Evaluating Your Relationship With God.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me O God and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The relationship between you and God is personal. Nobody but you and you alone can answer for your salvation, amount of service you render, and the condition of your heart. Yet do we really want an almighty, thrice holy-God to search our heart?

When He does, He will reveal our motives, dreams, desires, secret sins, pettiness and bitterness. It's not that He doesn't know them already, but that he reveals them to us!

Do you honestly seek after God? If so then you as a believer must beg and seek after God to inquire of the condition of your heart. Asking God to reveal what is truly buried in the depths of our heart is the beginning of all true revival prayer.

The child of God should have no turmoil within their heart. However many of us battle depression, worry, and anxiety on a daily basis. We seldom see it as a spiritual fight.

We sleep but find no rest.

We work to buy things yet we lack real joy.

We spend our time being active to drown out the noise of the world.

And during it all, our hearts need to be stirred and filled with the Holy-Spirit of God in a need of drawing closer to God.

Just because we are saved, doesn't mean that we have passion and have found our purpose. Yet allowing God to search our hearts brings about an opportunity for us to have fulfillment, the touch of God on our lives, and real long lasting joy.

Now lets turn in our Bible to 1 Samuel 16:1-13 to mine into Gods Word for those diamonds of truth only He can reveal. As we read this portion of scripture we must remember that David's father Jesse knew that David was the youngest, smallest, and least likely to be anointed for the use of God.

Yet in vs #7b, For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart.

David at the time of writing this psalm knew that God knew His heart. So when he was writing this, he was in essence letting God know that he was ready to have his heart searched.

In order to fully mature as believers, there needs to come a time when we are willing to let go and let God. We must put our focus on what it is He wants for our lives. And when that happens, that progressive sanctification, the letting go of what is hindering our service and allowing God to use us.

Yet the most exciting part of it all is when the regeneration of our saving faith becomes evident in our life because of the Holy Spirit working in us in such a way that God works through us.

When we are set apart by God for His use alone, there is nothing in the world that can separate you from His love, His blessing, His favor, and His security in your life.

vs #23- and know my thoughts...

Proverbs 23:7 for as he thinketh in his heart so is he

The heart is the center of the spiritual and rational nature of man where as our mind is the the seat of our emotions. This is why it is so important that what we guard and defend against what we allow into our minds, and who we give access to our lives.

Phillipians 4:8- Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure,whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If we don't know what is in our hearts, then how can we expect to get a handle or a grip on our lives? If you can't firmly grasp and deal with the thoughts and intents of your heart that are causing you to fail, falter and stumble, then how do you expect to live a victorious Christian life.

Beloved, there is a major difference between having religion and having Christ.

Think of your relationship with Christ and your growth as a believer in the terms of levels. Each level of your Christian growth presents a new opportunity. Each level presents a new and more useful Christian to become. Each level of growth for you as a believer allows you to grow a little bit further away from this world, and a little closer to God.

vs #24 and see if there be any wicked way in me

If we are honest with ourselves, more often than not we know what it is that holds us back from living a life completely surrendered and constantly abiding with savior. Often, it's not some extremely major sin or situation that needs a complete overhaul in your life.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There is a major difference between weights and snares. A weight is a hindarence that though it's not exactly antagonistic to the things of God, it is still causing your race to be slowed down and not as effectively run. Sins however are a black and white issue. They are antagonistic to the things of God. They take discipline and the power of God on our life to overcome. Roamans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

It's easy to let sin reign and have free control over our lives. However we have within our possession as believers a power that even the gates of hell cant prevail against. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

However what I have found through both studying revival history, and personal witness and experience is that a real lasting revival usually starts with a simple adjustment or tuneup with some of things that we are doing or a finding of some things we are lacking in our life. Proverbs 14:12- There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are they ways of death.

Beloved, there is a right way and a wrong way to live...even within the believers life The victorious life is a life filled with, empowered by, and lead by the Holy Spirit.

We either love God, or we do not. There is no other ground to firmly stand upon!! Christ said it Himself, John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

vs24b and lead me in the way of everlasting

The way of righteousness will transcend that of the worlds philosophy. To live in the everlasting way is to live a life of surrender and commitment. Nothing is too far out of reach for the believer who is willing to simply let God do a work in them so He can do a work through them.

There is no retirement plan in the service of our King. Just a grand graduation day as we arrive in glory!!!

---

For more information or to schedule a meeting please contact us: 812-844-5802