Walking with God
Memory verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38)
God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, for a love relationship with Himself. After Adam and Eve sinned, they heard God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. They hid from Him because of their fear and shame. Try to sense the heart of a loving Father when He asked that wonderful love question, “where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). God knew something had happened to the love relationship.
When your relationship is as it ought to be, you will always be in fellowship with the Father. You will be in His presences expecting and anticipating the relationship of love. When Adam and Eve were not there, something had gone wrong.
Early each day I have an appointment with God. I often wonder what happens when the God who loves me comes to meet with me. How does He feel when He asks, “where are you?” and I am not there (see Jeremiah 7:13). I have found this to be true in my walk with the Lord: I keep that time alone with God, not in order to have a relationship, but because I have a relationship. Because I have that love relationship with my Lord, I want to meet with Him and spend time with Him. Time with Him enriches and deepens the relationship I already have with Him.
I hear many people say, “I really struggle trying to have time alone with God”. If that is a problem you face, let me suggest something: make the priority in your life to love Him with all your heart. That will solve most of your problem with your quiet time. People who struggle to spend time with God, don’t have a scheduling problem; they have a love problem. You have a quiet time because you know Him and therefore love Him, not just because you want to learn more about Him. The Apostle Paul said Christ’s love compelled or constrained him (see 2 Corinthians 5:14).
What is the primary reason you date (spend time with) someone?
Because I would want to find out about their likes and dislikes
Because I would want to find out about their family background
Because I would want to find out about their knowledge and education
Because I would love that person and would enjoy spending time with that person
When two persons love each other and plan to marry, they want to find out information about each other. However, that is not the primary reason they date. They spend time together because they love each other and enjoy being together.
Similarly, you will learn much about God, His Word, His purposes, and His ways as you spend time with Him. You will come to know Him during the day as you experience Him working in and through your life. But learning about Him is not why you should want to have a quiet time with Him. The more you know Him and experience His unfathomable love, the more you will love Him. You will want time alone with God because you love Him and enjoy His fellowship.