Ok, so here are some things I have been thinking on while I’ve been home “resting”. lol J Even though I can’t stand holding still, I have loved the time that I have had with Jesus. An intimacy with my Savior that has long been missed has once again come alive within me. These are just a few thoughts and things I’ve been pondering today….feel free to add to it and let me know your input or thoughts you have. I’m always open and wanting to grow and learn more. J
Have you noticed how praise moves people? Ever seen someone working on a project and you come along and begin to encourage them, to let them know all the things they’re doing right and then suddenly something clicks. And what was being done at a mediocre level now becomes a pursuit of excellence. Why?!? Maybe simple because now they know someone believes in them and has confidence that they can achieve something great. As humans we all need affirmation. I know personally I want to be close to those who encourage me, who see potential inside of me, who notice what I am doing. I think about how it is with God too, how when we begin to praise Him and begin to acknowledge His working in our lives, He draws close. What about David, by no means was a perfect man but the Bible does tell us that he was a man after God’s heart. And I watch how David bragged on God. Many times before a battle, David would be declaring his victory before the battle even began because he knew his God and had confidence in Him. And notice what happened when David bragged on his God…..God showed up and showed favor and victory to his son. That tells me something about God, His faithfulness, and when you begin to brag on Him he will show up in your life and prove Himself faithful. Perhaps that’s one of the keys to intimacy: Praise!
You ever think that maybe God gets tired of hearing the same old stuff. Almost like our praise to Him has become routine and we praise Him out of what we have been taught by others….words, phases, expressions, exaltations. When you love someone and want to pursue them and have a relationship with them, don’t you think you would be more genuine? That your words and admirations would come from your heart? And not just from what you’ve heard people around you say. I feel sorry for my husband one day because I am the type of person who doesn’t like cliché remarks, or things out of a book or off of TV. I like original, heart felt, just between you and me, no one else kind of stuff. haha J And I wonder if God feels the same way? There’s an intimacy that comes when you are genuinely admiring and exalting the one you love. I want my walk with God to be real. Not something “showy” or “put on” I want to love and admire Him in a special way, not just how I see everyone around me doing. He deserves more than a copy cat. Perhaps that’s another key to intimacy: Genuine admiration.
Where is our pursuit and hunger? Sometimes I try to check myself and my hunger level for God, am I more hungry for God than oxygen, than food, than ministry, than a mate, than possessions?!? Not saying that any of those things are wrong, obviously you need oxygen to survive…lol J But I wonder sometimes are we desperate for Him or are we distracted by things? And what are the things that keep me from pursue Him with all that we have? Distraction is a sneaky thing, it slowly comes in and steals our focus. Broken focus is the number one reason that we fail. I think that what we look at the longest becomes strongest in our lives. What has the ability to master our attention has mastered our lives. We can’t allow anything to steal our focus off Jesus. That is why we must be in passionate pursuit of Him. Only passionate people fulfill their mission. The force of our personal passion will provide us the power to break through any obstacle that will hold us back and hinder us from obtaining what we’re striving for. That’s why passionate people win in life and passive people never get what God intended for them. When I think of a passionate person who was in pursuit of something, I think of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with that expensive oil. Now there is someone who was desperate and willing to give everything, at the cost of looking foolish in front of other in order to touch Jesus. Maybe another key to intimacy is: Foolish and passionate pursuit.
Ok, that’s all for now.
Keep running towards Him and never stop running
