Up Close and Personal

It is easy to walk slow in the spiritual life. However, when you start to run that is when you are the most full-filled in life.

UP CLOSE

&

PERSONAL

 

 

 

 

BY

 

ETHAN PAZ

 

 

As of late I have been convicted over the way I meditate upon the Word of God. So I decided to change my somewhat careless Bible studies into a deeper yet more profitable way. This has been worthwhile considering my study over meditation which shall be published perhaps this or the following week but that is beside the point. Today, I meditated upon Luke twelve. The verses I meditated upon by scripture memorizations were the following of which only one I will cite: Luke 12:15; Luke 12:31; Luke 12:33; and Luke 12:34. Right now, even while I am typing this, my flesh is fighting against my spirit. Why? Because there is a great calling for each believer here on this earth and my flesh does not want to desire completely to God and His will. You’ve probably heard this message before, well, so have I but are we not suppose to be growing continually by the Gospel and are we not suppose to grow in the grace of Jesus Christ in a more mature way? Rather in being content with our state of satisfaction towards God, we should be ever-increasing discontent with our satisfaction in Him and desire more . . . much, much more! Contentment where you are in your spiritual walk will produce apathy and apathy in the long run is a block to spiritual growth spurts.

                This message will be short and simple yet very sweet to the sensitive spiritual mind. Here is the text I will be speaking to you from:

 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 12:34

 

So you desire Christ am I right? You also have thy will in accordance with God’s? Really . . . are you truly being honest . . . or can you desire God more? Now just think about that and let it saturate your mind. Let me give you two examples: when you start lifting weights you are limited according to your max, however, as you prolong your training, you will soon be capable of reaching your new max. Another example I will now speak of shall be quite simple and this can be applied to all dimensions of life: whatever you enjoy doing whether it be recreation, reading, writing, or whether it be a hobby, you fulfill what you enjoy doing to the best of your abilities. However, it is easy once you reach the line not to try your best because you are content where you are at. Oh Christian! You say you desire God but have you gone beyond the line? Oh Christian! Look in the mirror! Are you still a mere infant? Are you still a teenager? Are you still an adult in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord or are you growing in the grace as to which we are all called? Just think about it, can you try harder to “delight thyself in the Lord?” Is Jesus Christ truly your treasure? Have you given Him all of your heart or is your treasure rather something else? Is your treasure your box: the box where you don’t have to live a radical Christian life given all to the Lord? Is your treasure your morals: where you claim to be good in the name of Jesus Christ? Can you honestly say that your life is fully given out to the glory of the Lord?

                I say all of this for when the Holy Spirit entertained this verse in my head today; I knew my treasure wasn’t truly Christ but was rather a distant relationship gone silent. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christ! I love Him with all of my heart! However, what I am saying is I can raise the stakes higher! I can show the primacy and glory of Christ more in my life now then I could before! Instead of my treasure being “nice and cool and everything is going all right and I am becoming spiritual,” my treasure now is Christ.

                This goes to you along with me but if you are like me, you will want to take the next spiritual step, right? Well, how will I treat Christ and His Word? Let us learn from what David had to say about this:

 

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they then gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalms 19:7-11

 

How precious is the Word of the Lord! “More to be desired are they then gold, even much fine gold.” Jesus you are more to me then my TV. Jesus you are more to me then my books. Jesus you are more to me then my family? Jesus you are more to me then my everything. Is Jesus really more important to me then everything? Do I put Him before everything else? Can I say this verse dictates my life:

 

Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalms 37:4

 

Time will only tell that is if I choose to love God more than my selfish ambitions. You see love is proved by obedience. Look at what Jesus had to say in these two verses:

 

If ye love Me keep My commandments.

John 14:15

 

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Luke 11:28

 

Love is proven by obedience. Love doesn’t only do the talk; love does the walk. Love is demonstrated in such a way that it will do anything to follow Jesus Christ. Love does this because it knows that Jesus Christ lives. Love is not drudgery. Worshiping God is a joy. It is the joy that feeds us on into eternal life. This joy is the hope, the faith in which we stand to love God with all our heart that we might treasure Him above everything else that we might in the end glorify Him. It would only be proper now to quote these two verses:

 

44) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46)  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Matthew 13:44-46

 

Jesus is my salvation. In Christ I find my life. In Christ you find your life. Give your all to God. Forsake this life and leave everything behind for the cause of Christ. Why? Because to this end we were all called: to glorify God. What other way would glorify God but to rest on Him only? Will you be like Peter and leave everything (EVERYTHING! that is his family, his occupation, his ALL) behind to follow Christ? Remember what Jesus said in Luke 9:23-24:

 

23)And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

 24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

 

It is up to you and you alone. Will you follow Christ or will you deny Him? You either abide in Christ or you do not. It is by God’s grace alone we can walk the Christian life. So what will it be?

Reviews

[Voice11]

Absolutely mindbending! I thank you for having me read this. The Lord has helped me through your words, I have come back to him ready to be chastened and have found love. But I have felt shame for my sins and still do

[Coyote Poetry]

My step dad write the complete bible every year. He tells me it is to keep the word of God alive in his heart. He is 85 years old and a preacher. He is strong and smart as anyone. Thank you for the positive words.
Coyote

[Poetic Beauty]

I have to say you make a great point in this writing and we should always try to continue to grow our love and desire for God. We are always going to keep growing. We continue to learn all our lives as we should continue to want to be close to our God. It is hard sometimes for we do sin and life takes many different directions. This piece of writing has been written quite well and you have used modern things to inspire all of us to want to grow in a faith and our spiritual walk.

[Aggie Skeleton]

Very original, I wanna look up those verses now.

[Daniel Gardner]

Very interesting is this real or just a book you though of?