Day Six - Dust on the Bible, Drought in the Heart

As we draw near to God and experience His presence, we will see Him in a much clearer way. I am calling on God to give each of us a fresh vision of Him. We need to discover dimensions of His character and person we have not seen before.

God does not want us to know of Him or about Him, but to experience Him. An "upward" vision of God is one of awe and respect. It is much needed for every worshiper and follower and it is something that is somewhat lost in our culture today. We could all have a little more humility in our approach to the Almighty.

An "inward" vision of God comes from not knowing merely about Him, but knowing Him personally. I have experienced what might be described as God's sense of humor. I have felt a hug and an embrace from Him. I have sensed Him speaking, guiding, leading, opening and closing doors. He has orchestrated things so many times in my life. I know Him like I know my mother, wife, and children. We all can relate to this, right? You have listened to some people, met some people, been around some people at work or school, been friends or even related to people that you "know". Then there are those friends you've traveled with, played ball with, or served in the ministry with. Yet, there are still those people you have lived with, been married to, and given birth to; these are the ones you really know.

Here is it. You ready?
If you have been saved, God lives within you. Think about that! What an opportunity for not just upward knowledge, but an inward intimacy that surpasses even the closest of our interpersonal relationships. When these vision of God come together in our heart, mind, soul, and being. . . now we can get somewhere and accomplish something.

The job of the enemy is to distort, distract, and destroy. Our job is to develop the discipline to study and pray, so that Satan cannot win and keep us from the purpose that God has appointed for us.

Read 2 Timothy 2:15

Growth in God's Word is growth in your knowledge of the One you call Lord. Moving forward from milk to meat, from elementary things to mature things, is everything. Wanda and I got married twenty-five years ago, May 23, 1998. As most couples, we were in love, excited, and blissfully ignorant. We love each other a thousand times more now than then, right? At the time, we really didn't know each other. We had met thirteen months earlier, but had only dated for about nine before marriage. What if one of us had been called or taken away? What if I had gone on a mission trip to, say, Russia the year we married and something went wrong, leaving me stranded in a foreign land, or taken captive, only to return last May. Then, by the grace of God, Wanda had waited on me and had not divorced or remarried. I come home to my wife of twenty-five years, finally reunited. Is that marriage the same as the one I have enjoyed in reality? Of course not!!!

Well, let's consider how many people have been saved for years. Those who have been saved since childhood, for decades, only to not really have a true vision of God or a good sense of His purpose for their lives?

There is less Scripture today and more brief commentary to allow you more time watch my favorite preacher/pastor. I really hope you have watched all the videos included in this series so far. If not, please, please do so. God directed me to them all. This one is for sure a must. Enjoy!

Tomorrow, we dig. Get your shovel, better known as the Sword of the Spirit. Ask God to prepare your heart and open your mind to what He wants to say to you.

In Christ,
Pastor Todd