The Australian Bearded Dragon is a desert dwelling reptile that needs the sun. Without it, he will die.
We can keep him warm, feed him the correct food, even change the litter in his cage on a regular basis. We can handle him with care and love. However, without the sun, his body will not be able to process the calcium in his food, and he will eventually weaken and die.
The Australian Bearded Dragon needs the sun. He basks in its full glory, and it brings him life.
That is like us. We need the presence of God. It is the warmth that allows us to live. We may have family that loves us, a good job, and even good health. However, without the presence of God, we will eventually weaken and die.
How can we learn to bask in the presence of God? God’s Word gives us three steps we can follow.
Step 1: We need to trust in his instructions.
In 2 Kings 5, the king of Syria sent his trusted servant Naaman to Israel to be healed of his leprosy. Naaman eventually arrived at Elisha’s door. Naaman was incensed at two things that happened:
1. Elisha refused to come to him; instead he sent a servant to speak to Naaman.
2. The servant told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River, a waterway known for its dirtiness.
However, Naaman’s servant appealed to him, and in Verses 13-14, we read the servant’s words and Naaman’s response: “If the prophet had asked you to do a hard thing, you would have gone and done it without a second thought. Yet you refuse to do this easy thing.”
Naaman relented, washed in the Jordan, and his leprosy was gone.
Step 2: We need to bind our souls together with God.
Isaiah 40:31 is a familiar verse. It tells us that if we wait upon the Lord, we will renew our strength; we will fly with wings of eagles; we will run without tiring; we will walk without the need for rest.
The key word in this verse is the word “wait.” What does it mean?
In modern usage, it means either to be patient or to serve. However, in Hebrew, the original word means to bind together by twisting.
God wants us to bind our souls together with his, and his strength will be ours.
Step 3: We need to understand that it is by God’s power that all good things occur in this world.
Zechariah had a vision of Joshua standing before God. As the vision progressed, we read in Zechariah 4:6 where an angel came before him, speaking the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.”
His reference is to the Temple, but it applies to everything in our lives. There is no human might that can complete what God ordains. There is no human power that can pick up where God leaves off. Only what God chooses to organize and sanction is of value. If we step in and try to take over, our works will surely fail, for God will not be in them.
If we learn to trust in God, and we strive to become one with him, then his Spirit will lead us, and we will bask in the presence of God unto life everlasting.
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