As we begin this New Year, like getting your wheels aligned after a year of swerves, bumps, and potholes, we’d like to reflect on whether our lives are aligned with God’s will. This fourth devotion reminds us of our privileged intimacy with God:

IN WORD – For centuries, God’s people watched the Spirit work. They saw the Spirit lead through the wilderness, inspire the prophets, fill the Temple, and empower the kings. Still, He was a phenomenon, not a way of life. No, the prescribed way of life was the law of Moses. And though the law was good and complete in itself, it never provided a complete relationship.
That changed after Jesus ascended. The law that was written on stone tablets became the law that was written on hearts. And the Writer was more than an abstract principle; He was God Himself, the Spirit from eternity past, the very Breath of the Almighty. Just as God exhaled into the first Adam, He breathed Himself into those who have faith in the second Adam—Jesus. Flesh once made from dust and destined to return to dust became a holy habitation; God came to live in very human, very earthen vessels. The Temple of stone became a temple of flesh—organic, dynamic flesh.
Jesus is the prototype, of course. He was the very definition of the temple of God on earth. But after His ascension, what temple was left? The one on Mount Zion, with its tattered veil and its spiritually blind guardians? No, not good enough. God had ordained a better dwelling: us.
IN DEED – We had no idea that all past tabernacles and temples were pictures of Jesus and blueprints for the human heart, did we? Both nervous and infatuated, we once wondered if the God of our dreams would pay us any attention, only to find that He now approaches us in an intimate union beyond anything human flesh has ever experienced. It’s the greatest romance the world has ever known.
The question for us today is whether we’re even aware of the intimacy. Has the marriage grown comfortable—maybe even distant? If so, go back to the beginning. It’s astounding that God dwells within. “Rekindle the flame, and let Him burn. Breathe on me, Breath of God.” — Edwin Hatch (in “God with Us” by Chris Tiegreen)

Is the Holy Spirit just a phenomenon in your life that pops up when you face difficulties, or a dear Friend who walks with you daily through the thick and thin of life? Is your relationship comfortable? Distant? Or intimately passionate that you desire and sense God’s Presence with you daily?
Are you in need to be reminded of God’s desire to love you and to be known by you? Take time to read Psalms 130 – 136 this week, a psalm a day, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His intimate love for you. Have a blessed week! – from Singapore, Pastor Sam