The Sunday News
FROM last week we realised there is great value in finding yourself as a friend of the Lord. Not just the created but a friend. We are not just sons and daughters but friends. Today let us find ourselves getting closer with God. In common lingo kesibe ‘‘tight’’ loNkulunkulu, it is possible you know.
Our relationship with God should be marked by intimate friendship — obedience, trust, prayer. “Whenever Moses entered the tent (of meeting), the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses . . . The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11)
God spoke to Moses as a man speaks to his friend. We take this to be an intimate relationship, close and one that can only be said of people who know each other. It has never been in God’s mind to have you distanced from him. We should be spiritually intimate with God. That is why he called us from the world unto himself.
Spiritual intimacy points to the intimate fellowship and worship we can have with God. It is an intimacy that originates from within a person’s human spirit, which is the place where a man can contact God and where all true worship occurs (“worship God in the spirit” — Phil 3:3 and “worship in spirit” — John 4: 24). It also points to the kind of intimacy that is initiated and fostered by the Holy Spirit (John 16: 14 — “he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you”). Hence, it is spiritual intimacy. It originates from the realm of man’s inner existence (the place where spiritual life and true worship exists) and is fashioned by the Holy Spirit who indwells him.
Devotional living, worshipping God, and enjoying His abiding presence are all part of developing this spiritual intimacy with God or a closer walk with the Lord in our daily living. Intimacy involves personal quiet times when we get alone with God (Ps 5: 1-3; 63: 1), pray (Ps 5: 2), meditate upon God (Ps 63: 3) and His Word (Psalm 119: 15, 23, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148), and praise Him for who He is and what He has done (Ps 99: 3; 145: 3). It also involves an entire life of devotion, obedience, and worship that is rendered up to God (1 Pet 2: 5). It involves enjoying God’s presence on a daily, hourly and minute by minute basis (Psalm 37: 4 – “delight thyself also in the Lord”). It is not enough just to start the day in meditation and prayer. We must seek to maintain this posture and continue to “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps 91: 1). We are called to abide. Abiding paints the picture of a consistent practice. Practicing the presence of God!
This is what God wants for our lives today as His people. When we practice the presence of God we will develop spiritual intimacy with Him. As a result, we will not become defeated, discouraged, and disturbed in life. Many Christians wonder what went wrong when they find themselves overcome by sin and debilitating fears and discouragement. If they could just retrace their steps they will discover that they have not been walking with God, as they should be, and as a result they are overcome with life’s perplexities and problems. James 4: 8 tells us to “draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.” The Apostle Paul expressed his desire for spiritual intimacy with God when he said, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection” (Phil 3: 0). He spoke of a closeness that was real as the song writer wrote, ‘‘Yek’ubuhle bokumazi umsindisi wami’’ It is not a once off but a continuous and permanent status.
A daily devotional life consisting of fellowship with God and worship is not something that can be overlooked or bypassed without having damaging and devastating effects upon our lives. Webster defines devotion like this: “attachment to a cause or person.” So it is with the Christian life. We are to be attached to God and walk with Him faithfully and lovingly embrace Him in our daily living. We are to pour our hearts out to God in daily worship, draw close to Him, and live our lives connected to the Lord. The most important part of your life is the part that only God sees — your inner spiritual life of fellowship with Him. The Apostle Peter calls it the “hidden man of the heart” (1 Pet 3: 4). It is the spiritual part of man’s existence where true intimacy with God takes place. At times we concentrate on what people see on the outside but this is not the most important part of you and me as far as our walk with God is concerned.
“Everything in our Christian life and service flows from our relationship with God. If we are not in vital fellowship with Him, everything else will be out of focus. But when our communion with Him is close and real, it is gloriously possible to experience a growing intimacy.” (J Oswald Sanders)
Spiritual intimacy or fellowship with God should not be an added option in our lives as Christians but a loving act of stewardship directed toward God.
Jesus had 70 disciples who followed Him (Luke 10: 1) but He also had twelve disciples that lived even closer to Him than the 70 (Matthew 10: 1; 19: 28). Then, among the twelve there emerged an inner circle of three disciples who chose to live closest to Jesus. The inner circle was Peter, James, and John (Mark 5: 37; 9: 2; 13: 3). Each of the disciples was as close to Jesus as they chose to be, for the Son of God had no favourites. Among the three there was one (John) who was said to lean upon the breast of Jesus. In John 13: 25 we read, “He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?” John always identified himself as the one who was leaning upon Jesus’ breast (John 21: 20).
Seventy, 12, three, one! In which group would you be found today? How close are you to the Lord? How close do you really want to be with God?
So there are varying degrees of intimacy that we can have with God based upon our level of love for the Lord. If we want to become part of the inner circle of deepening intimacy with God we must choose to enjoy His presence through greater worship, communion, and obedience. There is a vacant place on Jesus’ breast that is open to any who is willing to love the Lord with a deepening intimacy. We are now, and we will be in the future, only as intimate with God as we really choose to be. We must appropriate the place of privilege that is available to each one of us. Shalom!
