THE WORD FOR TODAY. SUNDAY 7 JANUARY, 2018. GET CLOSER TO GOD

“Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world.” James 1:7-8 NLT

THE PLANET Mercury is hot, whereas Pluto is cold. That’s because Mercury is close to the sun and Pluto is a long way off. A planet’s temperature and climate are determined by its proximity to the sun. There’s an important spiritual principle here. As a redeemed child of God, your spiritual temperature is determined by how close you are to Jesus. You say, “I wish I were closer to the Lord.” The truth is that you are as close to Him as you desire to be, decide to be, and discipline yourself to be. Your pursuit of God reveals your passion for God—or the lack of it. To experience true intimacy with someone, you must be willing to sacrifice other things and give yourself fully to that person. The Psalmist wrote: “You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity]” (Psalm 27:8 AMPC). You’ll notice that the Psalmist didn’t say you were to seek God’s gifts, but His face! Not the gifts, but the Giver of the gifts! And a wonderful thing happens when you do that: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll…each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:4-5 AMPC).

Bible In A Year: Exo. 20:1-3, Deut. 6:1-9, Mark 12:28-34, Rev. 2:1-7