Building A Right Relationship With God - MEDITATION, FASTING & MORE

 

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's

 commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you,

that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.   

John 15:10-11

Review:

Once the relationship is started by getting right with God, we need to make the second step and develop our new relationship into a personal or intimate relationship.  Seven points in how we can build and maintain a right relationship with God:

Point 1 - We must communicate with God through prayer.  We must spend time with God.

Point 2 - We must let God communicate with us.

 

POINT #3: TO BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

MEDITATE on SPIRITUAL THINGS.

How many times have we heard a good sermon and one hour later we don't remember anything about it?

It seems that people today are afraid to be alone with their thoughts.  Usually as soon as we enter our house the TV gets turned on. It is easier to turn on the TV than turn on our minds.  We live in the age of the paid entertainer and the hired specialist who can provide the services we are unable to perform for ourselves, but this is also the age in which we can even become accustomed to letting others do our thinking for us.

The most unfortunate part of our "no-think" environment is its effect on the mental outlook of many of us in God's Church. As a consequence, we don't spend the time or effort we should in active thought and meditation about God, His law's, His word, and how they all relate to our lives.

We all need to learn the Art of Meditation.

How long can you meditate and stay focused on a subject without your mind wondering?  For most of us, it is probably just a few seconds.  When we meditate, we need to roll it over in our mind. We need to bounce it off of the word of God. It takes real concentration and practice to stay focused on a certain thing or subject.

Meditation is simply taking a certain theme, situation or scripture and dwelling on it -- asking why, how, when, where and what is the end result – determining, if necessary, whether or not that is the result you want.

It is a matter of looking at things from God's point of view. We need to ask, would God be pleased with our conclusion as we concentrate on seeing things from a God-perspective.  We need to meditate on the things of God.  The next time you are lying in bed and can't go to sleep, begin meditating on God:

©          Think about how great God is.

He created the universe and all things that are within it. 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

©          Think about how much God loves you

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

©          Think about how loving and kind God is.

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.  Psalms 25:6

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.  Psalms 36:7

©          Think about how gracious and merciful God is. When we sin God doesn't zap us or step on us like a bug.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

©          Count your blessings that God has given you.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.  Psalms 68:19

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:  Psalms 103:2

©          Thank God for the talents that He has given you.

We are to meditate on God's law. Notice the instruction given to Joshua:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Joshua 1:8

 We are to meditate day and night.   Why should we meditate?  

√        Meditation is used to convict ourselves of the need for personal change.

√        Meditation internalizes God's way of life within us.

√        Meditation helps to build a strong Relationship with God.

POINT #4: TO BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

We should FAST to DRAW CLOSER TO GOD.

In order to have a good relationship with someone, we will want to spend premium time with them.

We may invite them in for dinner and have some stimulating conversation. This way we can get to know them better. Sometimes we may give them gifts or send them a card to let them know that we really appreciate them.  How can we draw closer to God?

√         One way is to fast.

In both the Old and New Testaments, we read where the children of God fasted.

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.  Judges 20:26

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.    Matthew 6:16-18

Notice it says when you fast, not if.  Make sure you comb your hair and brush your teeth. Don't brag or tell others that you are fasting. The Pharisees did these things to appear religious. We are to appear as if we were not fasting and the Bible says that the Father, not people will reward us openly. 

God wants us to learn spiritual lessons from fasting. When we fast we become physically weak. This lesson teaches us that we are human and frail. Without food and water we would die. Spiritually the lesson to be learned is that without God we will die spiritually. We are very dependent on God's creation, the earth, with its soil and rain, to sustain our physical lives with food and water. If we will draw closer to God through fasting, He will help us to overcome and sustain our spiritual lives. Fasting is one of the greatest tools God gives to help us think like Him and to act like Him. 

So Why fast?

 -          To humble yourself and draw closer to God.

POINT #5: TO BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

We must STIR UP THE SPIRIT.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  Romans 8:9

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  Romans 8:16

Ø    The Holy Spirit is the unifying factor that ties us to God.

Ø    The Holy Spirit is the common denominator of all of God's people.

We have all heard the phrase: Blood is thicker than water.  This means that family ties are stronger than most friendships.  With God, the Spirit is thicker than blood.  It is the Spirit that makes us the children of God.

®       The Holy Spirit is a gift.

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:38

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou STIR UP THE GIFT OF GOD, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.   2 Timothy 1:6-7

One of the reasons we are to STIR UP THE SPIRIT is so that we can walk in the Fruits of the Spirit: which are

love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

How do we stir up the spirit?

Ø       Through Bible study we stir the spirit so we can attain knowledge.

Ø       Through prayer and meditation we stir the spirit so we can attain understanding and wisdom.

Ø       By putting the fruits of the spirit into practice we develop character.

     Do we set the right example by reflecting the fruits of God's spirit?  Yes, not only do we set a right example, we reflect the image of God.

POINT #6: TO BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

We must KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.

Jesus said:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.   John 14:15

The ten commandments govern our relationships with God and man.  The last six of the commandments tell us how to get along with our neighbors.  The first four of the commandments guides us in our relationship with God.  The first four commandments are related in Exodus 20:3-11.

The commandments tell us what God requires in our relationship with him. God wants to be first in our lives. We can put nothing ahead of God. We cannot put our mates, children, job, country, our favorite sport or hobby ahead of God. We must put God first. We must respect and honor God's name. We would not like it if someone defamed our name. We don't like it if we hear someone putting down our mate, our children, our mother or our father. This upsets us. Why then would we want to disrespect and profane the name of our spiritual Father.

In our relationship with God, He wants us to spend time with Him. He took the seventh day of the week and ordained it and blessed it as holy time and called it the Sabbath. He wants us to keep this day holy by worshipping Him, singing psalms and praises and learning more about Him and Jesus Christ and His plan of salvation.  

(Biblical Studies)

03/03/22