Fuel 5
Sometimes when I am sitting outside on the porch of my house my dog, Shadow, walks up and sits down at my feet. Why does she do this? Is she hungry? Does she want to play? Does she want me to pet her? Or does she just want to be close to me?
I think maybe it is for each of these reasons at different times. Sometimes she does want to play, sometimes she does want food, or just to be close, etc. Either way, she knows who her provider is, and she draws near to him. What lessons we can learn from dogs!
Monday night at Fuel, we talked about "pressing in" on God, making an effort to get close to Him. It is so easy for us as we are walking through this church plant process to become so comfortable with what God has done that we take a break...shift gears...stop pressing closer to Him. However, it is when we stop pressing in that we begin to pursue things that please ourselves, as opposed to what pleases God. We must learn from Shadow who is the provider, and if we are going to experience His provision--large or small, we must press in, pursue Him, draw near to Him, grab ahold of Him.
I am reminded of a couple of instances in Scripture where this "pressing in" takes place.
The first example I find is in Genesis 32:24-31. It is here where we find the description of Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, whom many believe is either some type of theophany or Pre-incarnate Christ. Regardless of who it is, Jacob sees it as wrestling with the Lord. During this wrestling match Jacob says to the Lord, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Therefore, the Lord blesses Jacob. As a reminder of this battle, God changes Jacob's name to Israel (which means he fights or persists with God and prevails)and God wounds Jacob's hip, causing Him to limp. If we are to press in to God we must be willing to allow God to shape our identity, like He did Jacob's (changing his name). We also must be willing to experience potential wounds. When striving with God, we will experience pain. However, it is in this pain that God can teach us...He uses it to remind us of His blessing.
The second thing I am reminded of is James 4:7,8. Here James exhorts his readers to submit to God and draw near to Him. When God's children draw near to Him, He draws near to them. Pressing in requires submission. It requires a person being willing to say, "Lord, you have my heart, my goals, my treasures, my identity, etc." Pressing in requires God's children to seek closeness with Him actively. Too many times we say, "Lord, where are you...why aren't you close to me?" When all along He is waiting for us to draw near to Him in worship, prayer, His Word, fellowship with other members of His family...
If we are truly going to allow God's will do be done on earth as it is in heaven, we must press in and allow Him to be our daily provider.
Lord, may we sit at your feet?
Wednesday, September 03, 2003