“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:1-2 NKJV).
The life of Cornelius proves that God seeks full-hearted devotion, obedience and ceaseless prayer. Consider how this man of God saved his house and the miracles his devotion brought about.
Paul said, “In him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28 NKJV). Men and women of God live within this very small circle. Their life, their every move, is wrapped up only in the interests of Christ.
Since the cross, all spiritual giants have had one thing in common. They were in close communion with the Lord; they became lost in the glorious vastness of Christ, and they died lamenting they still knew so little of him. So it was with Paul and the disciples; with many early church fathers like Luther, Zwingli and the Puritans; with the pious English preachers; and with many godly leaders today.
What is it that our Lord wants most from those who claim to be devoted to him? What would bless and please him? Shall we build him more churches? More Bible schools? More homes and institutions for hurting people? These are all worthwhile and needed, but he who dwells not in buildings made by hands wants much more than that. Solomon thought he had built an everlasting temple for God, but within years, it was in decay, and in less than four hundred years, it was destroyed.
Help yourself! I am not speaking of the godless self but the regenerated self, possessed by Christ. One of the most important verses in God's Word is John 4:14: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (NKJV).
This life-giving water is for us. Here is proof that everything you need in this life was given to you when Christ came into your heart.
• “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37-38).
Jesus said that when the prodigal son came home, he was welcomed back into his father’s house. He received a new robe, ate at his father’s table and had full forgiveness. But that didn’t make him an angel.
On the contrary, I believe the prodigal’s father experienced a lot of problems with him before it was all over. However, the one thing this son had to know was that he was secure in his father’s love. He had to know his father would bear with him, work with him and love him.
You cannot know God in fullness until you see Christ as God wants you to see him. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 NKJV). We must see Jesus, not as man teaches, but as the Spirit reveals him to us, as God wants us to see and know him.
Most of us are still dumb creatures looking to the future for fulfillment. We think some future event or change in our circumstances will bring us peace and joy. We say, “Just wait; my day is coming. Somehow, someday, somewhere…I don’t know what is out there for me, but it will happen.” We are like children waiting for Christmas and counting the days.
Those who truly know God have learned how to recognize his voice above all others. He wants you to be convinced that he desires to talk to you and tell you things you’ve never heard before.
The Lord recently showed me that I was still wavering about hearing his voice. Oh, I know that he speaks, but I doubted my ability to hear him. I kept “checking” the voice I heard, and when it seemed too mysterious, I thought, “This can’t be God. Besides, the devil and lying spirits and the flesh speak, too. Voices come at us all the time. How can I know it’s him?”
Scripture says of Israel, “Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (Psalm 78:41 NKJV). Israel turned away from God in unbelief. Likewise, I believe we limit God today with our doubts and unbelief.
We trust God in most areas of our lives, but our faith always has boundaries and limits. We all have at least one small area that we block off where we don’t really believe God will take care of us.