My devotionals today were bang-on. I am sharing my take-aways, hoping it’ll hit home for you as well.
In summary, God is everywhere.
He fills the heavens and the earth. There is no finite depth to His reach. Try as we may, we cannot hide from Him. God’s presence is many things. Two of which are comforting and convicting. He isn’t one or the other; He is both. This truth could inspire praise or dread, but that’s on us to decide. The mistake we often make is putting God in a box, or worse, being selective about which aspects of Him we want. He is not a genie in the bottle, neither is He a lottery ticket. He is as compassionate as He is just, as He is love, as He is holy, as He is merciful, and so much more. What God is not, however, is shifty or slippery. He is as solid as rock, and He wants us filled with His fullness. Eph. 3:19-21.
It is romantic to hear the words; I love you to death. But to date, only Jesus has hung on the cross for 6-ish hours and died for us. That would have been enough, except He went a step further and conquered death so He could love us to life. As it stands, not even death can separate us from His love. Christ in us is the hope of glory. This translates to I am not the hope of glory. Neither are you. Only disappointment awaits the one that places all hope in any human.
God is all-comforting, 2 Cor. 1:3-5. He also convicts as He completes the good work He is doing in us. Phil 1:6. We embrace the former and run away from the latter for the sake of having our way. But a way that seems right to a person may cause stunted growth, pile on reeking junk, create baggage that slow us down, and ultimately lead to death. Prov. 14:12.
In the words of Andrew Carter, if we are not hungry for Jesus, we’re full of ourselves i.e., make an idol out of flesh.
So, when we enter His presence, we should understand that He is sovereign. He made us to bring Him pleasure, not the other way around. We should also remember that it is an impossible feat to serve two masters. Which means we cannot serve self and God. One must decrease for the other to increase.
How has God comforted you in the season of life you are in? It is good to write these things down so we can remember His goodness, but also as a reference point for when we approach His throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in time of need. Heb. 4:16.
What areas in your life has God been convicting you in? Is it a habit, language, ideologies, theology, attitudes, the type of work you do, how you treat others, what you watch…? Please don’t ignore His voice. What we sacrifice or improve upon now is for the greater that is ahead.
Happy monyaaaaaaay!
Xo, Mel.
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