In message 11 of the Crystallization-Study of Isaiah, entitled, The Example of Hezekiah’s Person and Failure, we see a person who sought God and did many good things for God – a godly man, but not a God-man. Hezekiah was a good man, but he sought God eventually for his own interest.
O, Lord Jesus…. More particularly, I was impressed with 2 Tim. 3:2-4 and the question: what kind of lover are you?
v. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,v. 3 Without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, not lovers of good,v. 4 Traitors, reckless, blinded with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
In these verses we see at least 4 kinds of lovers:
- A lover of self – someone like Hezekiah loved himself even more than God’s people or his own family! We all do love ourselves, and many times we’re exposed in the Lord’s light of how much we love our self. Instead of being such lovers of self, we need to love God as our person! 1 Cor. 2:9 tells us of “the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” – God has prepared amazing un-imaginable things for those who love Him! Just love the Lord – give yourself to love Him! Be a “Lord Jesus I Love you” person, starting the first thing in the morning!
- A lover of money – What is your wealth? What do you appreciate as riches? We all realize more and more that God Himself is our wealth. In Ephesians 3:8 and in 2 Cor. 6:10 we see that Paul was “poor” but he was “enriching many” – though physically poor, by enjoying Christ and being constituted with Him, we can enrich the others with God! What a career we have! “I am here to make you rich with God!” We enjoy Christ in all His riches, in His all-inclusiveness, and we become rich + we make others rich in and with Christ!
- A lover of pleasure – Man was created with a need for pleasure – when God created man, He put him in the garden of Eden(which means pleasures) – the garden of pleasures. This indicates that God wants to be man’s pleasure. Psalms 36:8 tells us that God will give us to drink from the river of His pleasures – the river of His “Edens”. When we enjoy the Lord by drinking of Him as the living water, eating of Him as the living bread, breathing Him in by calling on His name, we are satisfied! God becomes our satisfaction!
- A lover of God – amen! We want to be a lover of God! Someone that loves God and gives Him the first place, the preeminence, in all things! Lord, increase our love towards You – even replace all other “loves”, all other things that tend to replace You! We love You, Lord!
Remember the parable in Luke 12:15-21? A rich man had more than he needed, so he planned to “take a break” and enjoy himself after he would build some larger barns for his produce… – yet God required his soul of him that very night, and… where did his riches go?
No one’s life is in the abundance of his possessions, and so we should not have our treasures on this earth! Rather, we need to have our treasures in the heavens, and we need to be rich towards God! Our treasure is with God and is actually God Himself, and we want to enjoy Him until we become precious to Him!
Lord, purify our heart – we want to love only You! Make us lovers of God!
[this sharing is based on the notes on this message – such a rich speaking from the Lord based on His Word!]
About aGodMan
Here is the song/hymn version of the parable in Luke 12:15-21 and msg. 11 from the Crystallization-study of Isaiah(1) , on the tune of: Full Salvation, Full Salvation/hymn #321 (by brother David)
1) A rich man had "more than he needed,"
So he planned to “take a break”–
He'd enjoy himself, and later
Build some larger produce barns.
Yet God required his soul of him–
On that very night, and then–
Where did his earthly riches go?
2) No one’s life is in the abundance
Of his earthly possessions,
And so we should not then likewise–
Store our treasures on this earth!
You're our treasure! Not things earthly,
You would now our treasure, be!
Make us ones that would treasure Thee!
3) Rather, have our treasures in the heavens,
We need to be rich towards God!
Our treasure is only with God, and
Actually is just God Himself,
We'd enjoy Him! Precious to Him!
Lord, do purify our heart –
Love just You, be lovers of God!