Becoming Strong in the Lord: Part 6 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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All this week, John North is focusing on becoming strong in the Lord, and shares from the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22

Transcript

Good morning. I’m John North here to help you start your day right.

Let’s turn to God’s Word together and spend some time with God.

Building our relationship with him, don’t forget, the biggest thing about your Christian life is that you are in a personal relationship with God, and you want to build that relationship to be the best, healthiest, most enjoyable, meaningful, purposeful relationship in your life.

Yes, God can become your closest friend and the most important person there is in your life. That’s what He wants to be, and He is working in your life to make that so.

And so let’s work as well on building our relationship with God, just as he is working, and let’s see what he has to say. We’re going to continue our theme that we started last week on becoming strong in the Lord.

One of the great stories of the Old Testament is the story of Elijah when he was hiding out. He’d been running away from Queen Jezebel, and he’s waiting to hear from God, and this is what it says.

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Then Elijah came there to a cave and lodged there. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him. And he said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

And so God said, Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord was passing by, and a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord.

You can imagine the noise of that.

But the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing, and it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave and behold a voice came to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?

And so Elijah begins a conversation with God.

Becoming strong in the Lord. In order for that to happen, you have to be still and listen.

Elijah was there. He needed to encounter God. Do you find yourself in that same place feeling pressure or stress or fear about the future? And feeling like you need to hear from God.

Well, God may not be in the great huge momentous stupendous things. Sometimes He comes to us like that, but very often God is just waiting for you to wait for Him, for you to listen.

Have you learned to listen, not just to listen to worship music or to listen to Bible teaching, but to just be quiet.

Just quiet.

With your Bible open in front of you, reading and listening to God.

God wants to speak into your life. Learn to look for him in every circumstance and to listen for his voice speaking to you through His word in your life. Then you’re on your way to being strong in the Lord.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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