What's your connection?

Have you ever listened to the group called Shekinah Glory? I hadn’t until recently, I mean as recently as a week and a half ago; they have been around for years (covers face) smh

Now for those of you who know me, you know that when I find something I like, I wear it out! I listen to it non-stop that you would wonder what I used to do before my discovery. Then once I have had a fill of it, which could be weeks or even months, I can finally move on to something else or at least listen to it less often. So a friend loaned me one of Shekinah Glory’s CDs and though I will not include the song title (I feel like that would take away from the randomness of this post since I would have to look it up) I will however share one part of it with you. I learned it very quickly because the words went straight to my heart and are the words that inspired this post:

“like the desert needs the rain

I need you

like the ocean needs the stream

I need you

like the morning needs the sun

I need you,

Lord You are my only one”

I almost retyped it because I was literally singing it out as I documented it. Did you look at the analogies used? Each of those things (the desert & the rain or the morning and the sun for example) has an actual hunger or dependency upon the other to exist as it does. I have an overwhelming excitement thinking about the depth of the relationship. 

Now come with me a step further and imagine having this kind of dependency on and connection with God. Well, Liz isn’t that how it should be? Sure, but is that how it is? Just imagine how much we are missing out on simply because we do not do our part to nurture an insatiable desire for God and the things of God. Now this was not the first time that I had been introduced to this kind of longing. As a child we mastered Nystrom's, 'As the Deer' which was based on the words of David, “As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you, my soul thirsts for God, for the living God..." (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV). To be in relationship with God we must desire to become and to remain entangled; body, mind and Spirit with our Creator and Savior who transcends our understanding and our limitations. 
Stay with me I just have a bit further to go with this :)
                                   

                                        Photo by New Haven Bulletin

This same yearning and knowledge of the profound relationship between the Believer and God ran through the Old Testament into the New, where we see devout Christians, who inspired by God and their understanding of their relationship with Him, believe "that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NIV) What an assurance, such a wonderful communion! By the way, we believe this too right? How awesome it is that the apostles lives reflected, despite their imperfection, an unyielding passion and unwavering faith in God. 

Reflection:
1) Let us consider our relationship with God. Is what we say we have with God reflected in our every day lives?

2) Have we put conditions on our relationship with God? How connected are we to Him? Could we do anything differently to improve the connection?

3) Looking at the picture of our relationship with God versus that of the Believers in Biblical times, is what we see consistent or is ours somewhat diluted in our drive, desire and committment? If so, then why?  

4) We have a responsibility to do our part. What have we been doing?
Can we truly sing, "I need you, Lord You are my only one"? 
 

5) How has your relationship with God changed you? What level is God calling you to that you have been running away from.

To take these questions seriously is to perform a spiritual audit which can only prove profitable if we answer honestly.

Talk soon.
EJ