Two things stood out to me that Mr. Chan said in this part of our book today….
First: God desires true intimacy with each of us, and that comes only when we trust Him enough to be fully transparent and vulnerable.
I think you would agree with me that it is really hard to be fully transparent and vulnerable in this world today. When we open ourselves up like that we often get hurt. I know I have. So we hold back. We don’t trust and we lose that special something called intimacy with that other person because we just don’t want to be hurt again.
When I had my first baby back in 1979, I felt so blessed and amazed by her! First I KNEW she was a gift from God. Second I was responsible for her every need in life. It was sometimes overwhelming when I thought about it. But it was a joy, too! She trusted me to feed her, to clothe her, play with her, and love her. My heart almost burst with joy as she learned each new thing. And when she learned to say “mama”— WOW!! When she would run to me when she was hurt or because she wanted to be with me, I almost cried! I felt so proud to be her mom. Those of you who have children, nieces, or nephews (or even pets) know what I’m talking about.
Isn’t that how we should be with God? He says to come to Him like a child. My baby was a good example of why He said that. He wants us to be dependent on Him. He will not let us down. He will not hurt us. He only wants what’s best for us, just like I wanted only the best for my child. He will be our Provider, our Helper, our Father. He will love us unconditionally no matter what. He wants us to be obsessed with him. We can run to Him when we are hurt or let down by this world. We can open up fully and tell Him all our hurts and how terrible we are, He won’t mind!
I believe how to do that is in the second thing Mr Chan hit me with:
God wants His word to be a delight to us, so much so that we meditate on it day and night.
If we are studying His word—spending time with Him outside the 40 minutes on Sunday morning, getting to know Him on a daily basis—we learn that He is faithful, loving, and trustworthy. We learn that He is there for us at any given moment. Then we have a real intimate relationship with Him that He so desires and is so fulfilling to us. We have real joy that only comes from our Lord. We look forward to reading His word and getting to know more and more about this Father we have. We want to spend time with Him. We want to tell Him everything. We want to live in His continual grace, and we want to sing His praises all day long.
Does that sound obsessive?? I hope so!!!
In Christ,
Donna
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Let’s Pray:
Father, immerse us in Your presence today as we seek to become more intimate with You. Reveal to us today those things that hold us back from being transparent and vulnerable with You. Teach us what a faithful and loving Father You are to us as we read Your word and get to know You more. We love You, Jesus, and want to be completely obsessed with You in our lives. Thank You for the opportunity to do that. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Your Assignment:
What things hold you back from enjoying this intimate relationship with God? What actions can you take to break that stronghold in your life and completely give yourself to God? If you can name some things, we will pray here for you and help you to live that completely obsessive life that God wants with you!
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If you would like to send a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.
About Donna Day
I, like all of you, have many daily responsibilities. They seem to start as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning. I want that “first thing in the morning” to be God’s time. I also want to spend more time in the Word. I love our Christian radio station, but perhaps I should put in a Bible CD in so I can hear and focus on His Word more.
Last night after church two of my grandchildren and i were waiting for their mommy (my daughter). As we waited my 4 yr old granddaughter opened her picture Bible and started singing the story of the pictures. At the same time my 6 yr old grandson opened his Bible (to Ezekiel!!) and asked me to read to him! (Thankfully he didn’t mind that I flipped over to Psalms.) 🙂 What a great lesson for me! Instead of wanting to run off and play with their friends, they chose to sit and read God’s Word! Oh to be like a child before my Lord!
Oh Clella me too!! They have it right and we could take a lesson, right? Blessings to you!!!
donna, i love that you said, “I believe HOW to do that is in the second thing Mr Chan hit me with….” truly, truly, truly! (other than Himself) there is nothing to compare to the magnificence of God’s Holy Word. even He puts the Scriptures in that place: “I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!” (psalms 138:2). <3
and i am still considering your question 🙂 <3