Break Through the Surface

Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the LORD. – Song of Solomon 8:6

 

What is it that draws two individuals together in love?  Is it the sexual attraction, is it the intelligence, is it the wealth of one of them, is it the similarity of interests, or is it simply a chance meeting?  Every relationship is unique in that there is always an initial meeting.

Lisa and I met at a Christmas dance.  I was a Junior and she was a Freshman.  She came to the dance with my best friend; needless to say, I had a different girl on my arm that night.  The night progressed, and we all went out for fries and shakes after the dance.  Somewhere in the middle of the evening at the Big Boy restaurant, Lisa bumped a Coke glass on the table, and the entire contents flowed onto my brand new powder blue leisure suit.  Amidst embarrassing apologies and laughter, a spark was lit when our eyes locked in a warm, laughing moment.  I accepted her apology and gave her a candy cane from the Christmas tree in the lobby.  Then our paths went separate directions for the next 3 ½ years, until that same best friend reintroduced me to Lisa one sunny afternoon in the summer of 1986.  That was the beginning of what God brought together, as only He could.

Recall a relationship in your life and what drew you together.  Now, what sustained that relationship?  Time together.  The more time you spend with a significant other, the closer you become.  The more you know them, the more they become written upon your heart, and your love is strengthened.  A relationship can be formed on sexual desire and attraction, but it will not be sustained by that.  Sustaining a relationship requires intimacy and depth of understanding.  You cannot remain at a surface-level relationship for a relationship to become strong; it takes time and effort.

So it is with loving God.  You may have become attracted to God through a worship song, a prayer, a scripture at just the right moment, and emotional breakdown.  But, I posit, to strengthen that relationship requires you to invest significant time and effort.  Who is this Jesus?  How well do you know Him?  How are you getting to know Him better?  You want a deeper word from God, then be in His Word more frequently.  Study it, get to know Him deeper.  Write His name upon your heart, just as He has written yours upon His.  God wants more than a surface-level relationship and is not holding back, unless you aren’t seeking more.  Break the surface today, and dive into the deep end with God. He’s ready when you are.

The Heart Knows

Make 2014 a year for sharing

“But now your {Saul} kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him {David} as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”” – 1 Samuel 13:14

David was appointed King of Israel by God through Samuel in 1 Samuel 16.  He was the youngest son of Jesse the Bethlehemite.  Jesse had seven other sons, all of whom had the strength and stature of a King, but the Lord did not choose any of them.  Instead the Lord, chose the smallest, the humble, the youngest of the brothers and said “This is the one”.  In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord tells Samuel, ““Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

The Lord sees in your heart.  He knows the truth of your character, not as man sees it based on your outward appearance and the words from your lips, but from your inner being, your thoughts and your spirit.  We all put on a mask of righteousness at the appropriate times and attempt to convince ourselves and others that we are holy and abiding in God’s purpose.  We may be able to fool man into believing our holiness, but what difference does that make, for man cannot secure you a place in God’s Kingdom.  Only God’s Son can do that and He knows all about the real person inside of your fleshly appearance.

David was not a perfect, righteous person; as we well know.  He was an adulterer and a murderer, as documented in the scriptures.  But, he is the only man whom God labeled as “a man after My own heart”.  David’s love for God was unmatched by any man, other than Jesus Christ himself.  David recognized that his flesh was weak and that his nature was to sin, but he also realized the most important part of life.  David recognized that his sinful nature on this earth was not a sin against man, but a sin against God Almighty.  He realized that he must repent before the Lord, for all of his iniquities and be reconciled to God only, for his transgressions. 

David, like you and I, was born of sin.  We are incapable of living a life without sin and imperfections.  As much as we try to live a perfect life we are only fooling ourselves, for God knows your thoughts and inner feelings as well.  Every thought of lust, anger, vengeance, greed, pride or power separates you from His required perfection.  In your life, if you have had only one thought of unrighteousness, you have separated yourself from God Almighty forever.  For He demands perfection, and complete holiness.  This is impossible for you and I, and every other person to walk this earth, including David.  The only exception was Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived a perfectly holy, righteous life and went to the cross faultless and worthy of God’s Kingdom.  His death on the cross is the sacrifice required for our sin filled lives.  Every sin of mankind was put upon Him at that time and forever more.  There will never be a need for another sacrifice, for in that one event God settled it once and for all.  We are not expected to live a perfect, holy life; but we are expected to come before the Lord, with Jesus Christ as our mediator and repent of our unrighteousness, and be reconciled to His purpose and holiness.  Do not turn from the Lord in fear and avoidance, but come to Him with a heart filled with the desire to serve Him and bring Him glory.  Your actions will follow your heart if indeed you seek Him first, just as David did.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
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