We often say and hear others us the phrase “I AM A FRIEND OF GOD”. If so many people claim to be “friends of God”, wouldn’t you think that if we were really friend’s of God as we say we are, that we would not have to ask Him to show us His will. We know most of our other friends far better than that, so why should God be any different. He is the ONLY best friend you’ll ever need and he’ll never let you down or disappoint you. There is a level of intimacy that we need to reach in our relationships with God, where we would really know what his will is, because we spend so much time with him. I know that with any friend or family member, if you don’t spend time with them, you don’t know their likes, dislikes, or desires.
I know everything that my children like and dislike. That didn’t happen by accident or luck. I spent the time with them enough so that I saw and heard what they wanted and didn’t want. The same hold’s true for everything, especially GOD. If we don’t spend the time with HIM who is of utmost importance, how can we know what His likes and dislikes are about us? The answer is we can’t know unless we spend the time with him. How we spend the time isn’t really important. If you like reading the Bible, do it. If you like to sing praises to him, do it. Don’t feel that you have to follow some specific agenda to commune with God, that’s not necessary. He isn’t sitting there with a chart saying (OK. Bobby prayed once this week and read two pages of the Bible). It’s not like that at all, but there are many people that picture God as a bully just looking for us to make a mistake so that he can punish us. God does not look at what method we use to commune with him, He just cares about us doing it. It’s about our love for him and spending time, not how we do it.
Oh how he wants so much for us to spend that time with him. Think of how well the creator of the universe and everything in it knows us. He knows the exact count of hairs on our heads. Our names are written on his palm. He knows us so well because he loves each and everyone of us so much that he takes a huge interest in everything we do or think about. If we knew him even half as well as he knows us, imagine how different our lives would be. It shouldn’t take any thought at all to know in our hearts that the world would be a far better place. We probably wouldn’t recognize the planet compared to how it is today. Oh God, how I that pray this happens.
We are supposed to be spreading the word of God to the world, telling people about Jesus and about salvation. We can’t do this effectively unless we know God intimately enough, that we allow His Holy Spirit to speak through us. As believers we Love God and we try to live as righteously as we can. We share God’s love with those we’re comfortable with but are we really being bold in doing that? Acts 28:31 tells us about the apostle Paul. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we had the intimacy with our Heavenly Father that we are supposed to have, we would have the confidence and ability to go into the world with great boldness professing his mighty word, telling people about our Lord Jesus Christ and offering them salvation. How great that would be, if we could do that as well as God wants us to. It’s all a matter of how much we give back to the LORD. We can’t just take all the time, we have to give back. He wants us to spend time with him, so let’s spend more time with him. Every day set time aside preferably at the beginning of your day, so nothing distracts you, and spend time in prayer. Talk to God like you’re talking to a close friend, tell him everything, the good and the bad, and be totally honest. He knows the truth anyway so there’s no sense in trying to hide anything from him. Spend more time reading the Bible, just pick it up and open it wherever you feel you should. That’s usually the perfect place to read from because God led you to that page, it was no accident. You’ll probably find something in the passage on that page that you can apply to your own life. Own it and bring it into your life through application.
Jesus tells us in John 15:1-5 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father I thank you for this message this week. Thank you for showing us the importance of spending time with you and how much you desire for us to do this. There are many instances in your word, where you tell us that we need to depend on you and not on ourselves for everything. Lord God I ask that you would help us to accomplish this. I know that once we start to spend more time with you and less time in the circumstances and situations of this world, there will be such a noticeable difference that it will be a life changing event. A desire will grow in each and every one of us God, to spend more and more time with you so that we come to know you as intimately and lovingly as you know us.
In Jesus name I pray
Amen
God Bless You All.
“The Sharpshooter”
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