"Can
two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3
There was a time when I loved the world more than God. I wanted the desires of my own heart and my own will. I loved the world. The things of the world and worldly things were my desire and refuge.
There was a time when I loved the world more than God. I wanted the desires of my own heart and my own will. I loved the world. The things of the world and worldly things were my desire and refuge.
The
Lord saw the world under his curse, and I loved its favour and its
blessing--seeking to enjoy that which God
had denounced. The Lord saw that the
world was full of evil, whilst I saw it full of good. Therefore we could not
agree.
In
order to be agreed with God, we must have God's thoughts in our heart, God's
ways in our soul, and God's love in our affections.
"For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
Lord." Isaiah 55:8
We must
strive for them to become one. When
God's thoughts become our thoughts and God's ways our ways, when we have the
mind of Christ and see with the eyes of God, then God and we become agreed, and
being agreed, we can walk together.
What
is it to walk together? It is to enjoy
union, communion, fellowship, and friendship. A few weeks ago I was on a roadtrip with
Jesus. I was listening to some old CD’s
– non christian. As I was listening the
songs meanings changed in my mind as they were being sung. In some songs I was singing to Jesus, in
other songs he was singing to me and in others we sang together. The Eagles song “Take it Easy” , lyrics “just
find a place to lie your head and take it easy”
Jesus was saying just go where your feet take you and trust in me. You have no need to worry, I’m right here
with you. Song after song this went on…
for hours! I was so excited I was
dancing in my seat. Jesus was with me!
As
we are brought to agree with God, we walk with God. Do we need to walk with God?
“Let
us then approach God’s throne of grace with Confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
As
the eyes are enlightened to see the truth of God; as the heart is touched to
feel the power of God; and as affections are drawn forth to love the things
of God, we meet at the mercy-seat.
It
is sprinkled with blood; it contains and hides from view the broken tables of
the law. There God meets man in gracious friendship, and enables us to pour out
our soul before him and to tell him our troubles, trials, and temptations. Every
now and then he sweetly relieves us by dropping in a gracious promise, applying
some portion of his sacred truth, encouraging us to believe, and still to hope
in his mercy.
"And he led them forth
by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation." Psalm 107:7
"He led them forth." Forth out of the world--forth out of sin--forth out of a profession--forth out of a name to live--forth out of everything hateful to his holy and pure eyes. "To go to a city of habitation." They had no city to dwell in here below; but they were journeying to a city of habitation above, whose walls are salvation, and whose gates are praise; where there are eternal realities to be enjoyed by the soul; where there is something stable and eternal; something to satisfy all the wants of a capacious and immortal spirit, and give it that rest which it never could find while wandering here below. If we have a city here, we want no city above; and if we have a city above, we want no city here.
This then must be our state and case; either to be pilgrims, journeying onwards, through troubles, to things above, or taking up our abode below; seeking heaven here, or heaven hereafter; resting upon the world, or resting upon the Lord; panting after the things of time, or panting after the things of eternity; satisfied in self, or satisfied only in Christ. One of the two must be our state and case. The Lord reveals it clearly in the hearts of his people that they are on his side; and give us to know and feel that our very restlessness and inability to find food and shelter in the things of time and sense, are leading us more earnestly and believingly to seek after the things that have reality in them; that finding no city to dwell in here below, we may press forward to being citizens of that city which is above, "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God!"
"He led them forth." Forth out of the world--forth out of sin--forth out of a profession--forth out of a name to live--forth out of everything hateful to his holy and pure eyes. "To go to a city of habitation." They had no city to dwell in here below; but they were journeying to a city of habitation above, whose walls are salvation, and whose gates are praise; where there are eternal realities to be enjoyed by the soul; where there is something stable and eternal; something to satisfy all the wants of a capacious and immortal spirit, and give it that rest which it never could find while wandering here below. If we have a city here, we want no city above; and if we have a city above, we want no city here.
This then must be our state and case; either to be pilgrims, journeying onwards, through troubles, to things above, or taking up our abode below; seeking heaven here, or heaven hereafter; resting upon the world, or resting upon the Lord; panting after the things of time, or panting after the things of eternity; satisfied in self, or satisfied only in Christ. One of the two must be our state and case. The Lord reveals it clearly in the hearts of his people that they are on his side; and give us to know and feel that our very restlessness and inability to find food and shelter in the things of time and sense, are leading us more earnestly and believingly to seek after the things that have reality in them; that finding no city to dwell in here below, we may press forward to being citizens of that city which is above, "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God!"
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