We love because he first loved us.
-- 1 John 4:19
If you’ve ever suffered any degree of loneliness, you know that we were not made to live alone! God wired us to experience love—both to give it and to receive it. We need intimacy… the sharing of love and life with another.
When God saw that Adam was alone, he created Eve. ow, you may not feel cut out for marriage, but you are still created for intimacy. And God prepares opportunities for intimacy in a variety of ways. The Bible says God sets the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6) to help us meet this innate need for community. For many Christians, fellowship in their local church helps fill the need.
But human relationships alone cannot really satisfy the need for intimacy. That’s because we’re wired first to be intimate with God. This is why so many people feel separated and cut off from life and cut off from a valuable future. They don’t have a relationship with God.
When you feel disconnected from life and purpose for no apparent reason, when you sense that nagging, empty, itching loneliness that draws you to something beyond human relationship, seek intimacy with God. You were made to know him. He knows your name and he’s calling your name today. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
ONLY GOD CAN SATISFY THE HEART’S DESIRE FOR INTIMACY.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
IRON IN YOUR SOUL
“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”
-- Luke 6:22
If you and I are determined to live for God, we will face times of adversity. The words of Jesus in today’s verse make it clear that we will face persecution for our faith.
That was certainly the case of Joseph who lived a godly life in front of his family and yet he was sold into slavery. He lived a godly life inside Potiphar’s house and yet he was falsely accused, maligned, and imprisoned. And Joseph even lived a godly life in prison and yet was forgotten and left there to die.
Miraculously, through all these hardships, Joseph never became angry or bitter. He trusted God’s purpose in his life. So Joseph grew in wisdom, courage, character, and endurance through the prison of his circumstances. In fact, Psalm 105 says that God put iron into Joseph’s soul through those difficulties.
Listen! Hard times are ahead for us, too. We need the iron in our soul that comes from walking through adversity God’s way.
When adversity comes your way, trust God with your life. Don’t let adversity make you bitter, but allow it to make you a better follower of Christ Jesus.
WE NEED THE IRON IN OUR SOUL THAT COMES FROM WALKING THROUGH ADVERSITY GOD’S WAY.
-- Luke 6:22
If you and I are determined to live for God, we will face times of adversity. The words of Jesus in today’s verse make it clear that we will face persecution for our faith.
That was certainly the case of Joseph who lived a godly life in front of his family and yet he was sold into slavery. He lived a godly life inside Potiphar’s house and yet he was falsely accused, maligned, and imprisoned. And Joseph even lived a godly life in prison and yet was forgotten and left there to die.
Miraculously, through all these hardships, Joseph never became angry or bitter. He trusted God’s purpose in his life. So Joseph grew in wisdom, courage, character, and endurance through the prison of his circumstances. In fact, Psalm 105 says that God put iron into Joseph’s soul through those difficulties.
Listen! Hard times are ahead for us, too. We need the iron in our soul that comes from walking through adversity God’s way.
When adversity comes your way, trust God with your life. Don’t let adversity make you bitter, but allow it to make you a better follower of Christ Jesus.
WE NEED THE IRON IN OUR SOUL THAT COMES FROM WALKING THROUGH ADVERSITY GOD’S WAY.
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