"For the land will be deserted by them
and will enjoy its Sabbaths
while it lies desolate without them.
They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws
and abhorred my decrees.
Yet in spite of this,
when they are in the land of their enemies,
I will not reject them
or abhor them so as to destroy them completely,
breaking my covenant with them.
I am the LORD their God.
But for their sake I will remember the covenant
with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt
in the sight of the nations to be their God.
I am the LORD."
Leviticus 26:43-45
He was the grandson of the deposed king and was therefore considered to be an enemy of the current ruler. It was with a trembling heart, then, that he obeyed the summons of King David, entering into the mighty warrior's presence with great fear and humility.
"I am your servant, my lord." The young man bowed as low as he could get, wondering what would become of him.
"Don't worry, I am not going to hurt you. I have called you here to make good on a promise I made to your father. Due to the oath I made to Jonathan, I intend to restore all your grandfather's land to you as well as offer you an honored place in my family."
"What's the meaning of this? Why would you do this to me, your enemy? I'm as good as dead as far as you're concerned!"
David proceeded to follow through with the covenant he had made with his beloved friend Jonathan. Out of the love they shared for each other, David welcomed Mephibosheth who was up until then a crippled outcast with a price on his head. He who once was an enemy now became like family, all because of love. (1 Samuel 20:16-17, 2 Samuel 9)
It's not so different with me. I, too, was once considered to be an enemy of a powerful King because of my sin. (Romans 5:10) The difference is, however, this King did not rule an earthly kingdom as David did, but a heavenly one. The King I was pitted against was God.
Mercifully, instead of getting what I deserved, the supreme Ruler of all things did the unthinkable. Out of His great love for me, He chose me to enter into a relationship with Him as His child. (John 15:16) This adoption is only possible through the covenant sealed by Christ's death on the cross followed by His resurrection three days later. (1 John 3:1, Luke 22:20, Hebrews 9:15)
No matter what difficulty God allows into my life, then, I can be assured that He will never forget His covenant. It is not His desire to break me or punish me, but to restore, develop and shape my relationship with Him. Since it is God's intention to ever draw me closer, the only variable to my intimacy with Him is my own state of willingness.
Submit
The stubborn steer would not budge not matter how hard I pulled on the lead connected to his halter. I was in the process of training the yearling Charolais for the county fair that summer of my youth, but he wasn't progressing as I'd have liked. In order to do well in the fitting and showing portion of the competition, I would have to demonstrate a level of cooperation between me as the trainer and the animal I had spent time to prepare. The only way I would accomplish that goal was if the steer would submit to my leadership, letting me lead him.
It's not so different with me. I often balk at God's attempts to direct me, lead me and train me. Instead of letting go of my desire to rule my own life and give Him control, I choose to fight against God. It's the difference between a potter shaping a soft lump of clay as opposed to attempting to mold a dried-out piece. One will conform into the shape he intended while the other is impossible to work with.
I have never grown so much in my bond with the Lord as I have in the past year. It's not because I'm committed to studying His Word more deeply, or that I've stepped out in faith to serve Him in ways that feel uncomfortable to me, or that I've taken a risk and shared the Gospel with others. These are all good examples of the fruit He is growing in my life, evidence of my intimacy with Him, but I don't believe they are responsible for that closer bond with my Father.
Instead, it is my willingness to comply to His direction that draws me toward Him. I've grown closer to God when I trust Him enough at His Word to do as He says. In other words, my intimacy with Him is in direct proportion to my obedience to Him. Every time I resist His transforming work in my life, I drift a little further away. (Romans 12:2)
In order for my relationship with God to grow closer, I must be willing to submit to His Sovereign will.
Let Go
I've been told that one way to catch a monkey is to place a treat inside a box with a hole in one side. Once the curious animal reaches through the opening to grab the treasure, his fist will make his hand just big enough to make escape impossible. Therefore, the only way the monkey can be free from the box is if he lets go of the treat.
As you can imagine, most primates are too stubborn to let go of what drew their eye in the first place, dooming themselves to a life of captivity. In a similar way, I can be so caught up with going after what gratifies me, or stuff that I've deemed as essential, or pursuits that seem vital that I am unwilling to let go. (1 John 2:16)
If I want to grow closer to the Lord, I will need to let go of my own desires and the things I think are essential. As Jim Elliot, missionary who gave his life in obedience to God's call to share the gospel with the Auca Indians in Ecuador said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." The only thing that really matters is Christ and Him crucified: Everything else must be held with an open hand.
In order for my relationship with God to grow closer, I must be willing to let go of my own desires.
Comply
I cannot remember a time when this particular daughter rebelled against my authority as her mother. Whenever I asked her to do something, she did it without complaint. If I needed help, I'd call on her and she'd assist me in whatever way I asked. While not perfect, this child had been given a compliant spirit.
When it comes to parenting, it is much easier to lead a child that obeys. A disobedient, defiant son or daughter is a real challenge to even the best of parents. While God never struggles with how to deal with my disobedience, I make it hard on myself when I insist on doing things my way instead of His.
If I stubbornly refuse to forgive those who have hurt me, for example, it is like I'm taking poison and expecting the ones who wounded me to die. (Mark 11:25)
Or, if I stick to my guns for the principle of the thing, I forget that those who oppose me are lost and in need of a Savior. (2 Timothy 2:23-26, Matthew 28:19)
Or, if I follow the pattern of this world and run after worldly treasures, I will find my heart drawn to that which leads me away from Jesus. (Matthew 6:19-21)
In order for my relationship with God to grow closer, I must be willing to comply with His teachings.
Like Mephibosheth, I have been chosen to dine at the King's table as a precious child of God, adopted through the blood of Jesus. Therefore, I can count on Him to never leave me nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:6) When I feel far away from Him, then, it is not He that is left me, but I who has been unfaithful. I might consider that I've not been submissive to His authority in my life, or that I'm holding on to that which entices me away, or that I'm insisting on doing things my way. When I fail to submit, let go and comply, I must remember the problem lies with me. God, however, always remembers His covenant of love made possible through the sacrifice of His Son.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can live like I've been bought at a price.
When do I stubbornly stick to my own destructive ways?
How am I pushing God away in the things after which I lust?
