LifeLink Devotions (Click for Audio Blog)

Thursday, February 24, 2022

I am in awe of God. Every day the awe deepens. Every day the splendor of who he is becomes more real. It’s not at all like this guy, who was still a little groggy after waking up from surgery. He turns to his wife and mumbles, “You’re beautiful.” Then he rolls over and goes back to sleep. A short time later he wakes up, looks at her again, and says, “You’re cute.” She asks him what happened to beautiful, to which he replies, “I guess the drugs must be wearing off.“

Sometimes the initial thrill of things wears off. You only get your first hole in one once, or see Mount Rushmore for the first time once. Familiarity minimizes awe, and that is probably true about most experiences in life. It has long been my dream to live on the shores of a lake, where every morning I could dive off the end of my dock and exercise these aging muscles with a good swim. The thrill of being able to jump in my boat any time I want and go fishing would be spectacular. I would like to think that I would never grow complacent toward the blessing of being able to live in such a paradise, but I’m afraid I would. If the lake property didn’t also include enough woods on which to deer hunt, or wasn’t located close to a golf course, I’m sure I would begin to complain. I think most of us become dissatisfied with what we have, always looking for something better and more fulfilling on the other side of the fence.

That’s what makes our relationship with God so fascinating. Nothing grows old with Him. Every day there is something new to discover about the paradise of personal intimacy with God. It’s like knowing that every morning’s sunrise over the lake will be more spectacular than yesterday’s, and with every record fish caught from the lake God has replaced it with bigger ones. It’s like one of my friends always says, “His mercies are new every morning.“ Here’s how the Apostle Paul describes it.

Ephesians 1:15-19 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

In my years of ministry I’ve stood next to people who shared a testimony of what God was doing to personally move them higher in their spiritual lives. I’ve heard people who had walked with Jesus for many years say how God was moving them out of their comfort zones into ministry they never knew they were gifted to do. I listened as a new Christian told how God brought him to understand his role as the spiritual head of his family and how he is accepting that role. One young couple that is new to our church talk about their pain from previous church experiences and how meaningful it has been to find a church that is faithful to God’s Word and where they have been accepted for who they are. In all of this I’ve seen Jesus Christ confirming our mission. The Holy Spirit is actively at work in people’s lives. I am in awe of God. I will NEVER grow weary or complacent about what God has done, is doing, and is planning to do.

This is real church. This is people who have the Spirit of wisdom and understanding and are pursuing knowing God better. I am watching people whose hearts have been enlightened and are living according to the hope of their heavenly inheritance and not according to the pursuit of an earthly one. I am serving with a group of people who believe in the power of God to do immeasurably more than they could ever ask or imagine. I am in awe of God!

“Thank you, Jesus, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Head of the church, for calling us together to accomplish your great and eternal purpose of connecting people to God. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who equips us to do that work, and who brings us to unity of mind and heart to bring glory to Jesus Christ our Savior. And thank you for today and the new adventures we will embark upon together. Lead on, O King Eternal. We will follow you!“

Pastor John