May 7, 2007

John Belt:

"PURSUE GOD IN THE SECRET PLACE OF INTIMACY--DISCOVER YOUR TRUE IDENTITY AND DESTINY"

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.

God wants us to be clear about our destiny and calling. There needs to be something within us that will not settle for less than what He has called us to. God planted the seeds of destiny in our hearts before we were born (Proverbs 4:23). How we grow and understand our destiny is in the place of intimacy and communion with God. This is where we will see destinies come alive to grow up and out of our lives. This is where we will discover our destiny determined before the foundation of the world.

Laying Hold From Birth

Genesis 25:26
Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob.

Jacob was one who grasped at destiny from birth. From his mother's womb he was aggressive for the blessing of God on his life, grabbing for the heel of Esau. He did not have to be taught this. It was in him from birth to be this way. This desire for the blessing and inheritance of the Lord continued in his life to the point where He persuaded Esau to sell his birthright for nothing more than a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:33). In this we see the difference in people. Esau was one who could be bought for a price. Jacob was one who would sell all for the inheritance of the Lord. Jacob knew what was valuable in God's sight and would do anything to get it. Jacob was a seeker of God (Psalm 24:6). He pleased God with his persistence and attitude, receiving the blessing that was meant for another. Esau acquiesced his authority and inheritance for a little more than nothing. Because he so belittled the blessing of God, he lost it all!

God's Blessing For You

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Jacob was determined to have the inheritance and blessing of God. He had faith. He made the Hall of Faith in the Book of Hebrews. He knew it was for him. Do you know that the blessing of God is for you? Or do you think it is for someone else? Yes, it is for all. But do you realize that God is asking you if you believe it is for you?

Everyone who has been rubbed with the mud of religiosity and condemnation, where intimacy with God has grown cold, has a hard time receiving anything from God or believing that God would do anything good for them. They believe they are last on the Father's list. But the reality is that the Father wants to place His robe upon us, His signet ring of authority and have a banquet of celebration for our lives. See the story of the prodigal son:

Luke 15:22-24
But the father said to his servants, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And they began to be merry.

The Father's inheritance is for all the sons of God. The older son represents one bound by the spirit of religion. He represents one who boasts in works and achievements but never finds true joy because of lack of intimacy with the Father. The older son was jealous and upset, not realizing the inheritance was always for him as well.

Luke 15:25-16:1
Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, "Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf." But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, "Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him." And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found."

We need to know that the blessings of God are for us individually as His sons and daughters. Jacob was taught humility through process and through encounter with God (Genesis 32:24). Faith brought Jacob to the place of humility. Because of Jacob's insatiable desire for God, he opened the door for many others to come to know Him. Because he followed God and coveted the treasures of heaven, he triggered events in such a way that an entire nation of people was born.

Staying in His Presence

We all have dreams and God-given desires. It is His desire to see these fulfilled. Just like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, there is a process the Lord takes us through to see destiny fulfilled (Hebrews 11). But it is worth it all, and many will be blessed in the process. As we position ourselves to receive in His Presence, we then can pour out upon others. Staying before the Lord will transform us and usher us into our calls and destinies.

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

It is in the place of intimacy with Him that we discover who we are and what He is calling us to. It is in this place that we lay our lives down. All of our ideas and agendas must be laid at His feet. In seeking Him and beholding Him, we become like Him. By staying in the secret place with God, we find our true identity and destiny. Don't compare yourself to another. The Lord's call is unique and specifically designed for your life. As you stay in His Presence, you will find clarity of mind and blessings that overflow into the lives of others.

In His Overflowing Love,

John Belt
Live In His Presence Ministries
To contact John, click here

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