You shall have no other gods before Me… Exodus 20:3 NKJV
In this concluding discussion of Relating to God, we will illustrate two benefits of frequenting the environment that initiates, develops and maintains relationship with God. That “environment” is Bible reading and study, Prayer, and Self-Denial. We’re addressing this subject matter because Relating to God is the primary governing arrangement of Divine Order. Read the definition of Divine Order below.
Divine Order, which the Most High reveals through the Holy Scriptures, is the governing arrangement of humans in relation to God, each other, the natural realm, and the supernatural according to matters of sequence, original pattern, and prescribed methodology.
In my book “Demystifying Spiritual Maturity” an overarching benefit of relating to God (spiritual maturity) is thoroughly laid out for your examination. In this blog we’ll discuss some specific aspects of spiritual maturity that accrue to you by relating to God.
One amazing benefit that you’ll experience by seeking and relating to God is “spiritual osmosis”. Osmosis can be defined as the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, character, etc. Although it’s a scientific term, “osmosis” masterfully expresses the effect that results from seeking and relating to God. Spiritual osmosis catalyzes the renewing of your mind which systematically deconstructs every way that humanity has been conformed to the wickedness of this world (Romans 12:1-2).
In 1 Kings 8, King Solomon’s prayer dedicating the first temple is recorded. In verse 38, while praying he says that “every man knows the plague of his own heart”, which addresses both men and women. The “plagues of the heart” are the unconverted mindsets or continued unclean deeds that humans commit. Every one of us knows the experiences, thoughts, and desires we have that are contrary to the will of God. The omniscient God knows those things about each of us as well, while simultaneously loving us. Thankfully, relating to God by the means of frequenting His environment (Bible, Prayer, Self-Denial) causes those “plagues” to be perfectly addressed and corrected in the optimum season and ways.
Lastly concerning “spiritual osmosis”, the typology of the furniture in the Tabernacle, which is the portable precursor to Solomon’s temple, reveals the Living God’s heart and mind concerning His character overlaying our own. (Exodus chapters 31 through 37 especially).
I challenge you to look up the phrase “overlaid with gold” in your favorite search engine or blueletterbible.org. The results should locate the furnishings in the tabernacle that were fashioned of wood and subsequently covered with pure gold. The furnishings were the table for showbread, the altar of incense, and the ark of the testimony. I may write an e-book one day that excavates the significance of these furnishings, but for now I’ll just make some simple points.
Throughout the Scriptures, wood typifies humans and human nature while gold symbolizes the character, value, and permanence of God. It has always been the Most High’s intention to overlay our frailty with His perfection! This is not only referring to the receipt of our new body after the cessation of our temporal life. This is the very picture of what happens methodically during our lifetime as we directly relate to God!
Another benefit of relating to God that I’d like to discuss is “unpredictability”, which disables the Enemy from arbitrarily victimizing us. Read John 3:1-8 below.
John 3:1-8 New King James Version
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night ad said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of the water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This passage has a lot of noteworthy discussion points, but I will just home in on the last statement the Savior made.
I know you’ve had the experience of hearing gusts of wind while you’re outdoors. Unless the wind exerts directional force on plants, flags, or your body the sound it makes may not enable you to detect its point of origin or destination. Everyone who has been born of the Spirit is just like that.
Satan has carefully observed mankind from day one. He and his kingdom of unclean spirits have routinely deceived and mislead humanity since that fateful day in the Garden. In addition to the advantage demons have of not needing sleep, invisibility, and split-second travel, the overwhelming predictability of human behavior works in the enemy’s favor.
The fallen angels from the kingdom of darkness know that humans are effortlessly corrupted concerning matters of selfish ambition, sexual impurity, idolatry, pride, anger, desire for control, appropriation of resources, factionism, racism, substance abuse, murder, and many other manifestations of the sinful nature.
Demons are constantly engineering schemes to get humans to fall in one or more of the previously identified categories. They are equally comfortable setting up short, intermediate, or long-term contrivances designed to trip mankind up in the spheres of their weaknesses.
However, the believer who endeavors to relate to God consistently, metamorphizes over time. He or she may fall a number of times, but they fall towards a maturing human spirit instead of always returning to previous behavior (Proverbs 24:16 & Proverbs 26:11). Given continued persistence in seeking God, enough internal change accumulates so that the enemy’s past proven strategies stop working against that believer!
One who will not stop seeking God is eventually immersed into and led by the Spirit of God. And like the wind, they become endued with the potential for incredible power and day to day unpredictability to the Enemy! This God-sourced unpredictability grants you peace, confidence, and the armor required to be utilized as an offensive weapon against the kingdom of darkness!
As I noted in a previous blog, the Most High wants to positively burden us with benefits on a daily basis (Psalm 68:19). We’ve just discussed two benefits here, but the full list of them might take the balance of a lifetime to cover!
In conclusion, know that the Living God wants to relate to you on a personal level. Don’t relegate the expression of your relationship with God to group meeting interaction only. The Most High told us that we should have no other gods before Him and that we should love Him with our entire being. Relating to God is the foundation of your life progressing towards its true fulfillment!
May the Most High bless you, keep you, cause His face to shine upon you, be gracious to you, be attentive and approving of you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26)!
Elder Theodore Nkenge
