Living Free - Jan. 16, 2014
Today's Scripture
""As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God." - Psalm 42:1-2 NLT
Thoughts for Today
In today's scripture, the psalmist expresses his longing, his thirst, for God. This is passion! Paul said, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him" (Psalm 42:1-2 NLT). This is passion!
Passion comes from intimacy with God. This intimacy is a love relationship, a communication and a communing with God that flows mutually from God's heart to man and from man to the heart of God. It is where the heart meets God.
Consider this …
Is your level of intimacy with God where you want it to be? Perhaps we should never be satisfied. Like the psalmist, may we continue to long for more of Him. To thirst for Him.
Growing in intimacy involves this longing. It involves spending quality quiet time with Him, worshipping Him, listening to Him, loving Him, and opening our heart to His love. It involves putting Him first in our lives. It involves prayerfully seeking to know Him better through His Word. We don't have to be a perfect Christian (there aren't any!) or a pastor or some great teacher. We just have to be thirsty.
Are you thirsty?
Father, please forgive me for focusing on the church as a place to serve me, rather than a house of worship for me to honor you in praise and worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to refocus on Jesus. To declare Your name to my fellow believers and to praise you in the midst of the congregation. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
A Passionate Pursuit of God: Drawing Nearer to Him by Dr. Mike Chapman. This study teaches participant how to move into God's inner circle, how to listen for the voice of God, how to enjoy the freedom of worship, and how to embrace the mission of worship. This 45-minute format will accommodate groups with limited meeting times. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.
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