
Psalm 116:1-2 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
First, let us establish if God is listening and the answer is a resounding yes!! In fact, God is seeking ways to draw us closer to Him and He uses the happenings in our lives to do that very thing. Scripture records that God is very interested in our lives and in Psalm 139:1 Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far away. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. That scripture is a description of someone "very" interested in what is going on in our life. That is someone who is "looking out" for what is best for us and they are intimately involved in what is going on and where we are going. As believers we grow in our walk with the Lord and part of that growth is the realization just how much God loves us and cares about our direction in life. For some this is considered a great thing that the God who created everything would even consider me. In fact, Psalm 8:4 says What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him? God cares for us!! For others it may be a pain, especially if they are trying to live a double life where they can have a little of the world and a little of God.
It is hard to live a hypocritical lifestyle if God's presence is always there and conviction works on you. But if we look further down Psalm 139 we see that God is very much involved in our lives and the Holy Spirit is in us. You may say "Who is the Holy Spirit"? The Holy Spirit is Jesus!! In Psalm. 139:7-10 scripture says What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him? Of course, we don't deserve this kind of care and consideration, but God's love is trained on us and part of that love is showing us how to live that abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10. I don't understand why churches don't tell new converts about this process and what God wants to do in one of His believer's lives. If we don't believe in a believer going to help a new convert grow immediately in the Lord then we haven't read or understood what Ananias was doing to Saul, who became Paul. We always seem to highlight the part about God calling Ananias, a Christian, going to Saul, who was killing Christians. A much more effective way of looking at this story is Ananias getting up off his "duff" and taking the initiative to get Saul going. If we don't do as Ananias then we are not compelling the new convert to begin to live in the "new" life they now know. You never know what God is wanting to do in that person's life. It is like we are saying "Oh just read your Bible, pray, and you will figure it out as you go!" WRONG!!
We realize our worth in light of how God looks at us. Further on in Psalm 139 the Psalmist says in verses 13-14 For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. The part we actually dull down by not growing someone in the Lord is the last part of that verse. And my soul knows it very well. So if the new convert isn't given the realization of God's great love and care for them they "don't know" that God has this plan to make their life really come alive. Also, they might miss that God puts a new significance in their life that has purpose and direction and that is found in the Holy Spirit in their life. Wow!! How can we have gotten away from this? No wonder our churches are not growing like they should. No new converts and no followup on the ones who are born again. That is a major problem.
God is watching and also hearing the cries of those who are searching for this missing part that was not explained to them when they were born again. We need to be about telling those who know Christ that God hears their cries for direction and peace and He is "all ears" and ready to help and guide, and He has plenty of people who know Jesus who can lead them to discover His will. Or does He? Moody said "It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder." As believers keep this in mind Psalm 73:28 But as for me, the nearness of God is good for me; I have made the Lord God my refuge, So that I may tell of all Your works.
The Pilgrimage Continues.....
David Warren
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