My last post was a discussion about the relationship between you and your significant other here on earth, but I think you maybe already saw the parallels between that and the relationship between you and God.
The relationship between God and man is described as a romance throughout scripture, not just in the New Testament descriptions of the bride and the bridegroom. The nation of Israel is described as a wife throughout the Old Testament, particularly in descriptions of how Israel strayed like an adulteress wife, and how she should be treated under the law for doing so. Psalm 19 has a reference to God as a bridegroom, Isaiah 62:5 says "As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." Joel, Jeremiah, Exodus all contain references as well as several other books. Hosea contains many such references, as God called him to be a living example of God's forgiveness for a cheating bride.
There are also many such references in the New Testament. Mark 2:19-20, Luke 9:34-35, and Matthew 9:15 tell the same story "Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast." This was a parallel for Jesus and his death.
There is an amazing song sung by Lauren Talley called "Will You Marry Me?" which describes the relationship between God and man as a bridegroom relationship. This song is Biblically sound, I spent some time confirming so before I posted it.
A young man left his homeland on a search so grand and far
A mission of compassion, a journey of the heart.
Looking for the treasure that would make his love complete.
Then at last he found her down a dark, deserted street.
Her eyes were sad and empty, her face had lost it's glow.
Her spirit tired and needy, for sin was all she'd known.
Lying in the gutter, she could not understand
Why he was kneeling down beside her, holding out a nail-scarred hand.
And he said...
Will you marry me? Will you be my bride?
Will you marry me? I can change your life.
I have looked beyond your failures and I see you washed
As white as white can be.
So I ask, will you marry me?
We were the woman lying in the street
A prisoner of the gutter with no chance to ever leave.
But now we are the bride of Christ, the redeemed from the fall.
Not because we've earned the right, but we've answered the call.
The call when He says....
Will you marry me? Will you be my bride?
Will you marry me? Let me change your life.
I have looked beyond your failures and I see you washed
As white as white can be.
So I ask, will you marry me?
I have looked beyond your failures
And I see you washed as white as white can be.
So I ask, will you marry me?
And the truth is, that our relationship with God is like a romance, isn't it? When we first meet Him, we are all on fire for Him, burning brightly. Just like a fire, and just like how I described a romance. But if we don't give that fire enough fuel (a good foundation, scripture, study, prayer, worship) it can sputter out. Or sometimes when it has burning a long time, we just let it go and it burns down a little bit (business, inattention, lack of focus). Ultimately we want a strong fire, with a steady burn, not a little spark or a low flame. But how do we keep that romance with Christ alive?
Answer: the same way we keep our other relationships alive. Yesterday I gave you guys seven steps to Revitalize your Relationship. Today we are going to apply those to your relationship with God.
STEP ONE:
Yesterday I called this small gestures, but today I am going to call it, Stepping Up. This is your first line of communication. Instead of remembering to show the person you love that you love them with small gestures, keep God in your mind through prayer and the reading of scripture.
STEP TWO:
Put them first. Being a blazing fire takes time and work. Put God first, set time aside for Him. I said love is an action not a feeling. Don't feel love, show love.Matthew 6:33 (ESV) says "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Put God first and He will start to reveal Himself to you. Romans 8:5 says "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." Set your mind on God. Spend time with the creator. Make sure he is on your mind every step of the way. This is one of those things that is easier said than done, I know. But just remember, its a process. Its a fire, not a lightswitch. You have to build it.
STEP THREE:
This was God time before, now it is Fellowship Time. Spend time with other believers, remembering to keep God on your mind. Share your faith together, worship together, pray together, learn together. Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV) says "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Being in a group of other believers can really help you get that fire going, lean on one another and encourage one another.
STEP FOUR:
Do the things you did before. This is a little like the other steps. But basically, do whatever you did when you were still on fire for Christ. If you went to an extra church service every week just to hear His word one more time, do that. If you went to bible study for more Christian Fellowship, do that. If you listened to worship music in the car so that you could praise Him on the way to work, do that. Do whatever you did the last time you were really on fire for God.
STEP FIVE:
Get rid of physical distractions. If you are spending too much time focusing on something other than God, get it out of your way. If you spend more time doing something than reading the Bible, trade out some of that time. Remember Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Make sure you are focusing on God first. Anything you think about more than God, anything you spend more time on than God, anything that gets between you and God, it needs to go.
STEP SIX:
Communicate. I know, I sound like a broken record, but God still speaks to us. Sometimes (rarely in my personal experience) its a literal still small voice. But often its that nagging thought we get because we immersed ourselves in prayer (speaking and listening to Him), worship (speaking to Him), and reading the Bible (listening to Him). Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." If we listen to what God is telling us, He will direct us back to Him.
STEP SEVEN:
Stick with it. The reason we probably let our fire die down a little is because we didn't stick with it. We didn't keep doing all the things we did to see more of Him. So don't make this another thing you do and then quit after it works. "I need to keep the bookshelf clean" (tries new swiffer duster) "that worked! It's clean," (stops doing it). (Two weeks later) "Why is this bookshelf dirty again?" Answer: because you didn't keep doing the thing that worked. This is a trite and obvious answer of course, but we tend to think that once we get something right, we can stop. The reality is that once we get something right, we should keep doing it the same way. Don't let anything get between you and God again, and continue to put Him first.
Thanks for joining me in From Spark to Flame. If you have any ideas for steps or great verses that would help clarify, please let me know!
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