In Touch Daily Devotion 23 December 2021 | By Dr. Charles Stanley
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Topic: Intimacy With God
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 34:8-14
O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
Read Charles Stanley In Touch Daily Devotional 23 December 2021 Message
It’s far too easy to become busy for God—serving, singing, teaching, preaching, and going to the mission field. None of these things are wrong; in fact, they’re all good. But they’re often a misguided attempt to create intimacy with God.
Why would believers choose artificial closeness with the Lord when He wants to give His children the real thing? One reason is that being known by God requires intense vulnerability and the humility to receive His grace. After all, there is nothing we can do to atone for our sins. Another reason is that all successful relationships—including the one we have with God—require hard work.
At some point, we have to stop doing for the Lord so that we can enjoy being with Him. That’s where intimacy starts. When we read the Bible and fill our mind with godly things, we can know and abide by our Father’s principles. A vibrant prayer life is also essential to intimacy with God. But these things don’t just happen—they require intentional effort.
When we live in intimate communion with God, the temptation to strive for saintliness in our own strength falls away. And then our service, offerings, and worship will genuinely glorify God.
Bible in One Year: 1 Peter 1-5
Key Thought for Today: One can achieve true intimacy in a relationship with God through intentionally spending quality time in the Word and in prayer.
In Touch Daily Devotion 23 December 2021 By Dr. Charles Stanley. He is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God