Connecting With God
There are several factors that establish a connection. One of them is a good communication. In order to be connected to someone, there has to be a constant communication. But before a communication can take place between two people, they must speak each other language; in other words, they need to understand what they are saying to each other.
Jonah was disconnected with God and eventually found himself in the belly of a fish. When The Lord communicated to Jonah to go to Nineveh, he had his own ideas and reason to go to a different direction. From the start, Jonah’s idea wasn’t a bad idea to himself obviously. But the consequence later revealed to him that, he is safe when he is connected with the Lord; he is an obedient servant when he is connected to The Lord, and he finds peace when he is connected to The Lord. And to be connected to God is to have a good communication with God. God had told you and will tell you what to do with HIS Word and you will say back to HIM that you understood it and you shall do it. HE speaks to us through HIS Word and we speak back to HIM through prayers. That’s a communication that establishes a strong connection with God.
Noah had the choice, to be honest with God and say, “Lord, I’m struggling with this task you’ve assigned me. Could you help me? Deep in my heart, I feel like these people deserve your punishment, not your mercy or grace.” The Lord would have perhaps helped Jonah to deal with this issue. Instead, he mapped a plan according to his own will and he was disconnected. We read more about his in Jonah 2:1-9.
In verse 8 though, Jonah said something very peculiar and yet important to this law of connection. He said, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (Jonah 2:8, NIV). Clinging to idols always disconnect one from the Lord. And what happens when we are disconnected temporally from God? Nothing good. Idols, sin, focus on self instead of on God, rejecting God’s will, all these are disconnecting factors that each of us needs to avoid in our daily life.
Are you connecting with God? Is the communication between you and God very good? Jesus had reconciled us to God so that we might have life and peace with God.
Jesus said that HE is the tree and we are the branches. There is nothing we can do without HIM. This is a clear definition of connection as well. A branch must be connected to the tree in order to bear fruit. How is your connection with Christ today?
May the Lord encourage you to get rid of any disconnecting factor that is hindering you from enjoying the peace and the grace of God that could be yours.
Roland Eklou, President and CEO of WALYM