Needing God

We were made...literally designed...to need God. Your heartbeat and the breath in your lungs is proof.

The point of life is learning to embrace that need, learning to not be ashamed of it, and connect that need to God...to let Him be God to you: provider, comforter, counselor, friend, savior, Lord...the one who remakes you into a free person.

God made you because He wanted to take care of you forever.

To let God lead you is costly to the flesh. It requires dying to your own leadership. But it is a totally free gift that, when embraced, will free you from shame, fear, condemnation, and anxiety.

If my "freedom" leaves me anxious and afraid, it isn't really freedom. If my "slavery" leaves me light, free, growing in peace and joy...sign me up!

The truth is, I didn't make myself. Embracing that simple truth makes letting God lead me really wise. God is looking for me to WANT to be the man He pictures when He dreamed me up, but not think I have to become that man for Him. He wants to make me into that man . But, He won't do it apart from my agreement.

If it's true that I need the one who made me to care for me forever, then I want to embrace that truth. This is humility. It would be arrogant for me to deny the truth for the sake of my liberty or, even worse, pride. There is no real freedom apart from truth...if I don't embrace the truth that all I can really do is want to be led and let God be God to me, all I am left with is an illusion of freedom that leaves me in a cage of lack.

"Getting saved" is not what most people have been taught. It isn't saying some prayer and then remaining in a cage of self leadership trying to "become good".

Salvation is following Jesus. It's active. It's not something you did, it's something you are doing.

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Jesus is God who became a Man...He took on flesh not because he had to, but because he wanted to, so that in showing others HOW to live in the leadership of the Father, and then in paying the price to reconnect what was disconnected, He would be the first born among many.

It's risky. Following Jesus is costly. It's costly to the ego. It's costly to the flesh. You can't do it any ole' way you want to. But, Jesus wants to be the leader of it and help with it! Yielding to His leadership ... Risking that it really will result in freedom... Is the only true salvation. This yielding to the truth is called "repentance."

There is no salvation without repentance. Repentance just means "agree with God."

I need to consider where my own leadership has gotten me. Do I have peace that rises above circumstance? Do I have freedom from the chains of fear, doubt, and worry about lack? Do I claim the name of Jesus but still try to measure up to what I think He expects?

This is the trick...the narrow road: Doing anything in my own strength denies Him the right to be God to me! Ignoring any of what He wants me to be denies Him the right to be truth to me! If I embrace both of these realities, what I am left with is major need! I know I need to change...i want to change...butbi need the one who made me to change me! I can only see the need, mour the lack, ask for the more and receive it over time.

In major need is the right place to be, because God is a major provider. I need to embrace that I need God! This enthrones Him on my life. He simply wants me to want to be led by him into a holy person, realizing it would take a miracle for me to get there. Any other way to holiness is false. There is only one gate. Trying to get holy apart from the strength of Jesus is robbery! He paid a very high price to allow me to connect back to holiness. O can't deny Him that honor, either by watering down the need, or ramping up to meet it. I have to embrace the need and the fact that I am truly powerless to fix it. This makes me a child of a living and powerful father.

This is what he expects: That I would give all the responsibility for who I am to become to Him. That I would simply do my best in my weakness to know Him and obey Him and let Him keep leading me to a greater depth of knowing Him and obeying Him. That I would trust that what I can bring Him today is enough for today, with a view that in His leadership, it will be more that I can bring Him as time goes on.

God designed man with so much dignity on our choices. We can literally pick our own slavery or freedom. True freedom is hidden from the arrogant heart...but admitting my need....that I was made to need God, frees me to embrace His leadership and find life.

Thankful for life today!

Bless you!

Psalm 25:1A Psalm of David.

To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
5Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
6Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
8Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12Who is the man that fears the LORD?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
13He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.