Stop, Look, and Listen

It's good to settle into something resembling normal life. Last night I spent almost the whole Sabbath evening with God (diverted only briefly by tea with Jessica and a stimulating conversation about a couple of Bible questions). It's good to center back on Him and remember the important things in life. I love to think of the Sabbath as a 24 hour appointment with God. The important things He was drawing me back to? That He is the #1 most important thing in my life. That sin in my life-no matter how small or socially excusable-separates me from Him. That I need to deal with that sin so that I can have a deeper relationship with Him.

 

He tied so many elements together of the things I was studying-from the book of Numbers to the Nancy Leigh DeMoss Seeking Him Bible study section on honesty to Malcolm Smith's The Lost Secret of the New Covenant to my memory verses in 2 Corinthians 5 and 6. If (since) I am in Christ, I am a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." I tend to read that, "When I believed in Christ, I became a new creature. All the old sins went away, and I turned over a new leaf." That's not a bad start, but that's not what it says. It says I am a new creature in Christ now. Now is a continuous thing. And anything before now can be classified as an old thing. Bottom line: I do not have to be bound by past sins since I am in Christ! He is constantly transforming me! The sins of yesterday (confessed and forgiven-1 Jn. 1:9) are gone. I am pressing on, moving forward. Wow. Double wow. This isn't new stuff, but meditating on it refreshes the truth, and I need that.

 

Being "in Christ" is also a covenant thing. Because I am in covenant with God, God reconciled me to Him through Jesus (2 Cor. 5:18). I am close to Him, my trespasses are not held against me (5:19). Moreover, He wants to use me to reconcile others to Him! Smith's book is going over the concept of covenant, something well-taught me by the Camenisches and Mike Davis. But Smith starts with the idea of God's hesed (chesed), a word depicting His covenant loyalty or lovingkindness to us. He goes on to review the basis of God's love-His character, not the degree of how pleasing we are to Him. All basic stuff, but rich and deep! I don't think I can ever get over the basics of God's love and saving power! ("for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest")

 

Seeking Him brought in the idea of how God wants us to be honest with Him, because He wants a deep relationship that we want, too. And Numbers reminds me that God cares about people by name, and He cares even about details!

 

I'm headed back to the room for the rest of my appointment with Him. It's good to stop, look, and listen.