Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

Deuteronomy 8:2  Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Suppose the Lord spoke to you in a dream and let you know that the next day you were going to be tested by Him, but He didn’t go into the particulars of what it would entail.  When you got up in the morning you were excited and a bit nervous because you wanted to pass the testing.

Spend a moment and think about what kind of things the Lord might do to test you.  Might it involve work – dealing with what you do and how well you do it?  Would it involve relationships?  Would it involve the possibility of a promotion, where it would be an interview or performance evaluation regarding how well you know your job?  Would the testing involve big things or small things?  How do we tell the difference between big things and small things?

Suppose when you got to work, your boss told you that he needed you to prepare an important presentation for that afternoon that could result in major new business for the company.  This unexpected opportunity would involve you working with a bunch of people throughout the day to put it together.  A lot to do; with little time to do it; with a major opportunity as the potential outcome – what a test!

Most of the day was an adventure interacting with co-workers to obtain what was needed.  They were all so busy as it was and helping you seemed like just one more unwelcome task.  Their responses to you ran the gamut from helpful to wanting to ignore your requests.  Fortunately, the presentation was completed, delivered to your boss and the big opportunity was won.

But at the end of the day, you discovered that winning the opportunity wasn’t the test the Lord was referring to.  Your boss was pleased with the end result, but the Lord had been looking at something else.  His test involved all of the human interactions that you had in preparing the presentation.

Given the importance of the project, did you fall into a more abrasive style where ‘the ends justify the means’ mentality kicked in – in order to get the job done?  Did you take offense at some of the resistance you encountered and respond in kind?  Did you assume fences could be mended later?

Or, were your attitudes, words and actions consistent with your faith? In difficult human interactions were grace and kindness there?  Would your co-workers be grateful for the way you performed your task in spite of how they might have behaved?  We have a real tendency to focus on the ‘destination’.  The Lord is vitally concerned with how we get there.  In His eyes, the process is the goal.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Long ago a man embarked on a journey home.  It required him to be on a ship for the major part of the journey.  This was still during the time when slavery was common and there were slaves serving on the ship.  Over the course of the voyage the man struck up a friendship with one of the slaves.  As the days went by they enjoyed the times together more and more.

When they arrived in port the captain came to the slave and informed him to get his belongings because he had been purchased.  When the slave discovered that he had been sold to the passenger who had become his friend he was outraged.  The slave confronted his new owner and asked, “I thought we were friends!  But now you have purchased me to make me your slave – to serve you!  How could you do this to me?”

The man looked at the slave and said, “You misunderstand.  I didn’t purchase you to make you my slave.  I purchased you to set you free!”  Upon hearing this, the slave exclaimed, “I will serve you all the days of my life!”

I heard this story many years ago and never cease to be moved by it – maybe because I relate so to the slave.  The details of my life are obviously very different from his, but I remember the struggles I was going through 57+ years ago – the loneliness, lack of direction, the inferiority complex.  I always seemed to be struggling with feeling un-chosen, left out or left behind.  I didn’t realize it but I was a slave.

Only, I didn’t have a voyage to get to know someone who would surprise me with freedom.  For me it was totally unexpected and what He did was so much more than just physical freedom.  In my stunning encounter with Jesus (October 11, 1968), my ‘Matterhorn of doubt’ regarding God was leveled!  He made me someone entirely new!!!!  I am still amazed at how utterly transformed my life was in a single moment.  I so understand the slave saying he will serve his new master for the rest of his life.  Even now I am overcome with emotion and gratitude thinking of what my “new owner” did for me 57 years ago – and Jesus has never stopped doing it!!!  He overwhelms me with love!

I am so grateful that I get to serve Him the rest of my life – only it is so much more than that: He enables us to love Him in return.  We become friends and family – in relationship with Him every day of our lives.  The more we realize the incredible wonder of what He has done for us, the more we want to love Him.  That is what makes the Christmas season so special to me.  God so wanted us that He gave us Jesus, so that we might become His – forever!

1 Kings 3:5  At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon’s answer pleased the Lord.  God said He would give him a wise and discerning heart.  He also would give Solomon that which he didn’t ask for – both riches and honor.  In this dream God closes with this admonition for Solomon, “And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:14)  God was saying I will bless you with long life if you love me.

Yesterday’s devotional focused on earnestly seeking God – and the fact that He will reward those that do.  The same question (as in today’s scripture) was raised in terms of identifying what we would like the Lord to give us as a reward for earnestly seeking Him – if He asked.

We would probably ask for what is most on our hearts – and that could cover many things:  The salvation of parents or children or friends; a better job; money to pay bills; ability to be a better husband, wife, parent or child; to love better; to be better at what we do; to love the Lord more; to be used by Him; for an opportunity of ministry; for support for our ministry; to have good devotional times with the Lord; to have a desire to read and learn scripture;  – the list just goes on.  And none of these answers are wrong.

But at the end of the day, what does God really want and what is He offering?  I think of John 14:21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”  The Amplified Bible makes this verse jump off the page:

“The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]”

God wants to meet our needs and He instructs us to make them known to Him.  But He wants our relationship to grow beyond seeing Him as our source and provider.  He wants to be the love of our life.  He wants us to want Him so much that we receive the incredible blessing of His presence which He reserves for those who love Him this way.

I am reminded of the final scene in Anne of Green Gables.  Anne was an orphan and the story describes her adventures growing up and particularly, her relationship with a boy named Gilbert. At the end of the 4^th film there is a scene of the two of them on a little bridge over a pond.  He starts to tell her that he cannot give her wealth or diamonds… but she interrupts to tell him that she doesn’t care.  She looks up at him and says, “All I want is you.”  May our lives lovingly declare the same message to our Lord Jesus as we celebrate His birth.

Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

This scripture talks about faith and its importance in pleasing God, coming to Him and seeking Him.  It also speaks of God rewarding those who earnestly seek Him.  The Amplified Bible words the end of this verse, “…who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].”

I have heard people discuss their view of this verse saying, “I don’t need a reward for seeking Him.”  My response to that is – that isn’t an option.  Phrased another way, we do “A” and God does “B”, where “B” could be anything of His choosing – but there is going to be a “B”.  In 1 Samuel 26:23a David declares, “The LORD rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness.”  This is simply one of God’s realities for us.

I am reminded of the story about Henry Brooks Adams:

Henry was the grandson of President John Quincy Adams, the fourth of seven children, and began journaling at a young age.  When he was 8 years old he spent a day fishing with his father – a very busy man.  Henry’s journal entry states: “Went fishing with my father today, the most glorious day of my life.”

That day was so special that he continued to talk about it for many years.  Thirty years later he looked at his father’s journal entry for that day and found: “Went fishing with my son, a day wasted.”

We can become so preoccupied with business and “things” that we totally miss the truly priceless things that might be around us – or there for us to be richly blest if we but take the time to see and embrace them.  I find that one of the marvelous “rewards” that God offers to those who earnestly seek Him – is Himself.

Though He lives within Christians, and is always with us, there are aspects of His presence that He makes available to experience that are not the norm.  They are so special that they are remembered like Henry remembered the special day he got to spend with his father.  They become one of the most glorious days of our lives.

To be continued…

John 21:16a  Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

We’ve written before of the movie Fiddler on the Roof.  It is a musical about the life of a family in the small Jewish village of Anatevka, Russia   Set in 1905 it tells the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, his wife, Golde, and their five daughters.  The repeated ‘problem’ that Tevye and Golde contend with is their daughters falling in love and wanting to marry.

‘Tradition’ – which was very important to them – held that marriages were to be arranged, by the parents and the village ‘matchmaker’ – NOT by the young men and women falling in love!  After his oldest two daughters fall in love and receive approval to marry the ones they love, Tevye is struck by this novel idea of love being the true matchmaker.  He then asks Golde this same question that’s in today’s verse, “Do you love me?”  The ensuing song of this name is such a sweet scene.  We get to watch and listen as Tevye and Golde consider this ‘love’ and conclude that in fact they do love one another.

Let us picture ourselves in a situation where we are alone, in a quiet enjoyable place, sitting peaceably, and thinking about our faith.  Then, in the chair next to us, Jesus appears and we know it is Him.  After the initial shock and thrill of sitting there with our Lord, Jesus looks at us, and with kindness in His eyes, asks, “Do you love me?”  And after we likely answer, “Of course, I do.”  He responds by asking, “How do you know that you love me?  What is the evidence of your love for me?”

Consider those questions now:  Do you love Him?  How do you know you love Him?  What is the evidence of your love for Him?  The question is not about His love for us – but our love for Him.  Do we fully realize that God has defined what the evidence is of loving Him?  It’s not about what we think, but about the reality of what our lives demonstrate.

Hebrews 12:5-6  ⁵And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, ⁶because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Continued from yesterday:

I would like you to consider some things that have resulted in ‘paradigm shifts’.  The introduction of these things was so profound that they radically changed our thinking and behavior: automobiles, airplanes, television, computers, internet, cell phones, ipods…  The list could go on.  Many of us have had most of these things all our lives.  Some of us are old enough to remember their initial impact.  Regardless, it is easy to see how society was radically changed by each of these inventions.

Paradigm shifts often come into play with our beliefs.  Think of an atheist having an encounter with God.  His whole world is turned right side up.  Years ago we had a pastor friend who didn’t believe that miracles could happen today – until one of his church members was miraculously healed.  He had to come to grips with the fact that his view of Scripture and God needed to be adjusted.

Today’s verses use such words as ‘disciplines’, ‘rebukes’ and ‘punishes’.  While we recognize that God disciplines, we appear to have an aversion to recognizing that these other two words are biblical and apply to us.  We have a paradigm view of God that carves these realities out.  Do we believe that ‘rebuke’ and ‘punish’ are incompatible with a loving God?

If this is our view – our paradigm – it must change because it is as wrong as viewing the world as flat. God’s discipline, rebukes and punishment are all reflective of His love for us.  Read this verse in the Amplified version to get better insight how all of these things are saturated with God’s love for us:

“⁵My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him;  ⁶For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.” (Amplified)

This is a process to recognize and embrace.  Once we see and understand, we experience a paradigm shift – we respond with gratitude instead of resistance or resentment.  We recognize this as evidence of our Lord welcoming us to His heart.

Job 1:22  In all this Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.  Job 2:10b  In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

It’s difficult to imagine the impact of all the disasters that happened to Job in chapter one.  Scripture describes him as being blameless and upright; one who feared God and shunned evil.  But through no fault of his own, loss, destruction and death were involved in each of the 4 messages brought to him, one after another.

Two of the messages described raiding bands of Sabeans and Chaldeans who stole his animals and killed his servants.  The last message brought word of the death of his seven sons and three daughters by a mighty wind causing the house they were feasting in to collapse on them. Yet his response to all of this was to fall to the ground in worship.

Seldom will we or anyone we know experience loss of the magnitude that Job did. (Think of those in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Texas)  But we do experience loss, pain and tragedy in many forms.  In such times, how wonderful it would be for our immediate response to be one of worshipping the Lord as Job did.  Unfortunately many if not most of us would find it difficult to worship freely in such a time of agony.  But that is where the verses today are so critically important.  How we respond speaks to the Lord AND to those around us.

Job didn’t charge God with wrong doing.  He didn’t say, “God how could you….”  He didn’t lash out at the Lord or blame Him in any way.  It’s so important that we understand that such responses are sin. Let’s say that again but more pointedly: ‘Charging God with wrongdoing is sin.’  The importance of all this is further emphasized in Job 2:10b where we learn, “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”

It’s not that God won’t forgive such responses, but it’s what they reveal about us.  They reflect an inadequate and inaccurate understanding of who God is and of our relationship with Him.  To respond negatively towards God shows us we are weak where we should be strong.  When we find ourselves in such difficult situations, think of the difference between these responses: 1) “God how could you…” and 2) Oh Lord, I’m so glad that I have you in the midst of this…”

There are times when we are experiencing difficult and painful things that our hearts are not in the place to worship.  But hopefully, they are also not in the place to charge our Lord with wrongdoing.  In such times let us take the faith position of thanking the Lord for keeping us from sinning and asking Him to work the change in us so that our heart-response is to worship Him in the midst of it all.