God gives me a whole new perspective, allowing me to see things in a more godly manner.  Then I can let the love of God flow to the suffering soul.

While I may naturally see the way I've been violated, I will never know the backstory unless I turn to God for His perspective.  Once I see more of the big picture, I discover that my role is only a tiny part in the larger scheme of things.  Suddenly, my rights don't seem like such a big deal in relation to God's greater plan.

Even though I am naturally offended when snubbed, turning to God with my hurts will result in my learning more than what I could have observed on my own.  As I gain more understanding, I'll be able to see how little my own easily-hurt feelings matter when considering the good that will come out of the situation.

I will only discover God's perspective of a difficult situation if I go to Him at once.

In the same way that Samuel was irritated by the people's surprise request for a king, I easily take offense when my toes are stepped on.  If I take a cue from the long-ago prophet and judge and use the disappointment as an opportunity to pray to the Lord, I will learn God's will in the situation, discover some of the mystery behind His ways, and gain a bit of His perspective.  In so doing, I will realize the importance of taking every situation, good and bad, as a chance to turn to God in prayer.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to talk to Him before I act.

When do I react before I even think about praying?

How do I let situations control me instead of turning that control over to God?       

The Divider

"Do not suppose

that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I did not come to bring peace,

but a sword."

Matthew 10:34

Jesus would not have won the Nobel Peace Prize.  The winner of the prestigious award should have, in the words of Alfred Nobel*, "...done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." 

Instead, Jesus came to turn, "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-36)  The reason for this division is simple.  There is no fence-sitting when it come to Jesus.  His words as recorded in Matthew 12:30 proclaim, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  I must make a choice; "Yea" or "Nay."

My Will or His Will

Jesus is a divider in the way He requires His followers to not just know about Him, but to choose to follow in His footsteps by obeying our heavenly Father at all costs.  Jesus did not have the problem that I do of choosing His own comfort above His Father's will. 

Even when faced with abandonment by the ones He loved, humiliating and torturous treatment all ending with an excruciating death on a cross and separation for a time from His Father, Jesus chose obedience. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

I am faced with this dilemma throughout my day.  Do I listen to the still small Voice telling me to not buy that certain something that I've wanted for a long time and finally have the money to purchase?  How about when a desperate neighbor rings my doorbell when I'm in the middle of something important and don't want to be bothered?  Or when it's pouring down rain and I'm late for an appointment, passing by the mother and three children walking alongside the road?

Jesus pits my will against that of His Father's.  It's a choice between my will or His will.

My Flesh or His Righteousness

I have often heard it said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And in fact, this is what Jesus said to his disciples as recorded in Mark 14:38 when they were struggling to stay awake and pray for Him in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was taken away.  Later, the apostle Paul addressed this problem with the weakness of our flesh.

Paul explained the cycle of futility in which we want to do what is right, but our flesh desires the opposite.  He concludes with, "So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." (Romans 7:25) 

The good news is that we are freed as slaves to sin! But that only means I am not forced to follow my fleshly desires.  I have a choice to prefer God's righteousness over my natural inclinations.  But it's still a choice.

I am often faced with this quandary.  Do I give into the frustrations that well up within me when things don't go my way, or do I turn to my Father and instead focus on Him and His hand in my life?  Do I continue eating because it tastes so good and I don't feel satisfied with what I've already consumed, or do I look to the Father for genuine contentment?  Do I draw my sense of security from the money I have saved up and the investments I have made, trusting in these things to give me a secure future, or do I trust my Father to supply all my needs by giving it all away to those who need it now?

Jesus pits my natural inclinations against His Spirit.  It's a choice between walking in the flesh or walking in His Spirit.

My Heart or His Heart

My heart is often filled with anxiety, judgmentalism, and fear.  It's not a pretty place.  Even though I often hear the advice to follow my heart, God teaches otherwise in Jeremiah 17:9.  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (KJV)  I have a choice to follow my heart which will lead me away from God and His ways, or I can follow the heart of Jesus. 

Jesus taught me to, ". . . not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." (John 14:1)  Putting my trust in Jesus means choosing His heart over mine.  Where was Jesus' heart?  It was with the downcast, the poor, the outcasts of society.  He came to save the lost, not those who think they already have it all together.

Who do I choose to hang out with?  It is usually with people like me, people who desire to grow closer to God and learn more about Him.  People who have a similar upbringing, beliefs and values.  In essence, people with whom I am comfortable.

What about the drug addict who sits on his front porch at all hours of the day and night, alone and despondent?  Or the single mom struggling to raise her children on her own?  Or the Muslim family who prays five times a day to a god made of stone?  Are these people I would choose to hang out with as Jesus did, revealing His heart?

Jesus pits my heart against His heart.  It's a choice between following my deceitful heart, or going after the things that touch the heart of Jesus.

Following Jesus is not easy.  It is filled with difficult choices that take me to the will, the desires and the heart.  I can take comfort in knowing that the struggle is not in vain, however, for it will bring me a crown of life!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can choose Jesus above all other things.

Where do I follow my heart, desires and comfort without giving a second thought to God?

How often do I seek God's will throughout the day rather than functioning on auto-pilot, choosing to do what comes naturally? 

* http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/