We live in the information age. Anything we need to know can be found in an instant. If we need to learn how to do something we can watch a YouTube video. Last summer our riding lawn mower threw a belt. I watched a video and removed the mower deck, replaced the belt, and reassembled the mower deck and had the mower functioning in a matter of a couple of hours. We have access to 24 hour news, and can receive information from celebrities and politicians via their Twitter and Instagram accounts. But how much can you really learn in 140 characters? We have easy access to information but are a society of superficial awareness. We read a tweet/post/headline and feel we are informed. We nibble on knowledge and feel educated. It is easy for those shaping their message to manipulate followers with thumbnail pictures of the whole story. And the church is approaching our relationship with God the same way.
I am guilty. I have wondered, where is God in times of such turmoil? I have felt equipped to be the defender of all that is right and good. Only to be shown I was woefully lacking in the chutzpah it really takes to stand on the front line for God. So much so, that I did not even know I was lacking! I want to be counted as faithful, one who God will entrust with great and mighty tasks. Many of you may probably feel the same way. What we need is spines of steel, ears for the voice of our Lord, and a heart to bring about His will. What I did not know was, just like society, the superficial stuff is easy. To know the heart of our Lord takes devotion. When we are young the excitement of a new relationship is exhilarating. We know very little about the person but what we know is enchanting. But as we get to know them on a deeper level we find that it is not all so easy. The same is true with God. This may seem as strange to you as it was me, but not everything about God makes us smile. God's word tells us this. "Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter." Revelation 10:9
When we only know the superficial things of God, they are sweet. We think we want more, to know more of His strength and His vision. We want to draw deeper from the well. But to be counted as the truest of God's faithful we must submerge ourselves in the holy presence of God. We cannot accomplish this with 140 character snippets of God. I have seen the daily devotion books and apps. They are designed to be completed in about 20 minutes. We cannot reach the level of mighty warrior for Christ that way. I have been involved in conversations choosing Bible studies. The time requirement for the individual study each week is often a determining factor in the choice made. I have also been guilty of not participating in the studies due to the time obligation involved. I understand that our lives are overwhelmed with legitimate obligations but this is the mentality that prevents us from walking by the very side of Christ.
I have not arrived. I wanted to share with you the keys to the next level. We have to be willing to shed our own flesh. The digestion is the understanding. What God desires of us is the bitterness in our stomach that comes after the honey taste in our mouth. "Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23. Wanting to be one of Christ's trusted confidants is one thing. Actually becoming trustworthy of such a position is TOTALLY different. I would really love to run a half marathon. I want to have the disciplined nature to train and achieve the level of fitness to be able to complete that goal. But as of now, I have not dedicated the time or effort to do that. The same goes with our relationship with Christ. How dedicated are we, really. Most would say, 'I want to be God's go to person!' But do we want it enough to dedicate our lives to knowing his heart.
When we go deeper into understanding the heart of Christ we see sin for what it is. We see the heartache it causes. We deliver blows to the enemy that can often be misunderstood by those who think that God is only love and nothing else. We become enemies of this world and place ourselves in the crosshairs of the adversary. "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also." John 15:20. This is why so many are not willing to do anything other than nibble on the honey sweet surface of God's saving grace. I want more for the glory of my king. He is worthy and I want to earn His trust. We possess the same fortitude that characterizes the heroes of the Old Testament. Why do we feel like we are any less capable of the greatness they accomplished for God? We can stand with the heroes if we are willing to draw closer to Christ, draw to His side, and put His will above our own. Whose with me?
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