In all my training and most of my life I have thought that fellowship with God was something that could be precipitated by my faithful seeking. "Seek the Lord while he may be found." I have more recently been forced to discover that fellowship is a gift which God bestows at his pleasure. I had supposed that God could always be found. But what if he hides himself? What if the time comes when he cannot be found? No amount of Bible reading or prayer can uncover his presence. God reveals himself to whom he so desires at a time when he decides. We cannot find him by force of self or will. But we can faithfully wait in patience and hope, "looking unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith." And if and when God makes himself accessible for fellowship again it will be sweeter than before and it will be cherished as never before. "Every good and perfect give cometh from above." However God deals with me he remains Lord. According to Job, "though he slay me yet will I praise him."
posted by bill rosser @ 10:04 PM
7 Comments:
Again-good stuff. If one didn't know better you would think that a bit of 'Calvanism' is creeping through.
I'm certainly not uncomfortable with a Calvinist label but am only speaking at this time from personal experience. Someone once said we are all Armenian in the morning and Calvinist when we go to bed! Thanks for your comments.
Dad, I like this post today...but am not completely sure I agree. (which is fine.) :) What about the truth that the Lord is the same...yesterday, today and forevermore. We are the ones who change, ours ups and downs, etc. What do you think?
God is the same in his attributes and nature but as a Person acts according to his own good pleasure and will in different ways for his own sovereign purposes. As a parent you also understand that acting in love towards your children results in different approaches at different times according to the circumstances and in recognition of the different personalities of your children. Otherwise, there would be no possibility for discipline. Because of my fallibility I cannot always be certain that God's seeming distance is his choice rather than the result of my own choices. However, I can never assume that God will respond according to my desires simply because I ask. The asking may be from impure motives of which I am unaware. When God does respond to my desire for him it can only be because the desire has been enabled and purified by the grace of God. No desire on my part is ever pure in and of itself and therefore it cannot be worthy of God's response. Therefore, true fellowship with God is a gift of his grace.
I didn't realize you guys were so active on your blogs! I'm about to head out the door but hope to do some catching up on some good reading. I might not have a ton of quality comments to add to the discussion but reading them can't hurt me...and maybe I'll be able to drop in my 2 cents on ocassion!
My quick take on this most recent post: God isn't going to drop everything...ask no questions...and let me off the hook for something or respond to something I requests...just because I ask. That's too easy.
Am I even in the same ballpark as you guys?
( I have to admit..the calvanism and armenian references aren't anything I can claim to know anything about)
I think your comments are right on target. If God is God then he must remain free, accountable ultimately to himself alone. He acts according to his own purposes in his own time. We are to remain diligent in our seeking but cannot guarantee any response from God. I think it would be correct to say that God responds only to the desires he has placed within our hearts.
Dad, I think your last comment about how we are to remain diligent in our seeking Him is key. Regardless of how/when/why God answers our prayers He is the potter and we are the clay. Jon, it's grrreat to have some Yankee comments! Drop your two cents in anytime. I need all the sense I can get.
david
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