Conozca A Dios Intimamente/knowing God Intimately - Softcover

Meyer, Joyce

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0884199924 ISBN 13: 9780884199922

Publisher: Casa Creacion, 2004

Synopsis

En Conozca a Dios íntimamente, Joyce Meyer presenta los cuatro niveles de intimidad que debe tener cada creyente y los dones que Dios le ha dado a cada uno.Este libro contesta las siguientes preguntas:•¿Qué niveles de intimidad con Dios hay y cuáles son?•¿Cuán lejos se quiere llegar en conocer a Dios? Puntos claves:•Reconocida autora de más de 54 libros, muchos de los cuales han sido éxitos de ventas.•Joyce Meyer da una imagen precisa de los cuatro niveles de intimidad que debe tener cada creyente y los dones dados por Dios en cada uno.•Da las claves para poder encontrar una relación única y maravillosa con Dios. ¿Quiénes comprarán este libro?•Hombres•Mujeres•Líderes ministeriales•Maestros de escuela bíblica•Pastores

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Conozca A Dios Intimamente

Tan Cerca de el Como Usted Quiera Estar / Knowing God IntimatelyBy Joyce Meyer

Casa Creacion

Copyright © 2003 Joyce Meyer
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780884199922

Chapter One

Something Seems to Be Missing

I remember the emptiness I felt in 1976 when, as a young Christian,I realized that doing the right things brought temporary happinessbut not deep, satisfying joy. In those early days of my friendshipwith God, I could only see Him from a distance, much like thechildren of Israel who remained at the foot of Mount Sinai mighthave seen Him when He talked face to face with Moses on the top ofthe mountain. They could hear His voice, but to them He looked likea consuming fire.

Without a doubt, I saw God as big and powerful, and I wanted toremain safely within the borders of His provision, so I lived by thelaw of the church. I showed up for every meeting and signed up formultiple opportunities to serve Him, but my life was still full ofirritations and aggravations that robbed me of true contentment.

Many people frustrate their search for fulfillment, as I did,because they don't know where to look for that one thing that willsatisfy their desire for something more. Like most people, thechildren of Israel thought of satisfaction as the sense ofenjoyment, security, and well-being that comes from having theirphysical needs met; but it is more than that. I was a Christian forseveral years before I understood that true inner satisfaction isthe most important thing in life and that it is the result ofenjoying life through the abiding presence of God.

One day I read these words of the psalmist David, who summarizedlife's one requirement, the one he felt was more important thananything else: "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will Iseek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell inthe house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, tobehold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and thedelightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, andinquire in His temple" (Psalm 27:4).

David had enjoyed many opportunities to find self-worth and innersatisfaction. Empowered by the presence of God, he had killed a lionand a bear with his bare hands, and then an imposing giant althougharmed only with a slingshot and five small stones. God chose thisanointed songwriter to become king of Israel even though he was theyoungest brother of a family of men who were all more prominent thanhe was. His eventual fame and wealth offered all that most peoplemight think would bring inner satisfaction.

David's pursuit of more of God, even after experiencing God'spresence through many extraordinary events in his life, gave meconfidence that there was much more to know about God than what Ialready knew. After all, even David felt the need to know God moreintimately. I believe we need to continually desire intimatefellowship with God if we want to experience lasting inner joy.

I emphasize the word seek when meditating on Psalm 27:4 ("One thinghave I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and[insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [inHis presence] all the days of my life") because that word appearsmany times in the Bible, but some people may not fully understandwhat it means. To seek is to desire and require, which is to crave,pursue, and go after something with all of your might.

Many people want guidance from God, but they don't crave and pursueHim or lay aside other things in order to go after a word from Him.But David narrowed down all the things that he wanted in his life tothis one thing-more of God all the days of his life. David's wordsin Psalm 27:4 have become my favorite life Scripture. I often signit after my name when autographing books because I believe that theonly thing that truly satisfies the longing within us is to know Godmore intimately today than we did yesterday.

More than likely, you can reflect on a moment with God that was moresatisfying than any other event in your life. But if that moment wasyears ago, or even yesterday, then you are missing out on the richpleasure that comes from fellowshipping daily with the Father,through His Holy Spirit. The Lord says, "I love those who love me,and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me" (Proverbs8:17), and, "You will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as avital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all yourheart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

No matter what we own, where we go, or what we do, nothing can giveus true gratification but the presence of God. Money, trips,vacations, houses and furniture, clothes, open doors of opportunity,marriage, children, and many other blessings are all things that cancertainly excite us and give us a degree of happiness for a periodof time. But happiness is based on what is happening at the moment,while joy is based on an internal assurance independent of outwardcircumstances.

The Greek word translated joy in the New Testament means "calmdelight." It's not necessarily hilarity, although it can includethat, but to be calm and delighted is wonderful. I don't thinkthere's anything better than just to be satisfied. To wake up in themorning and think, Life is good, praise God, I'm satisfied, and thento go to bed at night still satisfied, that is truly living anabundant Spirit-filled life.

We will never be permanently, consistently satisfied if we seekthings to do or own in order to quench that void inside of usinstead of seeking the inner satisfaction that comes only from timespent with God. I am pressing this point because I believe there aretoo many unhappy born-again and so-called Spirit-filled believerswho are without knowledge of what to do about their dry, unfulfilledlives. I say "so-called" because to be filled is to remain full ofthe Spirit of God by acknowledging Him and pursuing His ways on adaily basis.

God's Word says, "But ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy]Spirit"(Ephesians 5:18). Ever means always, anytime, daily. Ourstomachs never stay filled if we don't keep eating and drinking. Onegood book, one classroom study, or one good conversation withsomeone can never satisfy our thought life, and one-time encounterswith God are never going to keep us contented spiritually.

We spend time and money, we make careful plans and elaborateprovisions to feed ourselves each day. Sometimes we even know todaywhere and what we're going to be eating tomorrow! Just as ourphysical body must be fed, our spirit man must also be fed. Butsomehow we seem to think we can have a great relationship with Godwithout feeding ourselves with His Word and filling ourselves withHis presence.

Jesus said, "Man does not live and be upheld and sustained by breadalone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew4:4, paraphrase). Then in John 6:33 He said, "For the Bread of Godis He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world." Yetwe starve ourselves of life's most important requirement-this DailyBread from God.

We were created to enjoy a living, vital relationship with God.There's something supernaturally wonderful about reading the Word ofGod and hearing Him speak His promises to us. His Word to us hasinherent power in it; His words are spirit, and they are life (seeJohn 6:63). If we don't seek God and spend time feeding our spiritwith His truth, we will never be content. I don't think there'sanything worse than being in a low-level state of spiritualdissatisfaction all the time.

YOU ARE AS CLOSE TO GOD AS YOU WANT TO BE

It's obvious that some people are closer to God than others. Somepeople have a reverent familiarity with God that seems foreign toother Christians. These "close friends" of God share stories oftalking to Him as if they know Him personally. Their faces shinewith enthusiasm as they testify, "And God told me ..." whileskeptical onlookers grumble to themselves, "Well, God never talks tome like that!"

Why is that? Does God have favorites? Is God a respecter of persons?No, Scripture teaches that we, not God, determine our own level ofintimacy with Him. We have all been extended the open invitation to"fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne ofgrace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that wemay receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in goodtime for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, comingjust when we need it]" (Hebrews 4:16). At this moment, each one ofus is as close to God's throne of grace as we choose to be.

Looking first at God's dealings with the Israelites beginning inExodus chapter 19, we see four levels of intimacy that we can chooseto have with God. Moses went alone to the top of the mountain tospeak with God, but God established borders at three more levels onthe mountain to which others could also ascend in order to draw nearto Him. The borders coincided with their corresponding level ofmaturity and commitment to pursue Him.

The first border was at the foot of the mountain:

And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ?Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.'" (Exodus 19:9-12 NKJV)

Then the Lord invited Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the eldersof Israel to come closer to His mountain habitat and worship at adistance, thus demonstrating a second level of relationship withGod. Joshua was allowed to climb up to the third level before Mosesleft him to approach the Lord alone. Exodus 24:9-17 NIV explains:

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction." Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. He said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them." When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Why would God let some people only into a certain level of Hispresence, but allow others to come closer, and some, like Moses, tosee Him face to face? In Exodus 32 we see that the level ofcommitment each group demonstrated to God parallels the level ofintimacy each group experienced on God's mountain. We decide whatdepth of His presence we will enter by our level of obedience to Hisinstruction in our lives.

To everyone at the first border, God was saying, "I'm coming tovisit you, but you can only come this far into My presence." Andthey were comfortable remaining at the foot of the mountain wherethey could hear God's voice as He talked to Moses. They didn't movebeyond that boundary because to them God looked like a consumingfire. Remember, this was the same group of people who later pooledtheir gold jewelry to make a golden calf to worship because theygrew tired of waiting for Moses to come back from his visit withGod. Think of it-they worshiped the earrings God had given them whenthey left Egypt (see Exodus 32:1-6)!

Aaron was among the priests and elders who ascended to the secondlevel and were privileged to see the beauty of God's feet (seeExodus 24:9,10), yet he later helped the children of Israel preparean altar for their unholy sacrifices. And his sons, Nadab and Abihu,who shared this encounter with God, eventually lost their lives formaking an unauthorized sacrifice to Him (see Numbers 3:1).

Joshua, an aide to Moses, was allowed to ascend into the third levelof intimacy with God where he watched Moses enter the cloud of God'spresence. We see Joshua's humility and dedication to serve the Lordas we watch him faithfully assist Moses whenever he was needed. WhenJoshua wasn't running an errand for Moses, he could be found praying(see Exodus 33:10-11). He was one of the twelve spies sent into thepromised land, and one of two who came back with a good report offaith in God's ability to give them the land (see Numbers 13). Godchose Joshua to replace Moses when it came time to take the peopleinto the land God had promised them.

RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES COMMITMENT

But only Moses went to the top of the mountain and into the intimatepresence of God. It is clear from Scripture that Moses had takengreat personal sacrifices and risks to obey God. He had turned downopportunities for personal promotion in order to see God's peopleblessed. When he found out that he was not an Egyptian but anIsraelite, he refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter(see Hebrews 11:24-29). What a momentous decision that was for him!Since he had grown up in the house of Pharaoh, he was rich withevery earthly treasure that anybody could possibly have. TheIsraelites, on the other hand, were poor slaves who enjoyed none ofthe luxuries that he was used to.

Hebrews 11:25 says of Moses: "He preferred to share the oppression[suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of Godrather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life." Nowthat's a powerful Scripture! Moses could have kept on having fun inthe flesh, but he chose to seek something more. Not everyone wouldhave paid that price.

Moses passed the test of ambition and selfishness. He wantedintimacy with God more than anything else. Moses spent time with Godfor forty days and forty nights and received the Ten Commandments.God spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend(see Exodus 33:11). The manifest glory of God shone on Moses' facein such intensity that he had to wear a veil because the brightnessof his countenance blinded the people (see Exodus 34:30-35).

These same four levels of intimacy are demonstrated in those whoknew Jesus. We know that Jesus appointed at least seventy people totravel ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself wasgoing (see Luke 10:1).



Continues...

Excerpted from Conozca A Dios Intimamenteby Joyce Meyer Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Casa Creacion
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN 10: 0884199924
• ISBN 13: 9780884199922
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256