Dwelling with God

What are the advantages to living close to God? Too often, we "serve" God from habit, or we only serve God when we can clearly see that it's beneficial to us. However, serving God is always beneficial to us. In Psalms 5:4-6 we find that no evil person can be close to God.

David says in Psalms 5:7 how we are to approach God. First, David recognizes God's complete control. It is only by God's mercy that we are allowed to approach Him. Second, David shows humility in bowing down. Bowing down is an outward way to show servitude to another. This is how we should always approach God: recognizing His supreme authority and showing our humility in service to Him.

Then, after showing the manner in which he has approached God, David makes his request in Psalms 5:8. David asks for only one thing: guidance. He asks God to lead him. He doesn't try to tell God where he wants to go. He doesn't ask God to lead him to a particular place. He just asks God to lead him and leaves the destination up to God.

These are two of the greatest advantages of serving God: protection and guidance. By living close to God at all times, we know that we are protected from evil; we're protected by God because in His presence no evil can dwell. By living close to God at all times, we are able to follow Him where He leads us. There is nothing more important in our lives than following God's will.

New Year's Resolutions

How many of you have set New Year's Resolutions? In years past I used to always refuse to make New Year's Resolutions. Even when I was in school and they made us write them on a piece of paper and put them in an envelope, I put a blank piece of paper in an envelope. As a man, for me to write something down, or purpose to do something, and then fail at it was to show a lack of character and I simply refused.

It was really a grand scheme, as I never had to say I didn't stick with my New Year's Resolutions. However, it kept me from having any real purpose in going into the New Year. What is my reason for living this next year? So last year, I made some resolutions. Some resolutions I kept, some I didn't. This year, I'll set some more. This year, I will try to keep them all, but I will likely fail.

So what then does the Bible have to say about resolutions? 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 shows us that every good purpose God fulfills in our lives is for His glory. Lamentations 3:40-41 gives us a great place to start: examining our lives, returning to God, and praising God. While I have several resolutions that are very personal for this year, I definitely want one of those resolutions to be to examine my life more closely on a daily basis, and to draw closer to God.

Even if you don't have a particular mission or goal in life, find some purpose for yourself in the coming year, and pursue it with all of your might. If you have no purpose, make it your purpose to find your purpose, through study and seeking God. God has a purpose for every one of us (2 Timothy 1:8-14).

The Will of God

God has a particular place in which we are to be. He has a specific task laid out for us. We can do great things in His name, and be as far from serving Him as the man who is openly rebelling against God (Matthew 7:22). Paul is even grateful in 1 Corinthians 1:15-17 that he didn't baptize many people, because that wasn't his calling.

When we try to use our intelligence and our logic to determine what that purpose is that God has called us for, we miss the very purpose that God has laid out for us. In 1 Corinthians 1:21 says "in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him". We can't even begin to comprehend God or His will through our greatest understanding. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom.

Our faith in Jesus, and our following the will of God even when it doesn't make sense to us is the only thing we can do. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God" and "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." All of our thoughts, all of our knowledge, and all of our desires are meaningless in light of the wisdom of God. None of the things of the world are as important as following Him.