The reason for this journey:
Threefold concept I was oblivious to:
The heart is central to the Christian life. We are invited into a conversational intimacy with God. Spiritual warfare is real.
Scriptural basis for this journey:
John 10. 1-18
We are the sheep following our shepherd. He knows us by name - we follow him because we know his voice. Our shepherd protects us from the enemy. By following our shepherd’s voice, we will have life.
And He said:”Have it to the full”!
The abundant life. Full of love, happiness, and joy, in the land of milk and honey. And this abundant/eternal life doesn’t begin at death. IT STARTS NOW.
Can it be possible that we can really have this kind of relationship with God?
My entire life, my belief system has been that believing, attending church, following the rules, being a person of repentance, and doing a few good deeds will get me to heaven. This is God’s plan for me. But is that all there is?
Our deepest desires and most pressing needs are only truly filled by learning how to have an intimate conversational relationship with the kindest, wisest, most generous and loving father there has ever been or ever will be. Our walk with God is the process of developing the relationship between us and our Father, our source for everything we need, and our only hope. Intimacy with God is THE PURPOSE of our lives. It is the only thing that can fulfill us, giving true meaning to our lives.
Looking backward, I fear I might have been on the road to perdition. Not as if I was not heaven bound but instead like I was waisting or failing at this gift of life He designed for me. But for the Lord! He used my “knowledge” against me. Forced me into situations where I had to choose a path. An how sweet the Lord’s love for me, he made the wrong choice difficult and His path so easy. He slowly changed me into the person He made me to be. Someone who not only knew right from wrong, but became much better at recognizing and choosing His path. Yet I still turned away. It was I, who had become a better version of me, not an image of Him. I felt righteous, but it was self-righteousness. I felt superior to others, my self described moral character was something I could marvel at, but I realized I was still not fulfilled.
Then my Father, my Lord, my God, oh how I needed Him.
In a period of about a year, I went from being in the most ‘in control’ part of my life to facing the possible end of my professional life. How did this happen? But I was in control. I was the one who was doing all the right things.
My heart was in a state of pain, depression, anxiety, disappointment, and unbelief. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I finally realized that I wasn’t in control. You know. That footprints in the sand moment. Where was He?
In my despair, I turned, I looked to Him, but I knew that I had been shunning Him by believing in me, my goodness, my strength, my knowledge. But for Him. In my brokenness, I pled. I begged. I made promises I didn’t know if I could keep. My answer came in minutes. I literally fell to my knees……completely overwhelmed, and seemingly unending tears. I don’t know if I had ever cried so hard in my life or since. I had opened my heart a little bit and He immediately filled it.
Let’s grab a coffee. The Shepherd is speaking.