Believing God Can Work Around Me, In Me
Psalm 145:18-21 "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever."
- God is as distant as we allow Him to be. He can be the God over us and around us or He can be more. He wants to be more! The status of being God around us and for us is enjoyed by atheists and Satanists, even. Shouldn’t the believer enjoy a more beneficial and intimate relationship. God cannot truly manifests Himself in a casual or general relationship. Most saints enjoy nothing any more powerful than unbelievers do.
Matthew 5:45 "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
- Unless we close the distance between us and the Lord, God will just be a general God to us, a superhero, a feeder and an overall good character in our life.
- It is what we think about God and what we do that determines how close we are to Him.
- He has already intimated Himself with us. We are of Him, made by Him and in the image of Him. Further, the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. Now that He has properly postured Himself to be Lord and to be loved He somewhat takes a very neutral position. The next move, if you will, is ours to make. Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
- Only in sincerity or truth can we connect with God according to John 4:24 and Isaiah 1. Even in the Gospel of John, there was a demand for fruit worthy of repentance. Where now is the proof of our sincerity?
Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
- Now it is our turn to close the gap. God’s abundant grace is still accessed by faith.
- God is only as close to us as we are sincere with Him.
- His most exceeding abilities are actually reserved for those that fear Him, though He blesses everyone. Everyone, saved or unsaved, enjoys the benefit of His grace; but not everyone enjoys the exceeding greatness of His power. Unfortunately, we as believers often do not enjoy it in either personal victory or outwardly performing of exploits. Most of our lives are very normal, have too many failures and we live within the limits of normality. We are often poorer than they are, just as sick and fail quite often. Our challenge is to demand more of the God in us and refuse to doubt Him. Whew! If anyone is to access the exceeding greatness, it should be us.
Ephesians 1:19 "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power"
- It is the people who have this larger than life image of Him in their minds who will cause Him to be most responsive to them. We must place a demand upon the Lord, just as His mother did when He turned the water to wine. She would not be denied or ignored. She believed. Jesus cannot ignore true, unselfish faith.
- And while we may not meet everyone else’s profile, God knows where you really are.
- God fulfills and preserves. He is at His best, and He is happiest when he is fulfilling our desires. In a way, that is what He lives for, since He needs nothing for Himself. According to the scripture here, there is to be no want for us and our days are lengthened. We are absolutely, then, fulfilled in life and preserved if we fear and love Him. /Say that to yourself!!!/
- This speaks to both of our soul and our body. He lives to keep our body and soul!
- He is the God that affects the body and soul if He can connect with our spirits.
3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth"
Psalm 91:16 "With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."
Psalm 139:1-10 "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
- Each of us are individuals. No two people are alike. We are smooth, psychotic, neurotic, high energy, careless, deliberate etc. God knows it all. Even our seemingly forgotten thoughts are remembered by God. He knows the events that contributed to your makeup. You don’t. In fact, some thing transpired before you were born. Some of the things you were taught by parents etc, were influenced by their personal fears, bad experiences and prejudices. As a result, you are a composite of their experiences—even though the experiences are not yours. Some things you believe and were taught prejudice you. Other things help you. In short, you are what others have made you (good and bad) and what you have made of yourself. Some things you fear only because other people around you fear them. Some things you dislike because others who had influence on you disliked them as well. Some things are deep rooted, and you have no idea where they came from. They are simply inherent.
- God is absolutely acquainted with all the things that make you who you are. Not even you know what you are or even what you are capable of. Have you ever surprised yourself with your responses or lack thereof?
- He is aware of every detail of our lives. We don’t even know our capabilities to do right or wrong because we have forgotten too many things about our lives.
- God is around us and He knows us better than we know ourselves.
- Nowhere are we away from that presence.
- Still, He is there to lead us where we do not know to go, and also whom and what to lead us away from.
- We are incapable of that because we don’t know enough about ourselves or others.
- And no matter where we go, if we place ourselves in His hands, He is there.
Galatians 5:15, 16 "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
- There is a life and environment that is not friendly to us, not only the believer, but the unbeliever as well.
- The world’s system sets us up for failure.
- Whenever we operate according to its system, it assures us that somewhere and some time, we can and will likely lose our battle.
- God is not just around us, but to the believer, He is a covering and an abode.
- In Him we move, live and have our being.
- We are complete in Him. He is in us. In a more personal way than before, He is not only around us, but surrounds us..
- He can be walked in. He is a course of life because He is bigger than life.
- The surest way to avoid sin and doing what we do is to walk in the Spirit. It is impossible to fulfill our sinful cravings and be in the Spirit at the same time. No one is that coordinated!
Malachai 3:16 "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name."
- Become a real item with God.
- God reacts to people that fear Him.
- He listens.
- He places us in His memoirs.