"Simplicity Again"

Throughout my years of walking with the Lord, and sometimes being chased by Him, I've come to notice things changing with every step. Each time a child is born, they begin their lives in total dependence on the parents. Later on as they continue to grow, they learn how to express love to the parents. Still later, they become more and more independent and less dependent on the parents, but only in certain areas of life. This continues on and on throughout their entire lives, but one thing is hopefully constant, and that is the love and acceptance they have toward AND receive from their parents.
Unfortunately, the child now an adult, has also learned that with growth comes complications. Now they have to deal with bills, employers, employees, taxes, relationships on a much higher level, expectations of others, rejections, acceptance, and on it goes. But one thing is hopefully constant, and that is the love and acceptance they have toward AND receive from their parents.
Then later on, hopefully MUCH later, they have to deal with old age, retirement, weaknesses, loneliness, wrinkles, gray hair, NO HAIR, death of family members, and eventually death themselves. Buthopefullyone thing was constant, and that is the love they have toward AND receive from their parents.
For some reason in the Body of Messiah, we tend to go through all of these things and all of these stages, but seem to easily let go of the simplicity of loving God and being loved by Him. We grow and mature, but let go of the simplicity of living in and walking in the understanding that we are "accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6)." Unfortunately we replace the acceptance of the Lord for the acceptance of people. But our life's blood is in HIS acceptance and love of us and for us.
I am personally desiring to return to the simplicity of trusting Him. He calls it child-like. It's returning to the place where all we needed was to see Him or hear Him, even just to sense Him near, and everything would be fine for us. If we needed something, all we needed do was ask and the level of trust we had in Him at the start set our hearts at ease, for we KNEW He would grant our requests. We knew He would do it not only because He was able, not only because of His power, but because we KNEW He loved us. We felt like His favorite child. We felt His pleasure of just being with us and us with Him. We believed Him simply because it was Him. We believed Him because He is Papa God (Abba Father) and that was enough.
So how about you? Enough of the things we say we must do in order to be close to God. Enough of the parlor tricks and gimmicks in the Kingdom. Enough of the replacement of people for God. And enough of the personal brow beating we put ourselves through as a result of it all.
Jeremiah 31:3, one of my absolute favorite scriptures, says, "...I have loved you with an everlasting love. And I am drawing you with My lovingkindness." Friend, this is foundational to your walk with the Lord. I challenge you to fully embrace this reality: "You are abundantly loved and accepted by God" As a result of this acceptance, you vow to walk in obedience to His word and to His desires. And also you LIVE in the reality that His heart and intentions toward you are ALWAYS for your good no matter what comes your way. Good times, bad times, not so good times, not so bad times, happiness, sadness, peril, safety, defeat, victory, all of these God "works together for your good (Romans 8:28)." But it's in the simplicity of living in and embracing this reality that we REALLY begin to live.
So all I'm saying is this: As much as it depends on you, as best you can on a daily basis, PLEASE strive to continually find that place of simplicity toward God. That's where your victory will come from. That's where your joy will arise from. And you'll start living FROM A POSITION of victory instead of fighting FOR A PLACE of victory.

Hope this encourages ya.

Shalom,

G

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