Let me tell you how I got this picture. Our team, along with a couple of Tanzanian pastors were heading for another conference, when we had to pass along the southern border of Mikumi Game Reserve. Charlie had instructed the driver to stop if we saw anything interesting. That was when we spied the elephants alongside of the road.
Romans 5:2 “Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.”
What is the meaning of life?
“I believe the Westminister Confession contains the best answer to this age-old issue. Contemplating the reason for man’s existence, 17th century theologians concluded that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” But John Piper changed one word, that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.” Quoted from the book, Enjoying God by S.J. Hill with Margaret Feinberg
Our main purpose is-I love this quote because it gets right to the heart of the issue which is that we need to be about the business of glorifying God in everything we do, everything we say, and especially in everything we think. And the reason we should do this is the whole reason mankind was created in the first place. Let’s step back into the pages of time to the first chapter of Genesis 1:26, “God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.” After that the Lord made woman from the rib of man, Genesis 2:22-23 “And the rib or part of his side which the Lord God had taken from the man He built up and made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.”
I don’t have any idea why, but God longs to fellowship with each of us individually. He has called each of us to be part of His eternal family. He showers down continual, abundant blessings, both physically, and spiritually on us now and what He has in store for us in glory is beyond comprehension. In the beginning, God made the loveliest garden of all times and placed the man and woman into it. And in the cool of the day, God walked in His garden and communed with Adam.
I can remember as a little girl, after reading this passage, of longing to fellowship with my Lord Jesus in the cool of the day in a secret garden. I wasn’t aware of the fact that because of the great sacrifice the Jesus made at Calvary, that we have a much better relationship with our Lord than Adam and Eve had. We have the Holy Spirit Himself living within us, not only fellowshipping continually with us but changing us, and conforming us into the Image of God. Ephesians 2:5 “Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).”
Let’s take a moment and re-examine our relationship, our fellowship with Jesus. What are some ways we can improve? The secret to success is not found in some formula, like more Bible reading, and memory work. The key to a deeper relationship with the Lord is by totally surrendering ourselves, everything we are, everything we have, every hour of every day in an intimate relationship with to our Lord Jesus. In the Apostle Paul’s words, Philippians 3:8 “Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),” and Philippians 3:10 “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death.”
When I read these verses, I want to experience more of the Lord Jesus than I am experiencing now. Let’s each make this our daily prayer - “More of You, Lord Jesus! More of You!