Who is the man that fears the Lord? —Psalm 25:12
Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.
If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.
“He himself shall dwell in prosperity…” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge…” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.
________________________________________________________________
June 2, 2016
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Good morning Lord and thank You for this devotional. I looked up Webster’s definition of obsession; a state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal; someone or something that a person thinks about constantly or frequently. Both David and I thought we could substitute the word surrender for the word; obsess, and that would help us understand the lesson today. If we are constantly, in a way that is not normal, deciding to surrender to You, our issues of the day, hour and moment; is this the lesson for us today?
And God says…”This is the issue for you every day. Remember a few days ago the lesson about the cares of this world, and how those day to day, moment by moment “cares” of the world can be the real stumbling blocks. It is often the day to day mundane duties and responsibilities that you engage in on your own that get in the way of our intimate relationship. Often, you only come to Me for those large “impossible” issues, trying to take on the mundane yourself. Because you believe you are unconsciously competent on the little things, you only surrender the impossible issues of your day. Are you surprised to find more and more “impossible” issues in your way? If this is the only place we meet in an intimate and connected way, you should not be surprised to find more and more “impossible “ life issues surrounding you. However, try surrendering all of life, all of your issues, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, and see how this OBSESSION transcends into the peace that passes understanding. Philippians (MSG) 6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Click Image for John White's Original Vision For CO2's
