"It seems that many of us today are spiritually settling."
Satan has convinced us that the voice of God is enough.Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and could still hear and recognize God's voice. Genesis 3:8 Yes, they heard God's voice. What they were suddenly robbed of was the presence of God. The presence of God is where there is fullness of joy and pleasures evermore. Psalm 16:11
But we have settled. We have become OK with half joy and fleeting pleasures.
We have convinced ourselves that as long as we hear God's voice we are okay. But the scriptures in 2 Timothy 3:5 warn us of this way of thinking.
 |
| Good idea, but what did God say? |
" They tried to use a natural solution for a spiritual problem.
They gave up their liberty to be in God's holy presence."
In Genesis 3 Adam and Eve chose self gratification over obedience and suddenly felt uncovered.
They were naked all along before they disobeyed their Father, yet they were covered. God's love covered them, shielded and protected them. When they decided to go in their own direction and make sense of things in their own wisdom, they removed themselves suddenly from the covering presence of God. They sewed together fig leaves; a natural thing to replace something that was spiritual all along. They tried to use a natural solution for a spiritual problem. They gave up their liberty to be in God's holy presence.The fig leaves were a filler- Fillers Intercepting Grace- if you will. There are a lot of fillers today- carnal responses to a spiritual issue. We have fillers of logic, philosophy, common sense and tradition, even religion. We have fillers of sensuality and self-indulgence. F.I.G leaves are worth only what they are- leaves. Leaves that will blow away with the season. Leaves that will brown and dry out and die, because leaves are temporary.
There must be a measure of desperation for the presence of God that drives us to, not just the recognition of his voice, but toward his voice (rather than away like Adam and Eve in the garden). The thing is we can not come to the owner of the voice with our fillers. We have to let them go. It is hard, I've heard it said, to grab what is before you, if you refuse to let go of what is behind. Until we are truly tired of the same cycle of just getting through the day to get by until the next day; until we are done with simply going through the motions of happiness, but never truly experiencing the rest and joy that the Holy presence of God brings, through his precious gift of the Holy Ghost; until we get to a point of dissatisfaction with the form of godliness, but no power, no transformation, no change; then we will remain destitute of the gift of salvation that grace offers. How desperate are you for God's presence? Are you willing to exercise faith and obey the voice? Hebrews 11:6 says he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him- and that requires faith. We must seek God by faith not logic. We must seek after God with spirit not our natural minds. It is when we let go of the Fillers Intercepting Grace, that we can truly experience God in fullness and not just in part.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
If you are compelled to exercise faith and obey God and answer his voice calling you, The Bible Way to Salvation will get you started.
-Warmest thoughts and prayers,
Chantel
Comments