Life ebbs and flows just like seas. There are high tides, and there are low tides, and each is as predictable as the rising of the sun every morning in the east. It is the order set in place by creator God. I recall as a child thinking that (somehow) just before midnight (eastern standard time, because that is where I grew up) God created a brand new day. This belief was from the Old Testament scripture in the Book of Psalms that says, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; will rejoice and be glad in it.”
It wasn’t until I was older that I came to understand that every day was made at the beginning of earth’s creation when God said, “Let there be”. His words set in motion a perpetual beginning that takes place every 24-hours. That is powerful stuff, but not for this post.
January 2021 came to be because of this perpetual motion. Another thing came to be simply because of a daily discipline that was set in motion when I was 18-years old. Daily I opened my Bible and read three chapters in the Old Testament, three chapters in the New Testament, and one chapter in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Although my method of reading has changed, my discipline of reading has not.
I bring this up because a close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is built on such a discipline. Even though the methods may change over the course of time, the discipline will not.
In those early days, I was rigid and unrelenting in my discipline. There were many days I read out of obligation, getting nothing at all out of what I read. Today I may re-read a passage of scripture for a week because of the many things I see in it. The foundation was laid by the discipline I followed.
I have sensed some troubling times ahead, and have begun raising concern about it. For the Christ-follower—that is the one fully committed to serving and following Jesus, things will be different, a time of blessing in fact. Sadly, the troubling things that I have sensed are already showing up in news headlines. Stories about political corruption, small businesses continuing to struggle, with closure seemingly the only option, are making the headlines. Lawlessness escalating because of little or no law enforcement, while those perpetrating such lawlessness are being heralded as heroes—and this is just January.
Anyway, my daily discipline—just so happened—to bring me to a passage of scripture in the New Testament that speaks volumes to the Christ-follower who is on this unexpected journey to a close personal relationship with God.
An excerpt from the New Testament book of Hebrews says this. “God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training… But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.”
Consider this
The Christ-follower is in training, but training for what? It is training for eternity. Do you really think eternity will be everyone sitting on clouds strumming harks singing kumbaya?
The godhead is not angry with the Christ-follower, rather very pleased that he or she is willing to allow such rigorous training to take place. There will undoubtedly be momentary pleasures that will be missed, and it will not “feel” like a good thing, but stay true, keep the path, the journey has a most unexpected end.
The Christ-follower who stays the course finds the end has a handsome payoff. He or she is “well-trained,” ready to take on any and every task or challenge that comes along. (Eternity will be a busy place with kingdom business to tend to)
The Christ-follower that refuses to drop out, will find a mature relationship with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is awesome. I remember the pain of losing my teenage daughters to a divorce. However, through the years, I am so thankful for the adult relationship I have with them.
I have three teenage children at home, one just moved out, and it has been a transition. Fortunately, I have been able to transition from a parent/child relationship to an adult/parent relationship. It is beautiful.
A close personal relationship with the godhead is about developing such a relationship. It is a journey with many unexpected twists and turns along the way. It is difficult, even hard—sometimes too hard—but trust in God and a surrendered heart prevail to overcome. The end of the journey is a fully prepared Christ-follower who has an incredible close personal relationship with God.