I have to say Jesus has quite the way of responding when we ask. I have been praying a lot about a deeper and closer relationship with Jesus the past few weeks. I began to ask him how to have a heart that beats after him and how to love him. And wouldn't you know it, he has begun to answer me. I don't know what is different this time, I have prayed these prayers before. Maybe before I didn't mean it, didn't really want to know how to love him and maybe I just asked that because it seemed that is what I was supposed to do, being a Bible College student and a missionary and all that. Maybe this time my heart was just in a place where it could hear the still small voice of God. Perhaps before I asked but never really listened.
Yesterday, I heard two sermons on Eph 4:17-31, one was at Cornerstone and the other at the Village. God shouted quite clearly what the first steps are and where things should be heading. But he was also very clear that he will always love me. When I do get these things worked out and clear out this junk from my heart he will not love me anymore because he loves me perfectly right now. He was clear that these things need to be done but its not because he needs me to remove things before he can work, it's so I can love and enjoy him in all things. So my heart can be free from the sin that poisons it, so I can be more and more conformed to the image of Christ. I am so pleased that God has been so clear and that I have such great friends that pray and struggle right along side me. I am so excited about what God is doing in my heart and in the hearts of the people around me. I am so pleased that he wants to use me to further his kingdom. But most of all I am pleased to know him more, to be closer to his heart.
John Piper says in God is the Gospel, "the highest, best, final, decisive good of the gospel, without which no other gifts would be good, is the glory of God in the face of Christ revealed for our everlasting enjoyment. The saving love of God is God's commitment to do everything necessary to enthrall us with what is most deeply and durably satisfying, namely himself." God is what I am after.
Piper goes on to ask this question, "If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, and all the physical pleasures you ever tasted , and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?
1 comment:
that is so crazy that you heard two sermons on Ephesians 4! So did I!!! What are the odds???
Post a Comment