Also, David wrote a book about God’s love for the Jewish People called, For the Sake of the Fathers
And a book on Leadership
Check out David’s new worship album, Looking for a City
Also, David wrote a book about God’s love for the Jewish People called, For the Sake of the Fathers
And a book on Leadership
Check out David’s new worship album, Looking for a City
alienated from God and hostile in your attitude by wicked deeds. (Colossians 1:21 TLV)
We can be alienated from, and harbor hostility towards, ourselves. Instead, we are to be favorably disposed towards ourselves.
Concerning self-condemnation… Before I became associated with Bible believers I don’t think I ever heard the term. I knew the feeling, but not the phrase.
Scriptures speak of the lusts of our flesh being like a spiritual disease and of the unregenerate desires of our minds being symptoms of that malady.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Ephesians 2:3a)
Part of the lusts of the mind is a perverse yearning for a religion flavored with a mistrust of God and self-condemnation. Self-condemnation is like a soulish form of self-flagellation. Whipping, or cutting oneself, is practiced by a couple of religions, most notably by some Roman Catholics (especially in the Philippines during Lent) and by many adherents to Shi’a Islam (during the Day of Ashura). For non-religious people this can be seen in a current dysfunctional fad of self-harm by unhappy adolescents. Self-flagellation can be a metaphor describing disproportionate self-criticism.
Excessive criticism of oneself rarely produces positive change and is definitely not pleasing to our King. We want to please Him. Recall our prayer:
Abba, let the words I speak and my heart’s deepest thoughts give Your presence pleasure. (paraphrase of Psalm 19:14a)
We’re certainly not to ignore the conviction of sin. We’re not to self-justify.
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 17:15)
At the same time we need to ally ourselves with our advocate.
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; (Romans 8:33)
It was revealed that the verdict has been determined.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
Pardon has been procured. Righteousness has been proclaimed. It is possible to keep our consciences clear as we maintain a dialog with the One who loves us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Part of your inner-narrative needs to be that you are a justified child of God and Jesus is your Brother.
I believe that most people know they need to change in some areas of their lives. To be aware of that, and not self-flagellate, is a mark of growing spiritual maturity. In other words, don’t beat yourself up.
Relax… Really?
My perspective is that we are best transformed from a position of rest.
Let’s think about a troubled relationship. If there is pressure to change with a sense of, “Or else…”, it is akin to social extortion. Also, how would one know if any subsequent change was sincere?
A mentor told me a story about a child who was taken to church by his parents. He kept standing on the pew. After being corrected a few times he was threatened with a spanking. Remembering prior experiences, he sat down. Then, he defiantly looked up at his dad and said, “I’m still standing on the inside.”
Heartfelt change is not generally the result of being threatened.
On the other hand, there’s an expression, “Don’t ever change.” When someone says that they are trying to say, “I love you the way you are.” Here’s an open secret, we can love a person as they are and, at the same time, see a need for improvement. We can be kind to ourselves and still see a need for change. We can cooperate with God who is changing us from glory to glory. This is best accomplished by going to Jesus and being transformed. He said:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
These words are appropriate to our topic. We need help to change our inner-narrative. I especially love the invitation to go to the Lord, Himself. After all, who wants to change apart from a relational interchange with the Lord? I mean, would it be enough to change and not be in relationship with Jesus? I hope you agree that such an option is not optimal. The Messiah described eternal life as not mere immortality but as a vital connection with His Father and with Himself (John 17:3).
Reality: The Favor Zone
Let’s get lined up with the Messiah’s point of view.
How does He see us?
How God sees us is how we really are.
Here are a couple of questions that may be worth your attention: 1) Does He only see Jesus’ righteousness?; 2) Does He see your flaws and areas where you need to grow?
How about a one word answer? They’re easy to remember. Here it is: Yes.
We have been catapulted into the sphere of God’s favor. I call it the Favor Zone. Those who have received the gift of righteousness have been transferred into the Favor Zone. It is within the Favor Zone that we work out, with great respect towards God, our salvation.
One ingredient of our identities is that we are in process. It is like being on the Potter’s Wheel. You are being formed. Embrace the process. You can draw near to God in the middle of every internal and external circumstance. The transformation will continue while you’re alive. You are being changed. Don’t give up and throw up your hands in frustration. Lift up your hands in awe and be patient. It is GOD that is working in you.
A Renewed Identity-Matter: Jesus is Your Friend
This is the identity-matter I’d like you to review and adopt: Jesus and you are friends.
Incredulous? Don’t be. Look how He was described.
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19)
I believe this feature of their report: Jesus IS the friend of sinners. You and I qualify. Jesus is our friend, but can we say that we are His? There are degrees of friendship with Jesus described in the Apostolic Testimony.
He was friends to people who were not part of the Apostolic company.
… He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” (John 11:11)
Jesus dignified His Apostles with this description.
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. (Luke 12:4)
Please note that when He spoke this to them they were spiritually immature. They definitely did not fulfill this category of friendship:
You are My friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:14)
So, where does this leave us in this identity-matter? How should we build our inner-narratives?
At the least we can say to the One who indwells us, “I am glad you’re my Friend. I appreciate You. I appreciate Your friendship.” Someone who sincerely says that to the Savior is His friend.
Do you see yourself as Jesus’ friend?
Break the mold of self-disqualification. You are qualified for mutual friendship as a sinner. If you recognize that you’re on the Potter’s Wheel and are a developing disciple, He calls you friend. Perhaps you think of yourself as someone who always does whatever Jesus commands you to do (probably not) and qualify for the highest form of friendship with the King. No matter what your spiritual state, Jesus is your friend, and you are His.
Speak to your soul. Rehearse this reality.
To strengthen our godly inner-narratives we’re continuing our emphasis on identity-matters.
We stressed that there is no greater blessing, no higher dignity, no calling more significant, than being a true child of God. This meditation is about seeing yourself in the light of the Lord Jesus being your brother.
Incidentally, there is a relevant term used to describe our conscious thoughts, our inner conversations. The word is subvocal. Thinking is subvocal speaking: silent speech. Internal speech is called subvocalization. Subvocalization is the term describing how most people read. We pronounce the sounds of the words we read in our thoughts. You probably just did that.
God hears our silent speech.
He actively searches hearts and understands our deepest motives (1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 64:6). He knows each heart. He comprehends our thoughts (1 Kings 8:39; Psalm 94:11; 139:2). He said:
I know your thoughts. (Ezekiel 11:5b)
The Messiah knew the thoughts of those who were hostile towards Him (Matthew 9:4a; Luke 11:17a) He knew what was in the hearts of men (John 2:25b).
Some seek to hide, but we are not those who try to conceal our thoughts or motives. We invite God in (Revelation 3:20). Here is a prayer with which I hope you are familiar:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23–24)
That prayer is helpful because God answers it. He answers us because He wants us to be in harmony with Himself.
We don’t necessarily realize the nature of our anxious thoughts. For us to understand our motives in the sight of God, the Holy Spirit makes the Scriptures come alive.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12–13)
God wants to guide us into a sure knowledge of who we are in His sight. That is part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to us (John 16:13). He sees us as we really are. As we learn to relate to ourselves through the Spirit’s guidance, by means of the Word, we give God’s indwelling presence pleasure.
This doesn’t just happen. We are called to cooperate with the transformation of our inner-narrative. To some degree, as we yield to the Word, we also initiate. Peter wrote that we are to adopt an active mindset:
Therefore, prepare your minds for action (1 Peter 1:13a)
To get a sense of the text’s intent, take a look at how some other translations render the Greek.
… brace your minds for action. (Tree of Life Version)
… your minds ready for action (New English Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible)
… get your minds ready… (Complete Jewish Bible)
Prepare, brace, get your minds ready for action… This does not describe passive preparation.
At the very least we can recognize that our minds have to be actively involved in this. We are to be able to call things to mind (2 Peter 1:15; 3:1). We must constantly remind ourselves of our true identities until they become first nature (not second nature) to us.
We believe. We remember. We recall. We receive.
We need to constantly bear in mind the identity-matters that help form our inner-narratives (1 Thessalonians 1:3). We must decide to meditate on what the Lord affirms and recall the Lord’s correction and redirection. The result of constantly bearing these things in mind will be the ongoing development of a renewed way of relating to yourself.
The words of our mouths and our heart’s deepest thoughts can give God’s indwelling presence pleasure. It is worth the effort. As you reflect on these matters your inner-narrative will progressively be sanctified and increasingly gratify the heart of the God who loves you.
Moving on…
This is what we want to add to your inner-narrative. It is something that every believer knows to be true. God became incarnate as your brother.
The Messiah is Your Brother
Jesus is your brother.
Is this really true?
We would tend to think of an impassable chasm between us and the Lord. The incarnation, carefully considered, causes that lie to lose its power. And if the incarnation doesn’t drive a stake through the heart of that demonic life-sucking alienation, take a look at how Jesus spoke after His resurrection.
In the Gospel of John, the risen Messiah identified Himself in relation to God, His Father, and His disciples. Please read this:
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” (John 20:17)
Look at what Matthew reported that the Lord said when He revealed Himself as alive from the grave. How did He identify Himself? As a brother.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:10)
This relationship to you remains true even after our Messiah was glorified. To this day, Jesus takes His stand with those He redeemed. He calls them brothers and sisters.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” (Hebrews 2:11–12)
Why would this be revealed if the Holy Spirit did not want you to believe and integrate this relationship into your inner-narrative? God wants you to think of yourself as being a sister, or brother, to Jesus.
This is our relationship to Him now, and fellowship with our Brother is also our destiny.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; (Romans 8:29)
Pray about this. Request God’s help. Talk to yourself and strengthen this reality. Let it be a source and goal of your meditation. You’ve prepared your mind for action. So, act. Get your mind in gear.
By the way, what type of brother do you think Jesus is? Consider what a good brother is like.
From the beginning it was revealed that brothers are to take care of one another. They are to protect one another. A good friendship is likened to the affection one brother has for another. God is seeking to establish brotherly-affection in the community of believers. Brothers are loyal to one another because they honor the same father. A good brother is a great resource.
The Spirit wants you to recognize that Jesus is your brother and sees you as His sibling. He has loyal, helpful, devoted, brotherly affection for you.
This is a great relationship. What a wonderful reality! Embrace it. Remember, the Scriptures extol the benefits of brotherhood, it is written:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
A significant starting point of relational harmony is recognizing the nature of the relationship. In this case, you really are a sister, or brother, of Jesus. One of Jesus’ primary identities is this: He Is Your Brother. Do not deny Him the practical experience of His identity by rejecting your identity. Jesus gave His life for you so you may enter into this relationship with Him. Do not deny your Brother, delight Him. Your reception of this reality will give the Messiah pleasure.
Can you imagine this scenario?
After His resurrection the Lord sent a message to His brethren to meet Him in the Galilee. What would have happened if they said, “That can’t mean me. I’m disqualified.” It is possible that Peter felt that way. After all, he had denied all relationship with the Lord. Perhaps that is why the angel said, “and Peter.”
“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ” (Mark 16:7)
Jesus did not want Peter to self-disqualify. His heart was that Peter would receive pardon and partake of his true identity. The Apostle was asked by the risen Lord if he loved Him. It’s funny, but the person who was reassured of being loved and highly valued was not the Lord, it was Peter. Peter was reaffirmed when he said,” Lord you know that I love you.” Peter was the person having a refreshed illumination of being loved. He was mercifully included in the brotherhood of the Lamb.
The worst examples of brothers in the Bible are Cain and the grumpy elder brother of the prodigal son. Unlike Cain, Jesus is a life-giver, not a murderer. Unlike the elder brother depicted in the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus is not a censorious, envious, critical, resentful older brother. Jesus is not a party pooper. He celebrates you. Your brother who loves you dwells in you.
Who does the Messiah resemble? He is like Joseph. He has gone ahead of you to provide for you. And who are you in the Joseph narrative? I suggest that you see yourself as if you were Benjamin the especially beloved, and Jesus as Joseph, his older brother.
He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him. (Genesis 43:34)
Open up. He wants to dine with you as your Brother.
Do you see the size of the portion He has for you?
Please pray:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23–24)
May the words of my mouth and my heart’s deepest thoughts give Your presence pleasure.
It may be helpful to read these identity-matters again.
My love for God is important to the God I love.
I was successfully created to be the type of creation whose love for Him is meaningful to Him.
I was loved while I was my Creator’s enemy. He reconciled me to Himself through Jesus’ blood. I’m learning to fully respond to this love. My response is pleasing to God
God wants me to believe that I am definitely a child of God. God’s love for me is like a good father’s love for his children, only immeasurably better.
I have been born again and have been chosen to be an adopted child of God.
God my Father’s presence dwells in me and I can give His presence pleasure.
After you read them, do it again and re-personalize them in the second person. Talk to yourself.
Example:
(Insert your name here) your love for God is important to the God you love.
When you speak to yourself today, remind yourself that Jesus is your brother and loves you with a brotherly affection.
Jesus is my brother. He loves me like the best older brother loves, only better.
We have a close relationship: He lives within me. I dwell in Him.
I am never without help because my brother will help me.
I can confide in my brother.
I can rely on my brother.
I see myself as the brother of the Messiah.
After you read them, do it again and re-personalize them in the second person.
Example:
(Insert your name here), Jesus is your brother. He loves you, (Insert your name here), like the best older brother loves, only better.
Verses cited:
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. (1 Chronicles 28:9)
They devise injustices, saying, “We are ready with a well-conceived plot”; For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep. (Psalm 64:6)
then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, (1 Kings 8:39)
The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath. (Psalm 94:11)
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. (Psalm 139:2)
… Jesus knowing their thoughts …(Matthew 9:4a)
… He knew their thoughts … (Luke 11:17a)
He Himself knew what was in man. (John 2:25b)
for He knew what was in man. (John 2:25b TLV)
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13)
And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. (2 Peter 1:15)
This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, (2 Peter 3:1)
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
Also, David wrote a book about God’s love for the Jewish People called, For the Sake of the Fathers
And a book on Leadership
Check out David’s new worship album, Looking for a City
In Your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9b)
O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me (Psalm 43:3a)
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:15 TLV)
We’re beginning our fourth cycle of meditations and are continuing to consider our true identities. Knowing more of our true identity is helpful in building and reinforcing a godly inner-narrative. Recently, we stressed this: Your love for God is important to the God you love because you were successfully created to be the type of creation whose love for the Creator is meaningful to the Creator.
Now, that’s a mouthful, but it’s worth reading, and it’s worth saying. Let’s personalize it…
My love for God is important to the God I love
because
I was successfully created
to be the type of creation
whose love for the Creator
is meaningful to the Creator.
We are called to live in the light of this reality. The brightness of this light might make the eyes of our hearts squint, but we can become accustomed to this light. As we do, the light gets brighter. As we grow in God we continue to acclimate ourselves to greater light.
God gave light about how He values you when He demonstrated His love for you while you were His enemy (Romans 5:8). Father gave Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for who you are, your rebellion and transgressions. He desired you and your reciprocating-love (Deuteronomy 6:5). You responded to His loving overtures. Your love for God is a result of His love for you (1 John 4:19). Your love for God is meaningful to Him (Jeremiah 2:2).
The following is true and can be said by you:
I was loved while I was my Creator’s enemy
He reconciled me to Himself through Jesus’ blood
I’m learning to fully respond to this love
My response is pleasing to God
We need to believe and bask in this light.
We dwelled in the domain of darkness; now we are children of the light (Colossians 1:3; Ephesians 5:8). Each believer is in a relationship with the Messiah, who is the light (John 1:9).
Light has no fellowship with darkness. Light aggressively invades darkness. Darkness yields (John 1:5). However, in the illustration of light and darkness, given in John 3:19, those united with darkness resist light.
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
We have been called out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9b). Our souls have been called into the astonishing light of a living relationship with the God who is Light (1 John 1:5). He resides in you, and your soul exists in the sphere of His shining favor (Psalm 67:1).
We know that we have been brought out of darkness into light for the purpose of a relationship with our Creator. In, and of itself, that relationship is eternal life.
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)
An aspect of this relationship is coming into agreement with His perspective. This is a godly priority. We want to walk with the Lord (Amos 3:3). We have to begin somewhere. He, first and foremost, reveals Himself to us. He also beckons us to fellowship with Him about how we see ourselves. God has a point of view. He is not about to change the way He sees us. We must adapt.
Yielding Releasing Receiving
We have been given the opportunity to come into harmony with Him. His view is true, His will shall be done, and the blessedness of the coming Kingdom is the result of His nature being fully expressed (Habakkuk 2:14). As we yield our perspective to His, our lives change, and we experience the benefits of pleasing God.
Compared to God’s knowledge, of who we really are, our most precise insights are comparable in value as brass is to gold. Thankfully, God promised a holy exchange.
… you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. (Isaiah 60:16b–17a)
We all have some degree of sane self-awareness. At the same time it is always only partial truth polluted by confusion and deception. We can’t help that. But God can help us. Our Creator-Redeemer’s discernment of who we are is pure and true. He is our guide and teacher.
There is a way through confusion. By means of the Scriptures we can isolate what the LORD sees and adapt His perspective. If we choose to do so, we can trade our iron for silver and our brass for the refined gold of His revealed point of view. The Holy Spirit will lead us into more truth than we already know.
I cannot imagine a better way to develop a godly inner-narrative than to see ourselves in the light of God’s eyes. To do this righteously, not according to what we wish, and not according to what we fear, we must submit ourselves to the Scriptures. Even then we have to learn to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
How does the Lord see you?
Many of the ways our identities are described in Scripture portray us as part of a corporate entity. Examples of this are the believer as a part of the Messiah’s body, or bride.
There are a couple of descriptions that are specific to each one’s individual identity which are portrayed as participating in that which is corporate. Yet, they are doing so as singular entities. For instance, the believer is a child of God within the family of God. The disciple has Jesus as his-or-her brother within a company of siblings. Such individual and corporate identities are connected. They both need to be integrated into the disciple’s inner-narrative.
The most foundational true identity we need to reinforce is this: You are God’s child.
You are a child of God.
There is no greater blessing, no higher dignity, no calling more significant, than being a true child of God.
This true identity-matter needs to be highly valued. It is a great love that Father has for you. That is why this familial status has been granted to you. Ultimately, you will be vindicated to a hostile cosmos as God’s child in fully revealed splendor.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (1 John 3:1–2)
This is not something which is left up to the strength of your intellectual convictions or the fertility of your imagination. This is really a spiritual transaction.
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:16)
You are a chosen, beloved child.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; (Ephesians 5:1)
The enemy may assail the truth of this reality, but you have received Jesus and have the legal right to view yourself as a child of God.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 1:12)
The reason God sent the Messiah’s Spirit into your heart is because you are a child of God. God has united Himself to you by His Holy Spirit. That is the type of relationship He desires to have with you.
Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6)
The cry, “Abba!” was heard at Gethsemane when Jesus, in a time of inner agony, spontaneously cried out to His Father (Mark 14:36). The same Spirit lives in you. You are a child of God. By the way, adoption is always a matter of choice and not a matter of mere biology. His eternal Spirit empowers you to relate to the One who adopted you. You have been adopted by God. This is the result of His choice.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
Open up and receive this light. See yourself as God sees you: You are a child of God.
Meditate on this identity-matter.
Go deeper.
Make a decision to seek to assimilate this reality. Talk to yourself about it. Remind your soul that it’s true. Speak to your soul.
My love for God is important to the God I love.
I was successfully created to be the type of creation whose love for Him is meaningful to Him.
I was loved while I was my Creator’s enemy. He reconciled me to Himself through Jesus’ blood. I’m learning to fully respond to this love. My response is pleasing to God
God wants me to believe that I am definitely a child of God. God’s love for me is like a good father’s love for his children, only immeasurably better.
I have been born again and have been chosen to be an adopted child of God.
God my Father’s presence dwells in me and I can give His presence pleasure.
As if it were bread and wine, eat and drink this truth and digest it. Your inner-narrative needs to reflect this reality, so please reflect upon this reality. Become accustomed to this light. It will give God’s presence pleasure.
Pray:
Living God, may the words of my mouth and my heart’s deepest thoughts give Your presence pleasure.
Verses Cited:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, The love of your betrothals, Your following after Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown. (Jeremiah 2:2)
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (Colossians 1:13)
for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (Ephesians 5:8)
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. (John 1:9)
And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it (John 1:5)
… the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9b)
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah. (Psalm 67:1)
Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? (Amos 3:3)
“For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
Make every effort to present yourself before God as tried and true, as an unashamed worker cutting a straight path with the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 TLV)
And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36)
Also, David wrote a book about God’s love for the Jewish People called, For the Sake of the Fathers
And a book on Leadership
Check out David’s new worship album, Looking for a City
