Spending Time With God - Part VI

Introduction

Fellowship with God is a tremendous privilege. It's also meant to be an amazing adventure every believer can experience. With inspiration and personal insight, Pastor Danny presents practical steps for developing a vibrant daily devotional life. Discover the privilege and the adventure as you learn the keys to spending time with God.

Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V or Part VII.

The Results of Spending Time With God

Spending time with God will have an obvious effect on our lives. We will begin to notice some positive changes taking place. These changes will not happen overnight, but as we spend time with God, several results will become evident as time passes.

We Will Become More Forgiving

It's impossible to spend time with God and not become more forgiving. Since we have experienced the forgiveness of God in our lives, He enables us to forgive others. In Luke 11:4, Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." We are to forgive as the Lord forgave us. We have been forgiven much, so, in turn, we forgive much.

We Will Become More Forebearing

I have found in my experience that to forgive is one thing, but to forbear is quite another. Often the Lord will deal with us about a matter of forgiveness. He humbles us and forgives us, allowing us to get to the point where we, in turn, can forgive the person He's told us to forgive. But if that person is our spouse, or someone we see on a regular basis, it's not as easy. We can't simply forgive and then walk away. We have to live with one another, and the thing that we forgave this person for may happen again—and again. Then we find ourselves having to forgive over and over again. We might feel like Peter in Matthew 18:21-22:

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (NIV)

Jesus wasn't giving us a mathematical equation. He meant that we are to forgive indefinitely, repeatedly, and as often as necessary—the way He has forgiven us. And God's continual forgiveness and tolerance of our own failures and shortcomings creates within us a tolerance for the imperfections of others. By the Lord's example we learn, as Ephesians 4:2 describes, to be "completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

We Will Experience Freedom

I remember when I first accepted Jesus into my life. It was so good to know I had been forgiven of the burden and guilt of all my sins. I felt so incredibly free! Nothing compares to the freedom that comes from forgiveness. When we choose not to forgive, we become enslaved to our bitterness, and we are the ones most hurt by that unforgiveness. But when we forgive, Jesus sets us free from all the hurt, anger, resentment, and bitterness that once held us captive. Lewis B. Smedes wrote in his book, Forgive and Forget, "When you release the wrongdoer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumor out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself."

We Will Experience Unspeakable Joy

Jesus said on several occasions, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39 and 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24 and 17:33; John 12:25). One thing about Jesus that we sometimes fail to realize is that He was the most joyful person that ever walked this planet. The writer of Hebrews gives us insight into this truth as he refers to a prophecy about Jesus found in Psalm 45:7:

"You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."
(Hebrews 1:9, NIV)

Jesus denied Himself in order to obey His Father's will. As we spend time with God, we will become like Jesus, and as a result, we too will experience His joy.

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