God

God

My God And I

My God and I go in the field together;

We walk and talk as good friends should and do;

We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;

My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.

We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;

My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.

He tells me of the years that went before me

When heavenly plans were made for me to be;

When all was but a dream of dim reflection;

To come to life, earth's verdant glory see.

When all was but a dream of dim reflection;

To come to life, earth's verdant glory see.

My God and I will go for aye together,

We'll walk and talk just as good friends do;

This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,

But God and I will go unendingly.

This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,

But God and I will go unendingly.

S.M. Lockridge - That's My King

The Pursuit of God

This journey begans with three understandings:

1. The pursuit of God must start with the restoration of the original relationship between God and man.

This relationship was corrupted in the Garden of Eden and must be restored before an intimate relationship with the Creator can be pursued. The Bible declares, "We too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3) "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:5) "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." (Isaiah 59:2) This separation can only be bridged by the Lord Jesus Christ as the Bible states, "But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall." (Ephsians 2:13-14) "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) "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)

2. God desires to be sought after.

"'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 29:13-14) "God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4) "Thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, 'Seek Me that you may live.'" (Amos 4:5) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden." (Matthew 11:28)

3. The success of the pursuit is directly related to the pursuers desire to further the relationship.

The Bible states, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8) "My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5) "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

What do you think when you consider the word God?

Who or what is God to you?

The answer to these questions is the single most important determinant that shapes one's philosophy of life.

Three Options As To Who God Is To You

1. Commonsense and reality can be ignored and one can declare there is no God. But this is the path of a fool. The Bible declares, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1) Their life is lived without ultimate purpose and meaning. They often wander aimlessly on earth, alone and in despair, always dying without hope. Tragedy is often the fruit of this type of thinking. In the extreme, mass killings and extermination of humans has resulted in the name of godless philosophies such as communism and nazism.

2. Someone may believe God exists, or some form of God other than the Biblical One. But this God (god) is either largely ignored, is not an essential part of daily living, or is replaced with a false god or a god of ones own making. This philosophy of God (god) can lead to a form of fulfillment in the moment, but in the future, when difficulties arise, ultimate peace and contentment fade as the morning dew upon the grass. The lofty ideals of earlier years are replaced with confusion and depair. In the end this person is no better off then the fool who declares there is no God.

3. The only source for fulfillment of the deepest longings of the human heart is a complete acceptance and reliance upon the only true God, the great I AM of the Bible. This is the One who came looking for man in the Garden of Eden asking, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) He declares in the New Testament, “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) He also declares, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

(Jeremiah 29:13)

In His Own Words:

"Then the LORD passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed,

'The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;

Who keeps lovingkindness for thousands,

Who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin;

Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,

Visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and

On the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.'”

(Exodus 34:6-7)