BEING CLOSE TO THE HEART OF GOD BRINGS A HEAVENLY GLOW TO LIFE 2 JAN 2014

In a life that is tough, serving our Creator can bring us joy & wonderful consequences. This post is how being in the center of God’s will sweetens even the bitterest circumstances. As they say, bloom where you are planted.

Knowing when I was coming to visit, my mother would prepare for me. When I arrived, she’d place my favorite dinner on the table, sit back & delight in watching me eat it. Yahshua said, “My food [broma] is to do the will of [God]…” Broma means “something edible” or “food”, although some translations mistranslate it “delight”. His words imply that doing God’s will has the enjoyment of a good meal, but the text doesn’t say it. But there are Scriptures that link doing God’s will to rejoicing. (2 CHR 6:41, PS 32:11) Both Paul & King David said they delighted in doing God’s law. It reminds me of the verse, “working in them all the good pleasure of His will”…”into His marvelous light”. There can be a great deal of satisfaction, joy, even happiness from being in the center of His marvelous light. It certainly feels better than being lost in the darkness.

There is value in loving & serving God. Pleasing someone you love, will give you satisfaction. The Word says we want to do His will because we love Him & want to please Him. (JN 14:15+, 1 JN 3:22) I have witnessed the joy of those who serve their fellow man in difficult circumstances.. .why? we love others because He first loved us. Our behavior of loving is a reflection of our belief in love. There is faith, hope & love, but the greatest of these is love, and we love by serving. When we do good to someone, the value you put into them by investing time, energy & love causes oneself to value & like the person served even more…and sometimes they may value themselves more also…and see that God values them. It is so easy to think of all the stars in the universe, the sands on the shore, and feel like one has no more value than a grain of sand. When we experience love, we transcend those feelings of worthlessness. The love of God raises our value, & we in turn, as ambassadors of Christ, can pass that love (& value) on to others who may not have a clue as to why they are alive. Love is how we taste the good life, & we can help others taste it too. Yahshua said, “He that loves me shall be loved of the Father”.

Yet, some who have loved the Lord, have forsaken their first love (for example REV 2:2-5). What happened? The Word describes Satan (& his kingdom of death) as thieves. He will steal your joy & blessings. He will steal the love of your life. He will steal your spiritual treasures. In these days of insecurity & uncertainty, we need to have that faith that God will restore what the enemy steals. It is no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me. When the enemy steals from me, he steals from Christ. Same for you, if you are in Christ. So don’t focus on discouraging facts, negative criticism, & problems. The Kingdom of Death will rob your spiritual treasures & leave you a hollow shell, they tried it with David by stealing all the wives, children & valuables of David & his 600 men. His men feared they were all dead, & blamed David. But “David found strength in the LORD his God. (1 SAM 30:6). He went after his stolen wives & property! We need to use our spiritual giftings not only to serve others, but to regain our spiritual equilibrium after the attacks of the enemy. Giving into our fears is dangerous. Like the songs go, “and grace my fears relieved”…”it is joy unspeakable…”

Christ came to give us a life of inward rest—a sabbath rest—he said his yoke was light. Is it possible that we can lose track of this rest? The Word of God speaks a lot about having peace, and a quietness of spirit. Too often, I think we take things & especially ourselves too seriously. Christ calmed the storm which shattered the nerves of his disciples. Too often we let the storms of lives shatter our nerves, I think because we take things that we see too seriously, without having the faith that heavenly Father is a good God & is aware of it all. If we use the light we have, more light will be given. (MK 4:24-25) Plus we feel good about ourselves. (cf. 1 JN 2:28) “Now may the God of peace…make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight…” HEB 13:20a, 21.

A wonderful scripture telling us that there is a blessing to doing God’s will is 1 PTR 3:10-12 (which is actually a quote from PS 34:12-16!) “He who would love life & see good days…let him turn away from evil & do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers…” Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord, YES!