Weekly Word 10/12/26
Walking with Jesus
One of the ways in which God chooses to reveal Himself to us is through pictures; through things we understand. The Old Testament is full of stories and pictures that illustrate the relationship of God to people. How God deals with and responds to both good people and bad people.
When God wants us to understand our relationship to Him and how He is with us, He uses the illustrations of relationships. He is a ‘Father’ to us; He is a ‘Husband’ to us; He is a ‘Brother’ to us; He is a ‘Friend’ to us.
We intuitively get relationships; we know love even before we can walk or talk or speak. The child responds to love and gets relationships even before he can reason between good and bad. A child clings to his mother, trusts his father and intuitively knows them.
We do not need a theological degree in Biblical studies to have a deep relationship with God. Though God will use and bless the study of His word; it is the relationship that must be central between them for God to reveal who He is truly is to their heart. It is with the heart one believes. (Romans 10:10).
So, I find if I want to understand God in my life, these three areas of relationship help me to see God, through Christ, revealed to my heart.
The Fatherhood of God is a majestic picture of His care, provision, protection and discipline for us (Hebrews 12:5-11).
Christ as the husband to His bride the church, is a beautiful picture of the intimacy of knowing Christ. His revealing of Himself to us, as lover of our souls, the strong arms of comfort of the beloved. We are naked and open before Him and not ashamed. His love covers us and our shame; and we in turn are not ashamed to be intimately associated with Him and His gospel and His people. (Phil. 3:10, Eph.5:23-32, Heb.4:14-15, 1John 2:28).
Friendship with Christ is walking with the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:25). In God’s Fatherhood we are always the child and He, of course is always our Father. In the marriage relationship, it is intimate and face to face; imparting His word into us and revealing Himself to us personally and knowing Him in the depths of our heart and passions. But with the Friendship of God, we are walking with Him, conversing, speaking in casual tones. Friendship is the picture of walking side by side. When we are busy together at some task. When we are involved in the daily routine, then God is right there with us as we work; when we are doing daily chores, yard work, talking to our neighbor. Our thoughts are never far from Him and looking to Him with every question and seeking His thoughts on the matters we are engaged in. We are doing Life with Jesus thru the Holy Spirit.
In the Father, we look up to Him; in the Husband role we look at Him face to face; as the Friend we walk side by side. It is in the ordinary and day by day, that we find Him sticking closer than a brother or sister. Bring Him into your work, ask His thoughts on your project you are doing. Ask how He would have you speak to your child that needs instruction and care. Ask Him to overlook that contract you are bidding on. Ask Him about which doctor, lawyer, professional to seek help from. He desires to be your close friend after all, and since He is right there might as well ask Him.
I am no longer surprised by how many times an answer comes to a particular problem that has been perplexing me after I have asked God for help. When the answer comes, I lift my eyes and say, “thank you”. I am not surprised anymore about His frequency of response; I have actually come to expect His help. And if the answer does not come right away or is delayed, I am still sure He is at work on it. In the same way He is at work always on our behalf; He is a good Friend.
Though I have separated the roles and titles of God into these three relational categories, they really are intermingled. The roles and relational aspects of God to us blend together as we have need. The husband and wife can be friends and lovers and instructional to each other almost simultaneously. Even so, God uses these examples of relationships for us to have some understanding of who He is to us. Though these pictures represent truth, we are limited by our abilities to comprehend God; for we know He transcends all these pictures and is greater than our hearts or minds can imagine. He, in a sense, squeezes Himself into images and concepts, that we, His beloved children, can begin to grasp and get the first glimpses of our Wonderful, Beautiful, Majestic God.
Having said all this, it is still in the face of Christ that we see God (2 Cor. 4:6) and to know Christ is to know the Father (John 14:7-9); and the Holy Spirit delights to reveal Christ to our hearts (John 16:13-14). In simplicity we just walk with Jesus.
Have a blessed week walking with Jesus,
Living His Life,
Bruce
When God wants us to understand our relationship to Him and how He is with us, He uses the illustrations of relationships. He is a ‘Father’ to us; He is a ‘Husband’ to us; He is a ‘Brother’ to us; He is a ‘Friend’ to us.
We intuitively get relationships; we know love even before we can walk or talk or speak. The child responds to love and gets relationships even before he can reason between good and bad. A child clings to his mother, trusts his father and intuitively knows them.
We do not need a theological degree in Biblical studies to have a deep relationship with God. Though God will use and bless the study of His word; it is the relationship that must be central between them for God to reveal who He is truly is to their heart. It is with the heart one believes. (Romans 10:10).
So, I find if I want to understand God in my life, these three areas of relationship help me to see God, through Christ, revealed to my heart.
The Fatherhood of God is a majestic picture of His care, provision, protection and discipline for us (Hebrews 12:5-11).
Christ as the husband to His bride the church, is a beautiful picture of the intimacy of knowing Christ. His revealing of Himself to us, as lover of our souls, the strong arms of comfort of the beloved. We are naked and open before Him and not ashamed. His love covers us and our shame; and we in turn are not ashamed to be intimately associated with Him and His gospel and His people. (Phil. 3:10, Eph.5:23-32, Heb.4:14-15, 1John 2:28).
Friendship with Christ is walking with the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:25). In God’s Fatherhood we are always the child and He, of course is always our Father. In the marriage relationship, it is intimate and face to face; imparting His word into us and revealing Himself to us personally and knowing Him in the depths of our heart and passions. But with the Friendship of God, we are walking with Him, conversing, speaking in casual tones. Friendship is the picture of walking side by side. When we are busy together at some task. When we are involved in the daily routine, then God is right there with us as we work; when we are doing daily chores, yard work, talking to our neighbor. Our thoughts are never far from Him and looking to Him with every question and seeking His thoughts on the matters we are engaged in. We are doing Life with Jesus thru the Holy Spirit.
In the Father, we look up to Him; in the Husband role we look at Him face to face; as the Friend we walk side by side. It is in the ordinary and day by day, that we find Him sticking closer than a brother or sister. Bring Him into your work, ask His thoughts on your project you are doing. Ask how He would have you speak to your child that needs instruction and care. Ask Him to overlook that contract you are bidding on. Ask Him about which doctor, lawyer, professional to seek help from. He desires to be your close friend after all, and since He is right there might as well ask Him.
I am no longer surprised by how many times an answer comes to a particular problem that has been perplexing me after I have asked God for help. When the answer comes, I lift my eyes and say, “thank you”. I am not surprised anymore about His frequency of response; I have actually come to expect His help. And if the answer does not come right away or is delayed, I am still sure He is at work on it. In the same way He is at work always on our behalf; He is a good Friend.
Though I have separated the roles and titles of God into these three relational categories, they really are intermingled. The roles and relational aspects of God to us blend together as we have need. The husband and wife can be friends and lovers and instructional to each other almost simultaneously. Even so, God uses these examples of relationships for us to have some understanding of who He is to us. Though these pictures represent truth, we are limited by our abilities to comprehend God; for we know He transcends all these pictures and is greater than our hearts or minds can imagine. He, in a sense, squeezes Himself into images and concepts, that we, His beloved children, can begin to grasp and get the first glimpses of our Wonderful, Beautiful, Majestic God.
Having said all this, it is still in the face of Christ that we see God (2 Cor. 4:6) and to know Christ is to know the Father (John 14:7-9); and the Holy Spirit delights to reveal Christ to our hearts (John 16:13-14). In simplicity we just walk with Jesus.
Have a blessed week walking with Jesus,
Living His Life,
Bruce
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