2026-01-09
Good morning, Dear Ones,
We’ve looked in many ways at establishing a relationship with the Lord, but today, the Holy Spirit wants us to examine how to enrich it for ourselves and for others over our earthly lives. Some people were little children when their parents enrolled them in age-appropriate classes in church to that end. Others came to a relationship with the Lord as teens or adults. Yet once such a relationship is established, it must be nourished and enriched from that point on.
When we regularly attend church, taking part in both corporate worship and listening to carefully prepared sermons presented by scholarly pastors, we are nourishing our souls. We will see, however, that church is by far not the only place we strengthen our relationship with God. We are told, in JAS 4: 8, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” JER 29: 11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you hope for the future. Then you will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” That sounds like a God Who really wants us to have a relationship with Him. I can personally testify that God had me (and many others) in His sight all our lives, even when we weren’t aware of it; He actually chased after me, waiting for that precious time when I was ready to receive Him.
Each of us with faith has a time when we are ready to receive the strength and guidance of our Creator. It might be a child having an experience that brings him to his time, or it might be someone who has denied Him and suddenly comes to an adult breakthrough. PS 105: 2-4, “Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek Him rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” This is a wonderful mystery when we discover Christ in us, the hope of glory. When we read the Scriptures and He shows us we can tap into His wisdom, strength, and guidance at any time, the long-held mystery is made clear [COL 1: 26-27; COL 2: 2-3]. We gain strength from Him, because we are making decisions and taking actions that are eternally valuable. Moreover, we are doing things in line with His will.
The habit of prayer for self and others builds faith and trust in God. We must think of people like David, who spent most of his life fending off enemies, being in danger of one kind or another, and being betrayed by his own son, Absolam. David was king of Israel and was constantly under attack by gossip, spears, the mentally ill King Saul, and others who betrayed him. And yet, David was a man of prayer and deeply abiding faith. Just reading PS 63 is proof of that. Through prayer and his ever-deepening relationship with God, David developed a special kind of trust and reliance on God. It was faith that became stronger than his fear of destruction! Time after time, God came through for him. He will do the same for us. PS 145: 18-19, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. The fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries and answers them.”
Embracing the Lord’s love and grace transforms us and matures us spiritually. I’ve often written about developing the habit of visiting “the shelter under God’s wings” often. This is a time when a person can have a real one- on- One with God, praying and listening for God’s direction. My terminology here arises from PS 91: 1-2. This is where we can open our hearts to the Holy Spirit about anything at hand. It’s a great place to ask for God’s advice on decisions we must make or changes we need to make. Learning not to be selfish and to use our God-given talents or improving our penchant for hospitality or lack of it are examples. To be more Christlike, we must remember MT 20: 28, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” This is how we put our faith in action. When we listen to the Holy Spirit, we grow into mature believers in Jesus Christ. And there is nothing that brings such inner peace and happiness.
PRAYER: O Lord, the apostle James has said “Faith without actions is dead” [JAS 2: 17]. Our relationship with You can enriched by a lifestyle that includes the things mentioned above. Wherever we are, at home with family, at work with co-workers, or anywhere, You empower us to have a life of inner peace, when we are kind to others, demonstrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit [GA 5: 22-23], take responsibility for our actions, and behave with humility toward You and toward other people. Your power to do good is unparalleled, a great reason to strive to be more like Your Son, Jesus Christ. You are a God, Who deserves our utmost loyalty, thanksgiving, and praise for all You are and all You do. This prayer is said in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am commanded to write about answering the question: “To what can believers look forward?” The most important reminder for us is found in RO 5: 8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Grace is undeserved merit. We were enslaved by our sinfulness and had no way out until Christ went to the cross for us. Once this happened, we who believe and are obediently faithful to Him could be justified, eternally forgiven, and enjoy the fruits of salvation [RO 4: 3, 1 JN 1: 9; JN 3: 16]. Our God loves us so much that He wants as many of us to be saved as possible. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him!
Grace Be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2025. All Rights Reserved.
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