This will be the last post of the year. Everyone have a great Christmas and we will see you sometime after the New Year!
Brenda Gregory
Matt. 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (GOD) for they shall be filled (satisfied).
I love the way The Message Bible translation puts it.
You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink and the best meal you'll ever eat!
Ever since I can remember, I have had such a gnawing hunger to really know God deeply for myself. I have never been contented with merely hearing about somebody else' special knowing, but I desperately needed one of my own. You could tell me all day long of your own experiences with Him and how He has spoken directly to your heart. Even though that may inspire me, still it would not be enough for me, personally. That driving force inside me would sometimes wake me up in the night with the sound of my own voice saying out-loud, 'God, I want to know You!'
Those who do not understand might ask, 'Well you've been serving Him for years, what do you mean, 'know' Him?' Sometimes I felt foolish trying to explain this desire to another Christian friend. I could tell by their face they just didn't 'get it'. I'm sure that to them, I was either a little over zealous or 'backslid'. I have a feeling some of you reading right now might relate, knowing exactly what I am talking about.
When we pastored in Northern Calif. we had a large size property on a mountain side with many trails. Nearly every single day I would gather up my 4 dogs (to protect me from the bears and mountain lions) and off we would go! My bible, my constant companion, was grasped close to my heart as if I was clinging onto God Himself! I anticipated every single day, for those were times where I could speak out loud in the beauty of His creation without a chance of anybody else listening in....except my dogs that is!
I was on a mission! For years, a deeper hunger to 'know' God, far past all I'd already been taught of Him or already knew of Him, had so consumed me that I was desperate for it to come to fruition. Yes, I had my intense special prayer times and had known a measure of special closeness with God, but I so desperately needed something deeper...far beyond all I'd ever experienced thus far! Once and for all, I was going to complete this knowing (or so I thought), and satisfy this hunger! Little did I know the journey I was in for!
In my former traditional thinking, we were taught that if you followed a certain 'plan' you had all truth. Just make sure you stayed 'in the Truth' and free from sin, then everything would be A-OK. Of course, my understanding at that time was based on Truth simply being a 'doctrine', yet scripture calls truth a name, 'Jesus Christ'. How I love 'Truth!'
As God is my witness, I tried my best to settle for this 'all truth' concept. Still my hunger would not be abated. Deep down I knew I was missing something. That still small voice was cheering me on! Yes, I had all the 1-2-3's down pat. I was faithful to church and knew exactly where my place was in helping to 'further' the service along, hoping to please God. But still my soul kept crying out, 'I'm hungry for more than this!' I always felt that there was a major part of God that I was missing out on. I was on a treasure hunt and I was determined not to stop till I found out what it was God was trying to help me see.
It was evident there was also a shift going on in my husbands heart at this same time by the messages he preached and taught. He has never been a 'guilt and condemnation' preacher, but his sole motivation seemed now to be in how often he could share and explain the deep love and mercy of God. Still, that was his knowing and I wanted....NO, I had to have one of my own! It was clearly apparent that God was leading us on this road of 'knowing' together!
I remember the day I was reading a scripture I had read numerous times before, but this particular day it shattered all my neat little packaged traditions. A certain small part of this scripture jumped out at me and grabbed a hold of my heart like I was reading it for the very first time! Now it may seem insignificant to you, but understanding the point I was at in my quest, it was akin to opening up a brand new world that my soul had been shielded from seeing far too long! God was honoring the desire of my heart that day!
This portion of scripture was found in Romans 11:33 and says this.........
'Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God..........His ways are PAST finding out'
To some, this may seem like it is saying that a deeper 'knowledge' is impossible so don't even try, but to my heart that day it spoke this;
There is a endless 'knowing' of Him. I haven't even scratched the surface yet with all my neat little traditional packaged formula's! The well of truth and understanding is bottomless! You see, up till now, the highest high and deepest depth for me with God, was a blessing I might experience on a Sunday night service or a special personal prayer meeting. How small my world! From that day on, I began to camp out at that well.
All the hungering and searching I'd done despite being told we 'had it all' was making me face the fact that just maybe we didn't after-all. This small phrase in scripture was all the spark I needed to push ahead in my quest of 'knowing'. It was similar to someone being told they haven't got what it takes to attain a goal, but instead of letting the words discourage and stop them, it inspires and challenges them! That is exactly what this scripture did to me that day. The possibility that I might have a unending knowledge of Him and that maybe there was so much more than I had been told, placed me on a 'heart adventure' and my hunt has been without a doubt the most exciting and fulfilling quest of my life thus far.
Like me, so many have felt that just maintaining our salvation and making sure we try hard not to sin, is all there is in relationship with God. Making Him 'look' good by our actions are up-most in our thoughts. The big problem with this 'maintenance' frame of mind, is that it has no heart and leans lopsided on us. It convinces us that we have to 'make' God want a relationship with us! By our very deeds, we unconsciously admit that the power and desire lies only within us. We become the hard working partner in trying to 'force' this relationship as God simply looks on nonchalantly with no real desire of His own. The whole message of the cross becomes dulled and distant beneath our never ending toils.
With this frame of mind, weariness and boredom eventually sets in and the union tends to get repetitious and unexciting. I finally had to admit to myself that something was missing big time. Some major link was being left out and not being taught and promoted the way God intended. My hunger made me determined to find out what it was. My faithful 'yoke' partner all the time had been hard at work stirring a desire in my heart for more of Him! Many just like me though, become too busy with the toiling to even notice.
Rituals, formula's and traditions, by the very purpose of their being, declare this;
'We own all Truth! Your salvation is sure and complete when you do all we've told you to do. You need look no further.'
This is the thought that fuels and drives 'performance' based religion. They feel that the concept of keeping God's people busy in the doing and performing for Him, will keep discontent from settling in the heart. They seem to not understand that this malaise can only be appeased by something much more vital from God that is missing in their tradition and formula way of teaching.
Making sure God's people stay side tracked with outward displays of temporary 'highs' at the average of one Sunday a week, is the enemies number one aim. He hopes this will sustain and satisfy in order to stop people from delving deeper. Sad to say, this all out effort to stop a deep one on one with God from ever occurring only too often, works! It succeeds in keeping that soul- hunger abated while God looks on, forever waiting! This should never be merely a corporate experience! Rather, it is a personal one on one of the heart! God sees and longs for you as the unique individual you are!
Just keep God's people busy doing, striving, working at human contrived plans and agendas! Yes, this seems very noble and self- sacrificing, but at the end of the day you have to ask yourself this question;
'Are they truly God's desires and plans? Is this what He longs for with us? Is this really HIS agenda?'
In all honesty, not only have we observed but also have been a part of a people working ourselves to the bone while feeling we were doing God's work. At the end of the day though, we were just too weary to find time in simply getting to know Him. We sacrificed the most important and valuable part! Now we wonder how often we have been willing putty in the enemies hands,......
too weary to be perceptive of whom we toil for?!
How sly is the enemy! His mission accomplished, once again!
Hungry for more? YES! I long for more knowledge of Him! God forbid that I ever get satisfied and stop where I am simply because I think I have it all! This is a dangerous place to be for the soul because discontent and misery sets in. This fact is never more evident as it is when the church body begins to attack one another with self-righteous criticism and gossip.
We have talked much about the precious Grace of God and the Peace it brings. Did you know that Grace and Peace are multiplied by our hunger to know more of Him?
2Pet. 1:2-3 Grace and Peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
God, by his own action, gave us everything that is necessary for living the good life, by allowing us to really know the one who has called us to him.
Don't ever stop growing and moving in closer to Him! Everything you will ever need comes through the knowledge of Him! It's not in the temporary high of the shout and dance, but rather in the day to day hunger of truly knowing the lover of your soul! That is where peace and grace 'multiplied' is granted to you! EVERYTHING is contained in the knowledge of Jesus Christ........
-..in whom are hid all the 'treasures' of wisdom and knowledge. (Col. 2:3)
The sum total of all we will ever need is already ours wrapped up in the knowledge of Him!
For me, the most exciting part of this new journey I'm on, is that my treasure hunt is unending! I love that! No danger of staleness or mediocrity...that is unless I quit digging into the knowledge of Him.
It's up to me, it's up to you.
There is more! Don't let anyone convince you otherwise!
After the last message is preached, there is more!
After the last lesson is taught, there is more!
After the last powerful church service, YES!, there is still more!
The most exciting part of the trip with Him is digging in deep together side by side and finding the most valuable secrets of life! It's a gold mine whose resources are waiting to be discovered by each and ever heart that longs for so much more! No one excluded!
Go ahead! Hunger and thirst for Righteousness (God)! Work up a good appetite, because if you do, YOU WILL BE FILLED beyond measure!
Oh that I might 'KNOW' Him! (Phil 3:10)
- It only emboldens me on!
- It stirs up my hunger!
- My desire and love for Him keeps me digging anyway!
- It makes me anticipate each new day with Him!
I guess it simply means I have a lifetime of discovery to unearth!
Excuse me while I go get my shovel............
