In Part 1 we discussed how much God loves us. In Part 2 we discovered how much God cares for us. This time let's explore how much He desires us to know Him. God desires a personal relationship with you through Jesus Christ. When you make Jesus Lord of your life you become a child of God. As your Heavenly Father, He wants to have close fellowship with you. As an earthly father I know how special my time is with my son. Whether I see him in person, speak on the phone or communicate electronically through e-mail, texting or Skype, it's always special. We share not only the father-son relationship, but I also want to be his friend. Okay, so I'm a lot older, but we find common ground and focus on those areas when we fellowship. Your Heavenly Father wants a close fellowship with you so much more than an earthly father could desire.

Psalms 46:10 reads, "Be still, and know that I am God...". One of the primary ways we approach the Father God is to stop the busyness and be still before him. I like to think this allows me to refocus my mind on Him and put aside the thoughts and responsibilities of the day long enough to really enjoy fellowship with Him. Here's an example which may help some of you relate. My earthly father is now in Heaven. So many times I wish I could just speak to him on the phone or use some sort of "Heavenly Skype" form of communication so that I could look into his face once again. If for some crazy reason that were to happen, I know my entire focus would be on him in that kind of situation. I would want to know how he's doing and what he's doing up in Heaven. We could have wonderful visits. Now relate something like that to your time in fellowship with the Father God. Okay, so you probably can't "Skype" with Him through your computer (I shouldn't say can't - all things are possible with God), but you can be still and know His presence is real. You might start your fellowship time with your imagination. God gave it to you; so, why not use it. Perhaps you could imagine you are in His presence. What do you think you would do or say to Him? Maybe close your eyes (unless you're driving), be still and think about Him.

The "God Canoe"

God taught me a valuable lesson this year. I enjoy paddling canoes and kayaks. I had researched a small canoe that I thought might work on lakes and calm rivers. A used one became available for sale in Georgia. Joanne and I traveled there to pick it up. On the way down the highway I told her that if I bought this canoe I had instructions from God as to what to do with it. I was to paddle it on the large pond behind our home first. God was leading me through something I enjoyed. The first time on the pond I paddled a few laps and then was led to lie down on my back in the little boat. I wondered what my neighbors might think if they saw me, but I obeyed anyway. I awaited some marvelous revelation from God, but received none. I thought He might speak to my heart in some profound way, but it did not happen. I stared up into the blue sky with puffy white clouds...and after a while, I realized what was happening. God was getting me still. His love and presence became so real to me. I was experiencing beautiful fellowship with Him. Now you don't have to travel on a long trip to buy a boat in order to fellowship with God, but be sensitive to His leading on how He wants you to be still. One day a friend of ours called it the "God Canoe" because I have used it exclusively to draw near to God. Yes, maybe a specific place might help set the atmosphere for you to get to know God better. He desires you to know Him. Why not make some special time this week in a special place to meet with Him? He's waiting.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. 

Bert Midyette

In Part 1 we discussed how much God loves us. This time let's explore how much He cares for us. God cares for us so much that He doesn't want us to have a care.

1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you."

Here we have what I like to call a spiritual equation. Even though I'll move one phrase of this verse, follow along. We could say that:

Humble yourself + Cast all your care + He cares for you = He will exalt you in due time

Humble Yourself Under the Mighty Hand of God

The Amplified Bible reads, "humble [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation]". You humble yourself by casting all your care on God. When you take the care and try to work through it yourself, you're actually showing pride rather than humility. You're saying, "I can do it better than God or without God." But when you give Him that care, you're showing humility. You're humbling yourself. Your pride doesn't want someone else to care for you.

By Casting All Your Care Upon Him

The original language implies that we should commit or throw our whole life with its care ONCE AND FOR ALL over on God. This doesn't mean to cast EACH care...but at one point in time cast your WHOLE LIFE WITH ALL ITS CARE over on Him. The word "care" implies worries, concerns or anxieties. Pride is at the root of most anxiety. WE'VE got to work it out. Vincent Word Studies states that we are not to cast "...every anxiety as it arises, for none will arise if this transference has been effectually made." Wow! What a statement of faith. This is an act of your will - an action of your faith.

Psalms 55:22 from the Amplified reads, "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)."

I love the part that reads, "releasing the weight of it". We know when we've effectually released all our care on Him. The weight of the burden is gone!!!

Psalms 37:5 states, "Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass." Rotherham translates that verse, "Roll on Yahweh thy way." We're committing our way and our care to the God of the universe Who can take care of us!!

For He Cares for You

This word "care" has a different meaning. He cares(has a personal interest in you) so much for you that He wants you to give Him your care(worry, anxiety, concern). GOD WANTS YOU TO BE CAREFREE - NOT CAREFUL!!! Phillips renders this part of verse 7 as, "You are His personal concern." Moffett says, "His great interest is you." There are so many ways God shows His care for us, but what a great secret of Christianity that we've missed. His concern for you is so much that He never wants you to worry or have anxiety. Anxiety can be defined as stresses of the mind. God wants your mind to be at peace.

That He May Exalt You in Due Time

Now we move back to the second part of verse 6. Knox translation says, "He will raise you up when the time to deliver you has come." Listen, FAITH IS. It is present tense. Today is the day of salvation. God will raise you up above the cares that try to rise up, but they cannot succeed because you committed your whole life and all its cares once and for all on Him. The transference has been effectually made!! Let Him take care of you. He will take care of your cares!

The devil wants you to take the cares back. Say, "No way!" I've tried to infuse this into my thinking so much that when I hear the phrase, "Take care", I say in my mind, "No thank you." I don't want to take the care of worry, anxiety, or concerns. Okay, maybe this is a bit radical, because I know people don't really mean it the way the Bible reads. It's just a phrase we say attempting to show affection or friendliness. We want them to take care of themselves. Even then I think, "But I want God to take care of me." Whatever the case, we must learn not to take the cares of this world which choke God's Word. We want to be fruitful as Believers and the best way to do that is to be free of the world's cares and allowing the zoe life of God to flow through us.

As an act of faith, I invite you to pray this prayer of casting your whole life, with its care, over on God:

"Father God, I come to You today and commit my whole life and all its care, worry, concerns and anxiety over on You. I can't handle this, but You can. I give myself and all care to You and leave them in Your hands. With Your help and acting on Your Word, I will resist the devil and not take those cares back. I will live carefree. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Bert Midyette