If I had to sum up my relationship with Jesus in two words it would be:
Simple dependency. As I nestle deep inside Him (kind of like a mother nestles a child in her arms) I find my life, my all-in-all in Him. Years ago, mainly because I didn't know any different- my Christian life was all about what I could get from God and do for God. Our world, and a lot of the "Christian" world, is to name it, claim it, demand it, expect it- I have now found that to be so childish, spiritually immature, and unscriptural.
What I have found is Jesus. So many are obsessed with getting, demanding, expecting Jesus to "do great things" or to find their "purpose" that they miss THE great thing which is Jesus, Himself, Who He IS THE Purpose.
When you read the Scriptures with unveiled spiritual eyes you see the words- trust, surrender, yield, abide, rest.
"My grace is sufficient for you, my power is perfected in weakness."
See, He is the subject.
Where does courage come from? IN THE LORD.
Be strong and courageous IN THE LORD.
Wait- ON THE LORD.
It's not about what you do. It's not about your courage. It's not about your strength. It's not about your might. It's not about how loud you can demand or stomp around acting like you are some sort of warrior for God. Because you see- it's His battle and He has won it. We think we have to go in and fight for God and with God. But....He has done it for us. Our armor? Well, read Ephesians 6. Our armor IS the Lord. Truth. Righteousness. Peace. Salvation. His word. That's all God, Himself. And it all comes through simple dependency- trusting, yielding, abiding, surrender, resting which comes through intimacy. This is what He has accomplished for us, in us, to us, through us- because of Who HE IS- on the cross, through His resurrection, ascension and SITTING DOWN at the right hand of God. A life of intimacy with Him is a life of prayer. Prayer is living in the faith He has provided for us, is living in intimacy with Him moment by moment. That's how we "pray without ceasing."
It's time for believers to move from self-centeredness to God-centeredness. And to do that is through simple dependency. To yield. To surrender. To trust. To abide. To rest. IN HIM.
"Jesus, I can't even lay my own self aside. Would you lay me aside so that You will be all my focus? All my life? I want to be centered on You. For I am in chaos and I need to be wholly aligned, in tune and in harmony with You. Only then am I in peace, in joy- in all that You are. Forgive me for acting like a spoiled child demanding from you- I would rather have You, the Giver, than gifts."
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST by Oswald Chambers
Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.
If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.
“He himself shall dwell in prosperity…” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge…” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.
Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.
If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.
“He himself shall dwell in prosperity…” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge…” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.
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