There are few things in the world that might not jeopardize our souls under some circumstances. But whatever threatens to cut us off from God, we should let go of that thing immediately. If the house is burning, leave your stuff and get out of there!
Because of our own choices, those whom we need to be connected to, especially God, have turned their backs to us — and not without justification. We are not only alone; we are alone because we’ve been abandoned . . . because of our own misdeeds.
If God exists, we need to take Him with utter seriousness. We must not relegate spiritual truths to a secondary status. To be people of faith means we’re committed to the massive continents of truth that lie beyond our present horizons.
To those whose hearts are turned toward God today, there are no more joyous sounds than those that emanate from His throne: the sounds of victory, of worship, and of freedom! Do we have ears to hear? Do our hearts resonate to the sounds of God’s joy?
It is no less true with God than with anyone else: we are delighted to receive communications from those whom we love. “This is the love of God,” John wrote, “that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
God’s satisfaction of our needs enlarges our capacity. For those who’ve progressed a little way down the path of spiritual growth, one of the most intense delights is that when we think He has filled our cup to the brim, He gives us a bigger cup.
Can we fail to get the point in Psalm 34? David’s concept of the good life was that it had to do with human character. His primary concern was with what a person is, and not with what that person might have or accomplish.
“Pleasure” and “fulfillment” often turn out to be disappointing, and that is certainly the case with material wealth. Possessions gained at the expense of higher values have an uncanny way of turning against their owners and breaking their hearts.
We desperately need to have something that defines our identity and determines the value of our lives, and if God’s deeds are not allowed to do these things, then it’s only a matter of time before we begin looking to our own deeds to fill the gap.
The very respectability of our lives may mask a good deal of self-will and self-sufficiency. Godliness means that we do what we do “as to the Lord,” and there is a considerable distance between the life of self-governed goodness and the life of God-governed faith.
