At the top of the list

Posted byoakhillcrossvillePosted inUncategorized
Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “What the world needs now”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “What is man that you take thought of him?” Psalm 8:4 (NASB)
 
Our thought for today: “At the top of the scale”
 
In yesterday’s devotional we thought about God as the great Romancer of our souls. He desires to have a deep love relationship with each of us and He actively pursues us in that way. But to be a healthy romance, the romance must flow in both directions. He pursues us and we must pursue Him back. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you …” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
 
Author John Eldredge encourages us to think of this relationship with Jesus using another descriptive term that Jesus Himself used for us in John 15:14, that of friend “You are my friends if you do what I commanded you.” In his great little devotional book “Year of Restoration” Eldredge writes,
 
“The Scriptures employ a wide scale of metaphors capturing our relationship with God, and in a breathtaking progression. Down near the bottom of the totem pole you are the clay and he the Potter. Moving up a notch, you are the sheep and he the Shepherd, which is a little better position on the food chain but hardly flattering; sheep don’t have a reputation as the most intelligent creatures. Moving upward, you are a servant of the Master, which lets you into his house. Most Christians never get past this point, but you make a swift ascent. God calls you his son or daughter and himself our heavenly Father, which brings you into real intimacy with him. Still, there is something missing in even the best parent-child relationship. Friendship levels the playing field in a way family never can. Friendship opens a level of communication. And “friend” is what he calls you.”
 
In Psalm 8:4 King David asks “What is man that you take thought of him?” The answer to that is that we are so precious to Him that He seeks us, draws us to Himself, and then progressively elevates us in our relationship with Him until, at the top of the scale, Jesus sees you as His friend.
 
But that top-of-the-scale relationship is not automatic. It is conditional. “I call you friends if you do what I command.” That relationship is reserved for those who love Him most, obey Him best, and serve others in His name.
 
You can have as much of God as you want. You can have as deep and intimate a relationship with Him as you want. But God wants all of you. Do you want all of Him?
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
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Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

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