Being intimate with God is so much deeper than a relationship. It is more than even our minds can comprehend. A love and a desire to be in His presence, a desire to do His will, and a hunger that never seems satisfied.
Psalm 63:1-2: O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
I have heard it said that intimacy can also be said "into me see." God seeing into me. Him seeing me vulnerable, my weakness, my shame, my pain, my brokenness, seeing all of me. He even sees things in me that I may not even see. Yet He still loves me and desires fellowship with me.
He knew that I would be far from perfect. He knew there would even be a time that I didn't want anything to do with Him. He knew that I would hurt Him and disappoint Him. Yet He still loved me.
We can have a relationship with anyone. We decide how much we tell them, how close we want them to be to us. We can lie or be fake with them and they not even know. We can pretend to be someone that we're really not. But being intimate with God, He already knows. We can't hide things from Him, we can't lie to Him, we can't trick Him into thinking everything is okay just because there is a smile on our face.
Once you have true intimacy with God you wont struggle with sin. You wont struggle with doing right or praying or reading your Bible. You will just want too because it brings you closer to Him. You will want to please Him, do His will, and even tell others of His love.
When we get to the place of true intimacy with God we will finally be able to experience His perfect love. We will be able to surrender everything to Him that keeps us from Him because nothing will compare to the love we have for Him. To truly desire to be in His presence is when you are able to be changed, healed, and able to grow.
So ask yourself, how intimate are you with God? Always know that you are never to far away from His perfect love. God loves us so much and desires intimacy with us. I am so thankful that I serve an amazing God.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
My Daddy
During this time with dad in his final weeks I have learned so much. God has shown me that He never leaves us, He is strength in our weakness, He is comfort in our sadness, and He is peace in the midst of our chaos. He has shown me that He is working not only at what is right in front of you but also behind the scenes. I have never realized how you can really feel prayers until now. When I felt like I couldn't do anymore, a new charge would come to me and I was strengthened.
Watching my dad I begin to think about how life really is full circle. From the time a child is conceived in the mothers womb, that child will have their own identity, temperance, and their own will to live this life. Each pregnancy is different, each birth is different and each death is different.
My dad has been a fighter all his life. He used to say "I was born during the Great Depression and came out backwards." He went into the Navy at 14 years old so he could send money home to support his family. He worked all his life through two battles of lung cancer and a battle with prostrate cancer and finally retired in his 70's. He lost his only son, mother, sisters and brother, then to lose his wife of 53 years, and two years ago to lose a daughter. He has spent the last several years sick and having many surgeries that almost cost him his life. Three infections at once that had doctors saying he probably wouldn't make it. The last three weeks he has been given 24-48 hours to live more times than we can count. He is in such pain but never complains.
My dad is the strongest and bravest man I know. Did he have faults, of course, don't we all. But a man that would sacrifice his life for his family, a man that would never say how much he was going through because he didn't want anyone to worry. A man that prayed for everyone else when he needed prayer the most. Honesty, integrity, and self willed barely speak of what kind of man he is.
But I have watched this strong man become so weak that today he can't even lift his arms or legs. He can't speak or even barely drink from a straw. But even through it all he still shows great strength and courage. He smiles at everyone that comes in to see him, he prays when someone prays, when we say love you he always says I love you too, he is gentle and kind in the midst of a battle. A true love for life, for his family and mostly for God.
My dad came out of the womb strong and brave and leaving this life will be no different. He has taught us all so many things about strength, honesty, to love and cherish family, but most importantly to always be humble and love God with all our heart. Dad knew that he would have never survived the battles of this life without the hand of God over him.
I pray that I learned with every battle I go through there is someone else with a greater battle. I pray that I can carry the mantle of prayer for my family the way that my mom and dad both carried. I pray that I will always be all the things my daddy instilled in me. But most importantly I pray that I pleased God by honoring my dad and caring for him during his final days.
I am so thankful that God allowed me to be raised by such an amazing man. I am so thankful for the time that God has given us with him.
To God be the Glory! Soon there will be a mighty warrior entering the Kingdom! Soon we will rejoice with the angels! We serve an amazing God that through our sadness and pain we can rejoice. We are not promised tomorrow but those that live for Him are promised Eternity.
Watching my dad I begin to think about how life really is full circle. From the time a child is conceived in the mothers womb, that child will have their own identity, temperance, and their own will to live this life. Each pregnancy is different, each birth is different and each death is different.
My dad has been a fighter all his life. He used to say "I was born during the Great Depression and came out backwards." He went into the Navy at 14 years old so he could send money home to support his family. He worked all his life through two battles of lung cancer and a battle with prostrate cancer and finally retired in his 70's. He lost his only son, mother, sisters and brother, then to lose his wife of 53 years, and two years ago to lose a daughter. He has spent the last several years sick and having many surgeries that almost cost him his life. Three infections at once that had doctors saying he probably wouldn't make it. The last three weeks he has been given 24-48 hours to live more times than we can count. He is in such pain but never complains.
My dad is the strongest and bravest man I know. Did he have faults, of course, don't we all. But a man that would sacrifice his life for his family, a man that would never say how much he was going through because he didn't want anyone to worry. A man that prayed for everyone else when he needed prayer the most. Honesty, integrity, and self willed barely speak of what kind of man he is.
But I have watched this strong man become so weak that today he can't even lift his arms or legs. He can't speak or even barely drink from a straw. But even through it all he still shows great strength and courage. He smiles at everyone that comes in to see him, he prays when someone prays, when we say love you he always says I love you too, he is gentle and kind in the midst of a battle. A true love for life, for his family and mostly for God.
My dad came out of the womb strong and brave and leaving this life will be no different. He has taught us all so many things about strength, honesty, to love and cherish family, but most importantly to always be humble and love God with all our heart. Dad knew that he would have never survived the battles of this life without the hand of God over him.
I pray that I learned with every battle I go through there is someone else with a greater battle. I pray that I can carry the mantle of prayer for my family the way that my mom and dad both carried. I pray that I will always be all the things my daddy instilled in me. But most importantly I pray that I pleased God by honoring my dad and caring for him during his final days.
I am so thankful that God allowed me to be raised by such an amazing man. I am so thankful for the time that God has given us with him.
To God be the Glory! Soon there will be a mighty warrior entering the Kingdom! Soon we will rejoice with the angels! We serve an amazing God that through our sadness and pain we can rejoice. We are not promised tomorrow but those that live for Him are promised Eternity.
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