GOD'S DESIRE FOR SELF EXTENSION

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Genesis 1:26, NKJV)

Devotion 10 of 10

CONCLUSION

It may be difficult to believe that God wants to extend Himself in you--that He desires to fill you with His own Person. But this is the truth. God has told us of His desire to do this. This is what compelled Him to create mankind, give the Ten Commandments, and finally send Jesus into the world. He is serious enough about this to inspire the Bible to be written. As you read this Book, you will find the greatest people to be those through whom God worked. The most blessed people are the ones who sought God, and were responsive to God.

See, the Lord finds delight in the person in whom He can work. That is the individual who is sensitive to God, and wants to live close enough to the Father to be aware of His will and work.

There is a spiritual area in which you can be conscious of the Lord's Presence. It is like being within the sight and sound of a great firework display. Say that on July Fourth, there was an unprecedented firework display in New York City. A new kind of fireworks would be shown, never before seen. What is more, everyone who saw it would receive benefits they had never before received. That event would do you no good, unless you saw it and heard it. If you were in another state, you would have to get to a place where this great display was within your view and could be heard.

Having God extend Himself in you is something like that. You have to come close enough for it to happen. That is another way of saying, anything and everything that makes it easy for your to forget about God has to be put behind you. You will have to get away from distracting things. Your heart and mind must be filled with things that have to do with God--His Person and His work.

Some people are so busy doing OTHER things, they never really see God, or sense His presence. They do not look at, or think about, things that have to do with the Lord. That is why they do not receive the blessing of the Lord. That is why God does not work through them. They simply are not available to be used by Him. They are not around, so to speak, when He is working.

This is why the Word of God--the Bible--is so important. You will never be closer to God than you are to His Word. The Bible is like a magnifier that makes the Lord discernible. The more familiar you are with the Bible, the easier it is to comprehend God. The reason for this condition is found in the Holy Spirit of God. He is the One Who gave the Bible, and He works through its words. As you pour the Word of God into your mind, not doubting what it says, the Holy Spirit goes to work in you. He will help you to make a connection between God and what is happening around you. He will assist you to look at yourself and your circumstances with God in mind. That is when life begins to make sense.

This series has focused upon God's desire. Remember, He has a gracious and merciful character, and has left evidence of Himself in everything created. But that is not all. In His Word, the Bible, He has told us what He desires--what He wants to do. He wants to extend Himself--to reproduce His character and will in other personalities. In such individuals, He finds great joy. He wants you to be like Him! This can only happen when He Himself dwells, or abides, in you. That is what salvation is all about. It is NOT you just keeping a set of rules--although there are rules to keep. It IS about you being His companion--a person with whom He can walk and talk, and in whom He can work.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in Jesus' name, grant me grace to come close enough to see You and experience Your blessing.

-- TOMORROW, New Series: GOD'S NATURE REVEALED IN CREATION --