He Is Faithful to My Heart Part 5 - The Promise Fulfilled

 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 12:13 

Life with God is one of hope.  Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In this definition of faith, we see faith as the substance of hope.  It is the undying conviction of an eager expectation we hold fast to. Our faith is in God Himself, and our hope is in Him who promises the revelation of His Christ and His kingdom. We hope in God to fulfill the promises He sets before us. He promises the earthly manifestation of the testimony of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He promises the imminent return of the Christ and our ultimate bodily resurrection and glorification. He promises the salvation of the earth and the nations therein. He promises the eternal increase of the government of God.  Indeed, there are many great promises within the word of God, and we, in hope, are sure of their future fulfillment. It is this hope that anchors us to His word and develops in us the faith to see these promises fulfilled.  

Just as we hope in the promise of the coming kingdom of Christ to be glorified in all the earth, we hope in promises that God gives us daily.  However it seems that our hope in these intimate promises falter more quickly than our hope in the promise of His manifestation in the earth. We are waiting patiently, yet eagerly, for the return of the Christ, and we are steadfast in this patience. But we often fumble the promises made directly to our hearts of the goodness our Heavenly Father desires to bestow upon us. We are unfaithful with them. Abraham held to the faith in the promise of God for a son of Sarah's womb.  He hoped in the Name of the LORD, and he was rewarded for patiently enduring.  We must learn to do the same if we are to obtain the reward of each intimate promise Abba gives.  Yes, they are often slow to come, but they always come on time.  There is much to be gained in practicing this patience, but much can be lost in the waiting if we fail to maintain our hope.  The beauty of the promises of God is in the process as well as the obtainment. Don’t miss this beauty in despair. Yes, hope deferred does make the heart grow sick, but even waiting can draw us into the beauty of His heart.  And, when the promise comes, life bursts forth within our own hearts.  We are given a double blessing in this: a glimpse of His glorious beauty and a tree of life abounding within us.  The process is important for this double portion blessing, and how wonderful it is to obtain the desire, but during the process, remember the faithfulness of God. Lean on Him; gaze on His beauty; know Him.  He is preparing you for the promise.  Do not lose hope and heart, but know that He is faithful in preparing your heart for the gift, just as He is faithful in bringing the gift.  He is your God and your Father who loves you and delights in giving you good gifts. Receive them with a heart of faith and hope, knowing that He is faithful to your heart both in making the promise and fulfilling it. 

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23

Few Find It

There is a way that leads to God. Few people find it. Jesus urges His audience to enter through the gate that leads to this path. In Matthew 7:13-14, He says: Enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Two things struck me as I typed this verse: 1) it is our natural tendency to walk towards destruction, and 2) the narrow gate is full of offense. Webster’s Dictionary defines offense as the following:

1 a obsolete : an act of stumbling b archaic : a cause or occasion of sin : stumbling block


2 : something that outrages the moral or physical senses


3 a : the act of attacking : assault b : the means or method of attacking or of attempting to score c : the offensive team or members of a team playing offensive positions d : scoring ability


4 a : the act of displeasing or affronting b : the state of being insulted or morally outraged 


5 a : a breach of a moral or social code : sin, misdeed b : an infraction of law; especially : misdemeanor

The way of God is offensive to the heart, the body, and the mind of men. It is offensive to the moral and social codes established in the world, because it brings the destructiveness and depravity of these standards into the light. When this happens, the heart of men is exposed. God did not leave us to navigate this road alone, but He extends Himself to show us the way. Jesus is the gate to this path, and Holy Spirit is the guide, while love is a budding staff on our hike to the Father. By love, we are able to enter into His presence and receive the pleasure He showers on us. Once Christ is received, another challenge arises. Jesus says two things that test the heart of the new believer and determines their ability to walk down this path:

The first: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46

And the second: “If you love Me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” – John 14:15-16, 23

Rebellion and shame have been increasing in the hearts of men since The Fall. Jesus confronts these two issues in these verses. We rebel against the commands of God, thus rebelling against His very heart and nature. Our rebellion brings shame, because in our hearts, we know we were created for a higher way of living. We were created to enjoy the pleasure of knowing God. We hinder ourselves from doing so by continuing in the cycle of rebellion and shame. When we give ourselves to the higher authority of God, and not to the fleeting desires of our own hearts, we will begin to progress down this road of life. We are saved by repenting of our sins and making Jesus Christ Lord of our lives, but how many of us live out this salvation that we profess? If Jesus Christ truly is our Lord, why do we continue in our rebellion? Why do we fail to take His word and commandments seriously? Because our hearts have not connected with the God of the universe. He is love. We can only come to Him when we understand the love He has for us through believing in the sacrifice of His Son. From that point, we must make a conscience decision every day to live in obedience to Him. As we choose to live obediently, we choose to declare daily that Jesus Christ is our Lord. We’ve entered through the gate. Jesus hands us the budding staff of love and points us towards Holy Spirit who has been awaiting our arrival. With joy, He takes us by the hand and begins to lead us down a difficult path that is full of life and love if we choose to receive what He is offering. For many, they enter through the gate and are ridden with fear, regret, and shame. They are not able to take the first step, but Holy Spirit is ever extending Himself to them that He may help them overcome that first step towards love. If the staff goes unused, we grow cold. But, when we allow Holy Spirit to teach us how to use the staff, how to walk in love, then a growing passion drives us, as we are in the midst of the All-Consuming Fire. Jesus says, we show our love by obeying Him, by keeping His words, and walking in His command. Only then, are we able to touch the heart of God and enter into His joy in the center of His flaming gaze. Beloved, don’t hinder yourself from living a life of true passion and pleasure. It’s in Christ alone. In Him, you’ll be revived. I gave myself to His authority. It was the best thing I’ve ever done. From that point, love has flooded my life, and I am kept in His passionate gaze. When I stare into His eyes, I’m further in love and begin to realize the height of my worth. I walk down this path that is narrow and hard to find. It’s the most scenic path, not easy, but so beautiful. I chose to love God, no matter what comes. Love is obedience. I gave up rebellion for authority and shame for love. And, now my heart has been awakened. Offense comes, but it can’t stand before love, because I took up my cross and have found life in death.

Steadfast Love

I love Jesus. Living this love is hard. The hard part is not the commandments, requirements, or rules that most people believe are necessary to be a lover of God. The hard part for me is receiving His love. That's where we often fail. God's love for us is so perfect, so complete, so unyielding, so steadfast that it doesn't require a response from us. It just is. My response and ability to love God is out of a desire within me to know Him...truly know Him. I don't want to know about Him. I don't want to know Him through other people. I don't want Him to be a friend of a friend. I want to be so close to Him in being, in understanding, in knowledge, in love that people do not consider me without Him coming to mind. But even this is difficult. Why? Because I am human, and I fall short. I'm not making any excuses for my shortcomings. I'm stating fact. I'm not yet perfect, but His love for me never fails. I do not understand how He can love me so perfectly even when I mess up and disappoint, but He does. It is not in me to understand, but it's completely Him to be God, and God is love. So simple, yet so hard to receive. For those of us who choose not to receive His love, His love still does not fail. There is nothing any of us can do to deter God from loving us. His hand is always extended to us, and His passion for us remains a burning flame. Why is it so hard for people to go to Him? It's the issue of man: we consider ourselves unlovable and are filled with shame. God defies all we have come to accept and know to be true. My advice: trade your truth for His and allow Him to make you whole. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, we all need to be renewed by His love. This is not just for unbelievers, but for everyone under the sun. God loves you. Receive His love. You can smack His hand away if you want, but I urge you to seek Him while He can still be found. His love remains, but our chances at receiving it are fleeting. Receive it while you can. My heart in all this: to make Him known that you may be transformed by His love.

"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love Him, because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:9-10, 19