Where Are You? Rediscovering Intimacy with God
In the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15, the focus often falls on the wayward son. However, the true heart of the story lies in the Father's unwavering desire to be near us. Despite the younger son's sins, he finds his way back to the Father, who welcomes him with open arms and no condemnation. This powerful illustration of God's longing for intimacy with us resonates throughout the Bible.
The older son, who took the Father's presence for granted, serves as a reminder that complacency can lead to a loss of intimacy with God. Similarly, David's cry to God not to take His Holy Spirit away after his sin highlights the importance of maintaining a close relationship with the Father. There is a constant attack on our intimacy with God, and we must be fierce in protecting it.
God values our intimacy with Him more than our sin. This truth is underscored by a personal story of backsliding and the realization that the enemy uses isolation and shame to draw us away from God. The prodigal son's return and the Father's joyous reception emphasize that God wants us to come to Him, no matter how many times we struggle with the same issues.
The story of Adam and Eve, who hid from God after their sin, further illustrates this point. God's first question to them was, "Where are you?"—a call to return to intimacy. This question is a call to us as well, urging us to fight for our relationship with God. David's complacency, which led to his sin with Bathsheba, serves as a warning to guard against becoming self-satisfied and losing our desperation for God.
Paul's words in Philippians 3:12-13 remind us to press on, forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead. This dual action of letting go of the past while moving forward is crucial for our spiritual growth. The enemy uses our past to paralyze us, but God wants to use it to propel us forward. We must fight to maintain our intimacy with God, being vigilant and fierce in our pursuit of His heart.
God's primary desire is to be near us, as illustrated in the story of the prodigal son. Despite our sins, He welcomes us back with open arms and no condemnation. This shows that our relationship with Him is more important than our past mistakes. There is a constant attack on our intimacy with God. The enemy, life’s currents, and even our flesh work to draw us away from Him. We must be fierce in protecting our relationship with God, understanding that apart from Him, we can do nothing.
God cares more about our intimacy with Him than our sin. The moment we stop coming to Him, we begin to backslide. The enemy uses isolation and shame to keep us from God, but we must continually come to Him, no matter how many times we struggle. David's story with Bathsheba shows how complacency can lead to sin. When we become self-satisfied and lose our desperation for God, we are vulnerable to the enemy's attacks. We must fight to remain desperate and dependent on God.
Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 3:12-13 to press on, forgetting the past and straining toward what lies ahead, teaches us that spiritual growth requires both letting go of past failures and actively pursuing God’s future for us. This dual action helps us avoid stagnation and move forward in faith.
In our journey of faith, it is essential to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. The enemy will use every tactic to draw us away, but we must remain vigilant and fierce in our pursuit of intimacy with the Father. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of His love and grace, and move forward in faith, leaving the past behind and embracing the future He has for us.
In the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15, the focus often falls on the wayward son. However, the true heart of the story lies in the Father's unwavering desire to be near us. Despite the younger son's sins, he finds his way back to the Father, who welcomes him with open arms and no condemnation. This powerful illustration of God's longing for intimacy with us resonates throughout the Bible.
The older son, who took the Father's presence for granted, serves as a reminder that complacency can lead to a loss of intimacy with God. Similarly, David's cry to God not to take His Holy Spirit away after his sin highlights the importance of maintaining a close relationship with the Father. There is a constant attack on our intimacy with God, and we must be fierce in protecting it.
God values our intimacy with Him more than our sin. This truth is underscored by a personal story of backsliding and the realization that the enemy uses isolation and shame to draw us away from God. The prodigal son's return and the Father's joyous reception emphasize that God wants us to come to Him, no matter how many times we struggle with the same issues.
The story of Adam and Eve, who hid from God after their sin, further illustrates this point. God's first question to them was, "Where are you?"—a call to return to intimacy. This question is a call to us as well, urging us to fight for our relationship with God. David's complacency, which led to his sin with Bathsheba, serves as a warning to guard against becoming self-satisfied and losing our desperation for God.
Paul's words in Philippians 3:12-13 remind us to press on, forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead. This dual action of letting go of the past while moving forward is crucial for our spiritual growth. The enemy uses our past to paralyze us, but God wants to use it to propel us forward. We must fight to maintain our intimacy with God, being vigilant and fierce in our pursuit of His heart.
God's primary desire is to be near us, as illustrated in the story of the prodigal son. Despite our sins, He welcomes us back with open arms and no condemnation. This shows that our relationship with Him is more important than our past mistakes. There is a constant attack on our intimacy with God. The enemy, life’s currents, and even our flesh work to draw us away from Him. We must be fierce in protecting our relationship with God, understanding that apart from Him, we can do nothing.
God cares more about our intimacy with Him than our sin. The moment we stop coming to Him, we begin to backslide. The enemy uses isolation and shame to keep us from God, but we must continually come to Him, no matter how many times we struggle. David's story with Bathsheba shows how complacency can lead to sin. When we become self-satisfied and lose our desperation for God, we are vulnerable to the enemy's attacks. We must fight to remain desperate and dependent on God.
Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 3:12-13 to press on, forgetting the past and straining toward what lies ahead, teaches us that spiritual growth requires both letting go of past failures and actively pursuing God’s future for us. This dual action helps us avoid stagnation and move forward in faith.
In our journey of faith, it is essential to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. The enemy will use every tactic to draw us away, but we must remain vigilant and fierce in our pursuit of intimacy with the Father. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of His love and grace, and move forward in faith, leaving the past behind and embracing the future He has for us.