Jesus considered love as the willingness to “lay down”. Lay down what? Everything! Love will require the laying down of one’s selfish interest. It involves laying down of time, talent, and treasure. Those for whom we are ready to lay down things are the ones we truly love.
So Jesus is the gate to renewed fellowship with the Father. He is the gate to peace, tranquility, and abundance which the Garden life stood for. Those who put their faith in Him have unrestricted access to God and all He can afford.
We ought to be excited that we are dealing with God who is never tired of our case. The more we approach Him for all of our issues, the more satisfied He gets, and the better our lives become.
The Scripture says a little leaven has the power to leaven the whole lump. Similarly, it is the little foxes that spoil the vine. We must constantly work at removing anything that can disconnect us from divine reward.
The bottom line of all spiritual adventure is divine endorsement. Nothing is more precious than to hear that one has pleased God. It was the highest testimonial that Jesus received. “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3:17 NKJV).
The world generally holds men of God to a higher standard. That is understandable. They are brand ambassadors of God’s kingdom. They are influencers. So they are to operate with the highest standard possible. This, however, does not make them angels.
When you receive counsel, carefully check if it is wise or not. You know a counsel is wise if it does not contradict the word of God. You know a counsel is a misfit if it will clash with God and His values.
God does not give out meaningless instructions. His warnings are not empty threats either. God’s word will always play out. If we love what He hates, we put our relationship with him in jeopardy.
Secondly, Elijah’s enjoyment of bounties amid scarcity can be traced to his ability to hear the voice of God. The voice of God is the fountain of all hopes. At the initial stage, he heard God tell him to go to Brook Cherith where the raven would feed him. The brook was to be the source of water supply.
There is a time to be in the eye of the public, and a time to “hide thyself”. If you put yourself in public glare when you ought to lie low, you risk certain things – it could be your assignment or even your life itself. To hide sometimes is not a sign of cowardice but a demonstration of wisdom.
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