FAITH CAPSULE: Give self to God’s word to gain and retain His presence.
Jonah 1
It is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5) The word of God is God. Without the word of God nothing was created.
The word of God is His wisdom and His strength. The word of God is God’s presence that visits man. For example, the word of God visited Jonah and Jonah missed God’s presence when he walked outside of God’s word which is God’s presence. It is written, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-4) Visiting word of God was vacated by Jonah when he arose to flee from God’s direction. It is disobedience to walk against direction in the word of God. Jonah disobeyed God. Disobedience is vacating self from God’s presence.
Experience from testimony, Paul the apostle, by virtue of his encounter with the word admonished us in Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” One that does not give self to the word of God cannot retain and gain in God’s presence. One that is not spending time in the word is spending time in the world. Not spending time in the word of God is the evidence of inability to keep His command. Also, not spending time in the word of God is to be living life carelessly. Proverbs 19:16 buttressed, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” Samson could not keep the commands of God when he allowed Delilah to violate God’s command over his life. Evidently, consciously or unconsciously Samson was careless and not careful of God’s word (God’s presence) and he died. (Judges 16)
Samuel gave Saul direction to wait for seven days but Saul could not wait. On top of his disobedience, he could give self to God’s command not engage burnt offering which does not allow kings. (1 Samuel 13)
Giving self to the word of God is to gain and retain His presence.
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God not to be out of the presence of God.