The Benefits of Relationship

Sometimes it is hard for us to understand that God cares for our every need and desire. This is especially true when we are in the midst of a difficult situation. I may be financial, sickness, divorce, a difficult time with your children, hard time with your boss a tough economy the possibilities are endless. We need to understand that God is our Father and his desire is to give us all that he has, and he has it all! Everything belongs to him. So, we would ask why am I in this negative situation. We do not realize that in order for us to benefit from all he has we have to be in relationship with him. When we are in relationship with someone we have the opportunity to benefit from all that they have. This can mean that if they have a beautiful home with a pool, great connections, job opportunities or money because we have a relationship with them we benefit. Many of us go to church are religious but we have ‘no’ relationship with the God of that church and/or religion, therefore, we do not benefit from all that is his and all that he has which is everything.

God our father wants to speak to us he wants to lead us he wants to bring us to all that he has but he wants us to be in relationship with him. This is clear in the 23rd Psalm. Let’s review it: If you are in relationship with him you can say as David “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want”. Your circumstances may threaten that you will have needs and wants but I can assure you from firsthand experience all of your needs will be met in ways and from places you never imagined. So if you are in a situation which is not pleasant you can rely on the fact that he is leading you “through” this. If you are in relationship with him “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” in spite of your circumstances you have a calm peace because your assurance is in him and not in your circumstances. When you are spent “he restores my soul” when we lose our focus and allow the circumstances to consume us he repairs our emotional health.

God leads our steps all the way to the ultimate destination “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake” every step we take if he is leading is bringing us to the place where God alone will get the glory because you could never have gotten there on your own. There are times when you don’t understand your situation or how you ever got there but you can know this “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Knowing that he is there oftentimes is our only comfort. But when we come through this we know that he will reward us for our suffering “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” He will restore you to over flowing, his anointing will be on you and you will be sitting in an astonishing place where all will watch and marvel.

Because he is such an awesome God and does not tire of lavishing us with his blessings he gives us this bonus “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD” he caps it off with living in his presence his “dwelling” in him forever. The benefit of being in relationship with him trumps any religious experience or awesome church. Relationship with God brings with it so many benefits that to be without is the ultimate impoverishment.