Friendship With God

"Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?"

Genesis 18:17

"This chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God as compared with occasional feelings of His presence in prayer.  To be so much in contact with God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith.  When you are rightly related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God's will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He checks.  You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decision are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at once.

Why did Abraham stop praying when He did?  He was not intimate enough yet to go boldly on until God granted his desire, there was something yet to be desired in  his relationship God.  Whenever we stop short in prayer and say- "Well, I don't know; perhaps it is not God's will," there is still another stage to go.  We are not so intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as He wants us to be- "That they may be one even as we are one."  Think of the last thing your prayed about- were you devoted to your desire or to God?  Determined to get some gift of the Spirit or to get at God?  "Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him."  The point of asking is that you may get to know God better.  "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  Keep praying in order to get a perfect understanding of God Himself."

by Oswald Chamber in "My Utmost for His Highest"

This devotional for today challenged me as I search for God's will for my life.  I realized that I shouldn't be searching for His will but for Him.  Am I more devoted to serving Him or knowing Him?  Which is more important in the long run?  I have so much more to learn about Him and His Word.  I should not be content with just scratching the surface.  Will you dig deeper with me?

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah