I was
singing these lyrics this morning when it hit me – how can I, a
mere mortal, a man whose days are numbered and whose body is becoming
weaker day by day, who is confined to to the limits of space and time
in which I am placed, how can I possess a limitless, all-powerful,
all-knowing, everywhere-present God of the universe? It doesn’t
seem possible.
Sure, I
can understand how God can possess me – I voluntarily lay down my
life for His glory and His purposes, and He comes and lives inside of
me and reveals Himself to others through me. But how can I possess
Him? I can’t possibly know His mind the way He knows mine. I can’t
tell Him what to do in every situation – His knowledge and
understanding far surpasses mine. So how can I possess Him? How can I
be His owner? In what way can He be mine?
As I
contemplated these things, it struck me – God is mine in the same
way that my mom and dad are my mom
and dad. It is a relational belonging, and one in which I can find
strength and comfort. He is for me, not against me, because He is
my heavenly Dad. He teaches
me things, leads me in the way that I should go, provides for me, and
is there for me in times of trouble. Of course, He doesn’t always
rescue me from trouble, although He often does, but sometimes He lets
me learn a lesson or how to handle something on my own. The
bottom line, though, is that He is there for me because He is my
dad and I am His son.
He is mine and I am His.
And
what makes it even better is
that we have chosen to have this kind of relationship. I am His and
He is mine because we have chosen to belong to one another in the
same way that a groom chooses a bride and
vice versa. We choose to belong to one another rather than simply
being born into a parent-child relationship that may or may not last.
God has chosen to have a
relationship with me and, for that matter, with anyone who will
respond to His love. And I have chosen Him by putting my faith in Him
and giving Him my life and all that I am.
God
has chosen you already by dying on the cross for your sins and for
mine. Will you choose Him? Will you join me in saying, “I am His
and He is mine?” I will let
you work out the implications and applications of that kind of
relationship with God. For me, it begins by recognizing that Jesus
gave His life for mine by dying on the cross for my sins. In
return, I give my life to Him
by living for Him. I let Him live through me by loving people,
following His teachings, being thankful and giving Him glory for
everything He has done. My
life is His and His life is mine.
Will
you join me in pursuing this kind of relationship with God? It’s
really not as hard as it sometimes seems. Start by simply talking to
God and telling Him you would like to have a closer relationship with
Him. Tell Him that you want to know Him better. Find
a private place and talk to Him out loud or go to a quiet place and
write out whatever is on your mind. Tell Him about your troubles,
your life issues, your victories and defeats. Share your heart and
life with Him and be ready to hear back from Him or see Him move in
the situations of your life. Read the Bible and let Him speak through
the Word. Listen for His voice in your conversations with Christian
friends or Biblical teachings at church or online. Build some quiet
time into your life so that you can hear the whisper of God in your
own heart.
Above
all, remember that He is yours and you are His. Through faith in
Jesus you are a friend of God, a son or daughter of the Most High,
His cherished possession. You are His child and He is your dad, your
friend, your help in time of trouble. So hold your head high and live
for Him, knowing that He is with you and will never forsake you. He
is your best friend forever, for all eternity, and you are His.
Action
Point: Take
that first step towards improving your relationship with God. Start
talking to Him right now if you have time. Make a plan for when you
will spend time talking to Him. Think
about what section of the Bible you would like to listen to or read
(start with the Psalms or something in the New Testament such as Luke
or John, and take advantage of Bible apps such as the You
Bible that enable you to read or listen to whichever version you
want).
Let’s
Pray Together: Father in
heaven, I want to know You more. Reveal Yourself to me in ways You
never have before. Help me to hang onto You and to always remember
that I am Yours and You are mine. I want to be friends with You in
ways that I never have before. Help me to share my heart with You and
to spend time in Your Word. Help me to hear your voice, whether it be
through the Bible or the teachings and encouragement of others or
that still small voice within my own heart. Thank you that I am Yours
and You are mine and that we will be together for all eternity. Right
now, though, I could sure use some help with these people and
situations I bring before you now…..
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