Intimacy and Stability
Have we ever asked ourselves the reason we falter in our walk with God?
Do we look for short cuts to advance ourselves in the secular world or intimacy with God?
It doesn’t matter the discipline we find ourselves; so long as we operate within the standard of the Word, then we will not grieve the Holy Spirit or be ashamed if the Lord should show up physically.
The enemy (Devil) tried to divert the Lord in the area of His calling and spoke to Jesus in this manner, “and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:9). Jesus knew himself, his purpose, and the authority with which He can silence the enemy. When believers understand the Lord equipped us with the same power through the spoken word and the power that lives in us, we will excel in our Christian journey. Jesus said, “Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you” (Luke 10:19).
Where do we place our affection or priorities? The choices we make as children of the kingdom determine our outcome in life. There are dazzling attractions and persuasive voices that tend to divert us and keep us unstable in our calling. The Word reminds us to focus all our actions here on earth to the glory of God, an example of obedience to enhance a cordial relationship (intimacy) with our Lord. (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Many blame the flesh as the culprit to every instability in our Christian work. The life of the overcomer holds on to the victory in the Word, the life of faith, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).
The boy Joseph was a favorite child of his father. He found himself unexpectedly as a slave in a strange land, away from family and close associates. His whole world turned upside down, a victim of his brothers detests and tyranny, snatched from his rightful place. The Bible repeated in the context that the Lord was with Joseph. What was about Joseph that attracted Potiphar, who showed him a favor and made the slave boy the head of his household? Going deeper into the Bible’s account, Potiphar’s wife stalked Joseph and pressed him hard to have affairs with her; Joseph refused her attempts, proved his characteristics, and said, “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Fast forward into his story, while in prison, Joseph identified two of the king’s perplexed workers in the same prison. This event attracts anyone’s curiosity; this is Joseph who has the whole world turned against him enough to keep him withdrawn from everyone, yet, his demeanor helped him to ignore his issues and interact with the two miserable servants of the king. Furthermore, as a result of his interactions, Joseph discovered both of the king’s servants had a nightmare and could not understand the meaning of their dreams. Joseph, at this point, revealed another trait in his life and spoke to them the king’s servants, “And they said to him, “We have had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please” (Genesis 40:8). Joseph interpreted their dreams, and the outcome was as he spoke to them.
Two years after the dream interpretation, the King needed help to understand a mysterious dream he had. The survivor of his interpretation in prison remembered Joseph and mentioned his ability to the King. The king invited Joseph from the prison to interpret his dream; Joseph’s performance impressed the king, and he promoted Joseph as the second in command to himself in Egypt.
This phenomenal story is an eye-opener to the possibilities of nonstop service to the Lord, even in tribulation. We can only achieve this kind of Christianity when we eat, and digest the Word.
Joseph’s Strategy for Intimacy and Stability
Joseph was an inherited child of promise. He respected his position, held on to the faith of His fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He lived with the right attitude, cheerful, fled from sin, and honored God. The Lord was proud of him, stood by him, and blessed him. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9a).
A slave in a strange land and home, he encountered a weird situation where he had the option to forget about his calling, take advantage, and lobby for a continuous favor with the second in command, Potiphar’s wife. He refused and fled instead. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” 1 John 2:15-17).
Later on, in the story, Joseph’s brothers, who sold him out as a slave, came to Egypt to buy food because of famine. Joseph recognized them, they didn’t, though hurt, he settled it all with God and embraced his brothers. Therefore, as the born-again children of God, we are children of promise like Joseph, we are to live as follows, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:12-15).
How Do We Walk in Intimacy and Stability?
The first step is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Walk with the Lord. The fellowship with the Lord is possible when we read the Word daily, meditate on the Word, and live by the Word’s teachings; just like Jesus, we pray at all times.
Live sensitive to the Holy Spirit, the seal of the Lord at New Birth. He is our teacher, guide, comforter, enabler, and friend. Do not grieve Him through disobedience to the Lord.
Identify with a Word believing Church to help with the Christian growth.
Witness for the Lord through your living, and others will see the beauty of the Lord in your word and action. Tell someone about your new-found faith.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6-9).
Make no excuse, such as it’s my weakness, nature, born that way. He gave the Holy Spirit to help, guide, comfort, enable us to overcome. We can live in faith, believing we can accomplish the Christian race by the grace of God.
“Therefore, Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you” (2Corinthians 6:17).
Paul said, he dies daily, brings himself under check, and made a plea to the church as follows, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
Some of the Blessings of Intimacy and Stability
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
“Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the addition of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
“Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
“The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
“The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So, you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).