Choice: life or death

   We don’t have to make life-or-death choice every day, or so we think. But in reality this kind of choice is constantly there. Every day as we get up from bed we already make a choice: what way shall I live this day? Our flesh doesn’t want to do what our spirit wants. We are to take a decision in our life once, decision how to live!

   «For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But [it is] good for me to draw near to God…» (Ps.73:27,28).

   We lose a lot when refuse to draw near to God, the Creator of the whole Universe. He created us in a way that we would live only by Him. As much as a plant needs water we ultimately need God. We are nothing without Him. We are unable to live without God!

   «Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.» (Jas.4:8).

   Sometimes God waits for our desire to be with Him and then He comes and purifies us because no sin can be where God is. If you think that you can live with God and do what is called sin don’t be deceived, it won’t work for you! «No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. » (Mt.6:24).

   Make your choice today whether life with God or death without Him. And tomorrow by the moment you get up from bed you will have known for sure — you’re alive!

Fulfilling the will of God

   Recently I started to ask my-self whether God is pleased with what I do for Him? How I pray, how I worship Him.

   Do I do what He is pleased with or do I do that cause I am comfortable at doing it or used to it? In the Bible I read what God tells about David, «…I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.» (Ac.13:22). It turns to be that God is pleased when we fulfill His will. David the king was fulfilling God’s desires and because of that He privileged David’s generation to be the tribe Jesus was born in. «And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.» (1Ki.11:36). What was so special about David’s deeds? I got a strong desire to learn what is God’s will, what He is pleased with that I do yet do?

I started with studying the book of Psalms that was written by David where he explains how he comes before God and in what circumstances... I understand that this s not a standard of relationships with God cause there are no such standards at all. But the principles David followed I began to b interested in!

1. David’s heart was devoted to God. He acted as a slave before his master learning and fulfilling his master’s will. «And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: Because David did [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any [thing] that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.» (1Ki.15:3-5). I think in order to fulfill God’s will the one firstly must to hear what God says. Do we often hear God? And David heard Him!
2. David was sincere in his heart. I could see it in how he poured his heart before God. As David was in the presence of the Lord he could cry, rejoice and even wail. «Hearken unto the voice of my cry…» (Ps.5:2). He was telling God everything hiding nothing from Him.
3. Especially I liked about David his desire to be in God’s presence always. «One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.» (Ps.27:4). On my opinion God is very pleased with this kind of desires in a man cause usually people pursue other goals in life. We often prefer to spend time in fellowship with our families and friends or alone. And we raiser remember God only when difficulties come and we need help. How sad this fact is. It makes me sad. God is to be first in my heart! David was experiencing God so strongly that even couldn’t eat in His presence. «O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.» (Ps.39:13). David craved after God and He would come to him.
4. Only a man with a pure heart can be with God. «LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. [He that] backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.» (Ps.15:1-2). I conclude that David had a pure heart, he didn’t sin. In Psalms I read about David that he controlled his tongue not to say anything wrong. David worked hard to be righteous!
5. David would sacrifice a lot for God. He would get up early in the morning and search after God. He was looking after Him till he found Him, and when he did…
6. He praised Him with triumph and sincere joy. And God liked it. David understood that for God this is the most important. «But thou [art] holy, [O thou] that inhabitest the praises of Israel.» (Ps.22:3).

   David was praising the Lord on musical instruments glorifying Him with his mouth and dancing for Him! And every time as he was giving glory to God he would do it differently cause he was not bound by standards. He was coming into God’s presence and singing Him out in a way he heart led him.

Oh how I wish to be like David even for a little bit!

Living in God

   Anyone who desires and understands all the importance of this great walk can lead a life in God. I hadn’t understanding of it before recently as I experienced those feeling which in my opinion everyone who walks with God should have, and even more! It doesn’t mean now you walk with Him and in an hour you have different plans and no time for God. In reality living with God means doing it always. «…the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.» (Mt.26:41). Our spirit has to be on guard all the time and pray!

   When you live in God you don’t have a desire to quarrel with relatives, listen to a music which doesn’t glorify God and watch your favorite TV program; on the contrary you even think how in the world you could watch such a thing. You start to realize that everything that was normal for you before doesn’t have place in your life anymore. Those things become alien to you and you automatically ask your-self, «What is going on with me?». You don’t try to figure out what to do with your free time cause all of your free time you spend to at least have some fellowship with Him and to have a touch to His holiness. Even while doing some work your spirit is unceasingly praying and giving thanks to the Father. You abide in a state of praising and worshiping God constantly.

   All the time you want to talk about Him, His greatness and glory, and all conversations that are not focused on God are repellent. You can’t be anywhere but in Him. And this is unforgettable. You want constantly abide there. You wouldn’t ever trade this condition for anything. And you will do your best to make it go on and on.

Feelings that overfill you are out of comparison. Even your mostly beloved person can’t replace them. This is when you wake up in the night and firstly you ask, «Are you here, Lord? Let me know, let me hear You.»  If He replies, «I am near», you peacefully fall asleep. And if you don’t hear any answer from Him or feel His presence you get  up from bed and don’t want to sleep, you don’t care of how much time is left for resting and don’t care that you will have to get up early and have much work; the thing important for you is Him being near you always. And after long time of search in prayer you start to experience His presence again and He says, «I am here…», your heart begins to get filled up with such a joy that you wish to spend the rest of the night with Him. You want to praise Him unceasingly and your spirit overflows with the desire to sing a song:

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee:

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Verse 2:

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

(Repeat Refrain.)

Verse 3:

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin:

(Repeat Refrain.)

Verse 4:

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

    And you worship God, delight in Him filling up every sell of your-self with His presence. And for the sake of it you would give up much, even the things without which you couldn’t live a day before!

   

   I wish to everyone to deeply experience God’s presence at least for once…