CREW BELIZE 2014 Devotional Guide We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Colossians 1:28
Contents Steps to Intimacy with God... 3 Day 1: Intimacy... June 27th... 4 Day 2: Believe... June 28... 6 Day 3: Seek... June 29... 8 Day 4: Come... June 30... 10 Day 5: Open... July 01... 12 Day 6: Drink... July 02... 14 Day 7: Follow... July 03... 16 Day 8: Ask... July 04... 18 Day 9: Listen... July 05... 20 Day 10: Be Still... July 06... 22 CONCLUSION... 23
Steps to Intimacy with God Maps are helpful. If you do not want to get lost it is important to refer to the record of someone who has been to the location you seek. Of course, that means that you must seek a location. Over the years I have watched dozens of Christians struggle with being a Christian. I do not mean that they flirt with atheism or run headlong into wanton sin. I mean their Christianity consists in a few religious activities like going to church, sending their children to a Christian school and reading the Bible as a family. It involves some strong convictions such as abortion is wrong as is sex outside of marriage and the Ten Commandments should be displayed in the court house. Add to this occasional Bible studies, bumper stickers, tee-shirts and meetings with friends called fellowship and you have the normal Christian life. They struggle because they feel there should be so much more. They read about people being filled with the spirit and power, of praying all night, of hearing God s voice and panting for His presence and yet all they experience is mundane talk about food and the local baseball team. They want to know God and be known by Him! I am convinced that God wants that too. Why did He make man? Why did He pursue His people even when they rebelled and worshipped false gods? Why did He become a human? Why does He so often invite you to meet with Him? He loves you. He also enjoys you. This week you may embark on a journey to intimacy with God. I have designed this study as a road map listing nine steps to draw you close to the heart of God. The steps are invitations that God gives you to meet with Him. They are; believe, seek, come, open, drink, follow, ask, listen and be still. I invite you to do more than the bare minimum this week. Read the comments, seriously meditate on the questions all while looking to find God. If you will trust the map and believe, seek, come, open, drink, follow, ask, listen and be still, you will find Jesus closer than he has ever been. Matthew 7:7, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
Day 1: Intimacy June 27th Who is your best friend? Describe your relationship with your best friend. (Answer questions like What do you like about this person? What do they think about you? What do you share together? How do you feel when you are alone with this person? How do you feel when you are in a group with this person? What brings you joy in this relationship? Etc.) Describe your relationship with Jesus? (Answer questions like What do you like about Jesus? What does He think about you? What do you share together? How do you feel when you are alone with Jesus? How do you feel when you are in a group with Him? What brings you joy in this relationship? Etc.) Read John 20:26-29 and imagine being in the room when Jesus appeared. How long did He stay that night? What do you think they talked about? How did the disciples feel when they looked across the table and saw Jesus, fully relaxed, laughing while he took a bite of bread? Describe your thoughts about this scene.
Wouldn t you like a closer friendship with Jesus? This week can be the beginning of a life long journey nearer to the heart of God but only if you pursue it. God has given you a will and He expects you to exercise it in building a relationship with Him. He constantly invites people to experience Him. This experience requires them to act. He does not reward passive living in which someone just waits for life to happen to them. He always requires us to act. Act this week on the deepest and truest longing of your heart, to know Jesus intimately. Give Him the time he deserves early each morning and often throughout the day. Give Him your full attention in worship and while you work and play. Make Him the focal point of your existence. Write out a prayer to Jesus in which you commit to get much closer to Jesus this week. Psalm 34:8-9 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want.
Day 2: Believe June 28 Read Hebrews 11:1-6 The journey to intimacy with Jesus begins with faith. You must believe that He is. Consider the scandalous proposition, God is. In this proposition, you assert that there is a being who made everything, who controls all things, who is perfectly good and present everywhere and yet always unseen. In the absence of all empirical evidence you stand up and boldly say, I believe. In truly believing you will order your life according to this proposition. You will avoid culturally accepted practices. You will face ridicule and conflict. You will choose to love your enemies and forgive wrongs suffered all because you believe. Living by faith is a great risk and yet it is faith that provides the confidence to take the risk. Abraham believed that God was actively involved in his life so he fearlessly left his homeland, cut animals in half and offered his only son. David believed that God would deliver His people so he tossed aside the king s armor and removed the giant s head from his body. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, believed that God was worthy of their exclusive devotion when they told the king that they would never worship his image even if it meant death in a fiery furnace. Alone on a hill, nailed to a cross, Jesus believed that the Father would hear His prayer, Forgive them. Faith produces confidence. Below list three things that you fear, maybe even about this week. Next to each list something you know about God that addresses your fear. My Fear: 1) God s Character: 2) 3)
If you truly believe that God is, how will you live today? Mark 5:36 But Jesus said to the synagogue official, Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.
Day 3: Seek June 29 Abraham Lincoln wrote, I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day. We are tempted, when facing overwhelming situations, to just give up. Lincoln, who was a man of action, chose instead to seek God. Read Acts 17:24-28 It is beautiful to see that God likes you to seek Him out. You can turn to so many places to find hope, comfort, guidance and friendship. As you go to these places you often bump into God. But what He truly values is when you begin your journey looking for Him. As you read Scripture, look for Jesus. As you pray, expect to find God. As you work, play and talk to others today, be sure to keep you eyes peeled for any sign of God being present. Review you re the last couple of days. List some places where God showed up and you did not notice Him. Determine to look for Him in these places today.
List some times when you did notice Him? As you pray now, try to see God with you. Jeremiah 29:13-14a And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 'And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD,'
Day 4: Come June 30 Read Isaiah 55:1-12. List the promises God makes for you if you will come to Him. The word come indicates a purposeful action to be nearer to someone or something. It is a word used by God frequently as an invitation to His people; to you. God wants you to be closer to Him. Imagine that! With everything in the creation available to Him, God wants you. He wants you not just on the periphery of His knowledge. He wants you always closer. He wants you to be able to experience the perfection which is Himself. In Him you will be fulfilled. To come to God, you must choose to move away from everything else. You begin to draw near to God when you make Him, in your heart, the only one you desire. What desires keep you from God? List some below, considering what you have faced this week. 1) 2) 3)
Next, to come to God you must expect to find Him. As you pray, think about the fact that God waits to hear your voice speaking to Him. He is looking directly into your eyes and hearing every word you will speak and those you are afraid to speak. Anticipate God s longing for you. Write a brief paragraph about God s joy when you are with Him. Now, close your eyes and come to the God who loves you. Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
Day 5: Open July 01 Read Revelation 3:14-22. Write out what observations you make about this passage and you. Sometimes Jesus comes to you. It is easy to get so caught up in the affairs of life that your pursuit of Jesus becomes a formality; a habit. You no longer burn with a desire for Jesus. You settle into a comfortable lifestyle that is Christian and yet, Jesus has been set on the backburner. At times like this, He gets up from His throne and visits you. He enters your life and knocks. His knock reminds you of His nearness and it prompts you to stop whatever you are doing and return to Him. Think about the last few months. Make a list of some ways Jesus has been knocking. How have you responded to His knock?
Open the door and see His smiling face ready to enjoy your friendship once again. Write a prayer telling Jesus how much His friendship means to you. Revelation 2:4-5a But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5'Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first;
Day 6: Drink July 02 It seems obvious that mankind is thirsty. In His grace, God designed you to thirst, knowing that if you go without water, you will soon die. There is another longing inside that drives you on in this life. He has given you a deep thirst in your soul for that which you need to prevent eternal death. Read Psalm 42:1-4. Describe David s thirst. For what does He thirst? How will his thirst be satisfied? Describe your own thirst for God. Nothing else can satisfy your thirst. Religious ceremonies, fellowship with godly people and even relief from the troubles of your life leave you dissatisfied and looking for something more. God expects your thirst to draw you to Jesus. Jesus invited the woman at the well to ask Him for water so she would never thirst again. At the great feast, Jesus cried out, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Jesus knows that you long for something that can not be found on earth. He created you with this thirst that He alone can quench. He invites you to drink deeply.
Drinking means to take liquid that is outside of your body and bring it inside in such a way that it truly benefits you. It is always a purposeful action. List how you might be able to drink Jesus today. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) John 7:37-38 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'"
Day 7: Follow July 03 Read Mark 2:14. What motivation does Jesus give Levi to prompt his obedience? What does He promise? What do you think convinced Levi to leave everything and follow Jesus? What conclusions can you draw from this? How should they play a role in your life today? Each day, you are faced with a multitude of decisions. You may ask friends, parents or pastors what you should do. After you receive all of the advice you desire, you are alone at a crossroad in your life forced to have to take a risk into the unknown. You must decide alone. It is so much easier if, as you look down the two roads, you see someone you know and trust on one of the roads. Jesus offers this to you. The Bible is called the revelation of Jesus. It is the Bible that pulls the shades back and shows you who Jesus is. By reading the Bible you can know Jesus better. As you get to know Him, you learn His values and His thought process. This allows you to anticipate what choice He would make in your situation. Once you know what His choice would likely be, you can follow the path He would take. You can then ignore all obstacle and pursue the path of following Jesus.
Review your week. Are there some choices you have made this week that are not what Jesus would do? How can you change these today? 1) 2) 3) Consider what your day has in store. What would Jesus do? How can you follow Him? 1) 2) 3) 1 Peter 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
Day 8: Ask July 04 Read Matthew 7:7-11. What do you notice from this passage about talking to God? God likes it when you ask Him for blessings. You are probably aware of Jabez whom God counted as more honorable because He asked God to bless Him, see 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. What is amazing is that God said yes! Consider this morning why God likes to be asked for things. When you ask for something you express dependence on the other person. The request implies that you do not have what you are asking for and that you need the other person to provide it. This is a perfect description of your relationship with God. He has everything you need. You can accomplish nothing without Him. Your situation is one of utter desperation. Asking God for help is an acknowledgement of your true condition and God loves truth. When you ask for help you are also expressing confidence in His ability and willingness to help. You acknowledge His mercy and His love. Such acknowledgement is by definition praise. When you turn to God for help you are declaring by your request that He is a good and powerful God. That is the heart of praise.
Make a list of five things you need from God for the next year. Meditate on what God has done this week in your life. Consider what you would like to accomplish this next year and boldly ask Him to provide what you need. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) James 4:2b-3 You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Day 9: Listen July 05 Shhh! Listen. What do you hear? List five things you can hear right now. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) This week you have been meditating on steps to closer intimacy with God. Intimacy is accomplished as two beings reveal themselves to each other and learn to trust each other. You reveal yourself to God in prayer. Consider how He reveals Himself to you. The usual assumption is that God is pretty quiet. In fact I read a quote from a Reformed Pastor who said, God has said all He is going to say. The Bible however seems to indicate that God is quite noisy in communicating to you. His creation screams without words, Psalm 19. He calls the Bible His Word. He uses other people to speak for Him, including your pastors as they preach. And His Spirit is active in you. Read 1 Kings 19:9-14. Write out what you see about listening to God and recognizing His voice.
According to the PAR Group, which is a training firm in Georgia, there are four keys skills to effective listening. Consider each of these keys as they apply to you hearing God speak in creation, the Bible, other Christians or through the Spirit. Write out ways that you can implement each in your life during the next year. 1. Give 100% attention to the speaker. 2. Respond to the speaker matching their energy of communication. 3. Prove you are listening by engaging in the conversation. 4. Prove that you respect and value the speaker s words and ideas. Psalm 81:13-14 13 "Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! 14 "I would quickly subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries.
Day 10: Be Still July 06 Read Psalm 131. Write out your observations from this passage concerning intimacy with God. We live in a busy world. You have pressures to get things done. Whether it is school or work or projects around the house, you are being pulled constantly to do more and more. And yet Jesus invites you to sit still and rest in Him. Stillness is a purposeful rejection of all the good demands placed on you. As you say no to these demands, you tell God, I just want to be with you. You have set your priorities and declared your values. They are both Jesus. Take a few moments now to be still. Luke 10:41-42 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
CONCLUSION As you remember the last few days, allow the lessons for intimacy with God to bring you back to Him every day. Meditate on the steps to being closer to God and put them into practice. List one thing you have learned about each of these steps. 1) Believe 2) Seek 3) Come 4) Open 5) Drink 6) Follow 7) Ask 8) Listen 9) Be Still Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.