Eph 3:19-20 KJVR And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Dear believer (in Messiah),
Have you put limits on God or are you experiencing the fullness of God in your life? I know I’ve been guilty of putting God in a box with my understanding, and limiting his work by the Holy Spirit in my life, because of unbelief.
Unbelief is what we call it when our understanding puts limits on God. For example, when someone is facing cancer, though a Christian, do they really believe God can and will heal them because the price for it has already been paid, and so it is available now? Or do they hinder God with unbelief? Will they fight for the promise, like Israel had to, or do they think, “If God really wanted to heal me, it would just happen, so I guess he doesn’t want to heal me?”
Look back to Israel coming out of Egypt and going through the wilderness journey, with the commission of God being to enter the promised land in victory. What was it that displeased God with them that caused a whole generation to perish in the wilderness without ever entering the promises of God? It was unbelief!
Unbelief did not mean that they doubted the existence of God. After all, that generation saw some mighty miracles worked on their behalf to bring them out of Egypt and to the wilderness with Moses. No, they believed that God exists and were not short on that. They were short concerning the other part of faith that pleases God.
Heb 11:6 KJVR But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Do you really believe that he is a REWARDER of them that diligently SEEK HIM? If you believed in the value of seeking him diligently, you’d make sure to do so with your whole heart each day, wouldn’t you? And, having sought diligently, you’d fully expect his powerful intervention in your life, for his glory and love for you, right?
See, we put our time and energy (when not working to make a living) into what we value most. What do you value most right now? Just take inventory of your “spare time” and you should be able to list them in order based on your interest in each. Is most of your spare time spent seeking God? If not, then he isn’t first and you don’t value a relationship with God over all things. It is no wonder his power and love is not very evident in your life then, because you don’t really believe and value that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
If you really believed him, you’d seek him without ceasing. First because you know how great HE is and know that you get to know him more – what a pleasure!! Second, you know that his Word is true and he said he’d reward your seeking and bless you with abundant blessing!! How blessed do you want to be?
Jas 4:8-10 AMP Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. (9) [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. (10) Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].
How much do you want to know God? How much do you believe he rewards those who diligently seek him? This is what determines how much you actually seek him. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and consider just how GREAT God is, and how worth seeking after with all of our hearts!
This isn’t talking about simply a relationship through letters. See, before my wife and I were married, we lived states apart and had to chat and send emails. We met when I went to her church in South Carolina to give my testimony to their youth group, and later when I returned to that area for a revival conference. The Spirit confirmed in our hearts we were the ones for each other, but we spent months talking mostly by letters to each other, including live chat.
Reading words about each other from each other was nice. We did get to know much about each other. But, we really started to get to know each other once we were married and living together. Then the intimacy was maximized and we’ve spent the past 6 plus years getting to know each other, and love each other dearly. The Spirit was right! But imagine if through our whole lifetime, all we did was correspond from a distance.
Some “believers” treat their relationship with God this way. They love to read about God in his Book, his letters to his people, and they love to say prayers to him as if he is a long ways away in heaven. Probably thinking, “I hope he hears my prayer…” Rofl. The Holy Spirit was sent for a reason, folks. We have God with us, to really commune with him and know him. We aren’t just to know about God from letters, we are to experience God in our own lives.
How much are you experiencing God in your life? How much are you getting to know God through the Holy Spirit? Jesus promised that if you keeping seeking you’ll find. Do you believe that? If you did, would you give up so easily? If you really believed what the Bible says, wouldn’t you be seeking day and night in your spare time, and finding more and more? I think so.
I encourage every believer in Christ who reads this, seek and find – you can do it. Knowing him and being filled with the Holy Spirit isn’t something for the “priests” (we are all priests in the new covenant, not just the Catholic ones) or superstar preachers, it is for YOU TOO! Go after HIM today and forever! You will begin to find by experience that God has NO LIMITS! He’s that awesome and grand!
