For the past six weeks, I’ve invited you to join me in unpacking a single thought that has been swimming around in my head and heart for some time…
GOD’S WORD IS A BOOK OF EXAMPLES NOT EXCEPTIONS.
For me, I noticed that when I was reading God’s Word, there was a growing disconnect between what I was reading and what I was experiencing in my day-to-day walk with God.
I certainly love reading about Moses parting the Red Sea, or when Joshua prayed for the Sun to stand still and it did, those are encouraging reminders of God’s greatness and power. But the disconnect I was sensing had more to do with the relational intimacy that the people of God experienced with God as they walked with God.
I’m thinking of Enoch…
“Enoch lived in close fellowship with God…”
Genesis 5:22 (NLT)
Or Noah…
“and he walked in close fellowship with God.”
Genesis 6:9 (NLT)
Or consider David…
“The LORD is my Shepherd…”
Psalm 23:1 (NLT)
Those are just a few examples of the relational nature of how people walked with God… and as you’ve read over the past six weeks…
THESE ARE EXAMPLE NOT EXCEPTIONS.
As I bring this series of devotionals to a close, I wanted to share with you the ONE THING that I think those who have gone before me (thinking of the many Biblical examples of relational intimacy) knew that I often and easily forget. And the consequence of forgetting this ONE THING is that we’ll start thinking that what the people of God experienced with God were EXCEPTIONS AND NOT EXAMPLES.
So, without further ado, here’s the ONE THING…
GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD
I realize that might sound a bit odd, so let me make clear that this is one of the ways in which God in His Word would want you and I to understand Him. And when we understand God rightly, well, that is when we will begin to experience the relational intimacy that God desires to have with you and me.
See this with me in the book of Exodus…
“You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.”
Exodus 34:14 (NLT)
There is MUCH that could be said about understanding God as a Jealous God, but for the purpose of this devotional, let me just say this…
GOD’S DESIRE FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU IS INTENSE.
In other words, when anyone or anything comes in between the relationship God created us to have with Him, well, that’s not good. God in His kindness, generosity and grace has given us so many good things… things that He wants us to enjoy.
Friendships… good thing.
Marriage… good thing.
Children… good thing.
Work… good thing.
Education… good thing.
This is but a small sampling of ‘good things’ that our Good God has given us, but when any of these ‘good things’ begins to come in between our walk with God… not a good thing. In fact, when this happens, it’s at this moment when we’d begin to experience the JEALOUSY OF GOD.
For a long time, maybe like you, I assumed that it was just the ‘bad things’ that came between me and God… and of course by ‘bad things’ I of course mean sin in its variety of expressions.
All day, every day sin will hinder if not destroy relational intimacy with God but just so you know, so too will the ‘good things’ of God. If we’d experience the walk with God that He created us to have with Him, we must become increasingly aware of anything and everything that would hinder our relational intimacy with God.
If you feel stuck… like in a spiritual rut
If you feel a bit lost… not sure of the next step
If you feel distant… like God is nowhere to be found
If you feel ‘off’… not sure why but you do
If you feel as if you're not currently experiencing the relational intimacy that God is jealous to have with you, simply ask the question…
“LORD, is there anything or anyone that is coming between you and me?”
If you ask that question, please make sure to stick around for how He will answer the question. And just so you know, because the LORD is a jealous God, this is a question He will answer because…
GOD’S DESIRE FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU IS INTENSE.
Thank you for allowing me to share with you through these devotionals what the LORD has been teaching me… what He has been taking me through.
Super grateful that as we continue to grow in God’s Word together, we will continue to see more and more EXAMPLES NOT EXCEPTIONS of all the ways God desires relational intimacy with us.
