Review

God has everything that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3-4). If we are cut off from Him, we can't fulfill our destiny. When we do not see God for who He is, this will cut us off from Him. So it is important to know who God is.

Some of us hold wrong views of God, of His nature and His character. Below are six of the most common misunderstandings that people have about what God is really like:

Santa Clause:

God only does good. He would never give me anything I don't want or cause me to walk through anything that might be unpleasant.

Spinach:

God will help me by inflicting pain. Everything He does for me will hurt or will be very difficult to walk through, but He only does it for my own good.

Drill Sergeant:

God is angry and He does not care about me at all. He has His plans and agendas. He may use me to accomplish them, but He is not interested in me personally.

Distant:

God is not there for me and He will not provide for me. I cannot expect Him to be involved in my day to day life because he will only become involved in major decisions.

Perfectionist:

God requires me to be right and acceptable. He is difficult, if not impossible to please; His standards are very high.

Abandoner:

God isn't there for me. He created me, but now He has left me on my own and He does not care what happens to me.

None of these views of God are correct. If we tend to see God this way, it will impar our relationship with Him. We must change our thinking and understanding of Who God is. Here are some correct views of God:

• Father
• Groom
• Friend

We cannot enter into the place of His rest until we begin to understand what He is really like. It is God's heart and desire for us to enter into this rest. This is the place where our souls are satisfied, where we can stop trying to find joy/fulfillment through natural and/or carnal means. This is God's perfect plan for us.

The Deepest Level

Ask yourself, "where am I in the process of fulfilling my destiny? Am I...

1. Coming to understand that I have a destiny?
2. In the process of training and developing to fulfill my destiny?
3. Stalled out (side tracked)?
4. Being used?

It does not matter where we are in the process, we need to go further! We need to go to a deeper level!

Houston, We Have A Problem

When I first moved from Phoenix, Arizona to the panhandle of Florida, I learned that our new location had sulphur water. The water wells had enough sulphur in them to make the water smell like rotten eggs. Although it was safe to drink, it was impossible to get past the smell. It was particularly bad in the shower, because the hot water made it smell even worse. Washing my face and brushing my teeth were almost impossible (though I did it). Since we were in a rural area, the well was our only source.

I recall meeting an older man in bib overalls not long after we arrived in Florida. He was clearly a native. When we told Him about our problem with the well water, he tasted and exclaimed "once you get used to it, nothing else will satisfy you". What a horrible thought. Who would want to "get used to it?"

At first, we tried to make the best of it. We drank coffee, soft drinks, anything but water and things made with water. Even the ice cubes smelled bad. After several years, we finally convinced a water purification service to put filters on our homes. Though we were far out in the country, they finally agreed. This took away most of the smell, but it was still objectionable. I no longer gagged while brushing my teeth. It was a wonderful improvement, but it didn't solve the problem. This blessing from God lasted for ten years or more. We eventually put water treatment equipment on the well, and even better filters on our homes. Again, this improved things, but there was still the underlying hint of rotten eggs. After 15 years, the problems still exists, but now we buy bottled water.

Regardless of where we are in our progress in God, He wants to take us deeper. It may be difficult for us to identify the obstacles to our progress. First, we repent of our wrong views of God. We no longer see Him as "spinach God." Then, we learn to know Him as our father, friend and groom.

Once we have enter into this relationship, we feel fulfilled, and no longer strive for carnal fulfillment. We have entered into His rest. Yet after all of this, God wants to takes us deeper. We then look for what is hindering us. What is that stench that remains in our life. Is that rotten eggs I smell? We look for what is wrong. We try any number of things to break through: we examine our hearts, we blame others (mate, spiritual covering, etc.), we pretend there is no problem!

The Solution To The Problem

The solution is readily apparent for those who look. It is the same solution for our sulphurous well. We have to drill deeper. We learned that if we would have dug the well deeper, we would have struck better water. The problem is, no one knows how deep you might have to go on your particular piece of property, and drilling is costly. It is also costly to the flesh for God to drill deeper within us to get a cleaner flow.

Identifying The True Problem

One of the first things we must do is address the true problem. With our bad water, we tried to treat it and filter it; but we never address the true problem. We had bad water. We were trying to treat the problem instead of fixing it.

In our spiritual lives, we must stop trying to treat the problem, and fix it. In order to do this, we must ask God to show us our hearts. This is necessary, because like the old man in overalls, we may become accustomed to what we have, even to the point of liking it. Rather than viewing it as a problem, we may be viewing it as good. But when the Lord shows us what is really in our heart, it once again becomes a stench. God looks deep within us. Consider the following scriptures and notice how God looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (NIV)

1 King 8:39

then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), (NIV)

1 Chronicles 28:9

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. (NIV)

Psalms 139:1

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. (NIV)

Proverbs 5:21

For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and He examines all his paths. (NIV)

Proverbs 16:2

All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. (NIV)

Proverbs 21:2

All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. (NIV)

Ezekiel 11:5

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and He told me to say: "This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. (NIV)

Ezekiel 11:19

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (NIV)

Substitutes

When we are not dealing on the deepest level, we can block God's life flow to us. When we fail to address and fix the problem, we are only trying to clean it up. This blocks God's pure flow in us and through us. With this kind of blockage, we find that if we are not receiving HIS life, we find substitutes. May it is: Food, Status/position, Lust, Material possessions, etc. What might it be in your life? I know what they are in mine!

As God searches our hearts, He shows us what is inside. Much of it may be good and well pleasing to Him. But for those that want all of God they can get, they are willing to look deeper to those things that stink.

God Shows Us The Problem

Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The New International version translates it this way: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Did you catch that last phrase? "It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart". God will clearly show us what the problem is, even if it is deeply buried. Philippians 3:15 has always been a safety net for me. It says "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you."(NKJ). The NIV renders it "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you." This means God will show us what we need to see. Rejoice, God will make the problem plain, so we can begin fixing it!

God Will Forgive Us

When we see the deep, inner stench; we can often be struck by a sense of guilt. Yet Jesus forgives us. Ezekiel 36:25 "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols." (NIV) John the Apostle tell us "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I Jn 1:9, NKJ)

God Will Fix Us

Not only will He show us the problem by revealing our heart to us; He will forgive us. And He will fix the problem. Ezekiel 36:26 says "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (NIV)

God is a remarkable healer and transformer. He can remake us into His image and His likeness. Isn't that what it all about anyway?

Activation

An exercise that you can do at home is ask yourself the following questions:

• What have I been doing on a surface level to fix things?
• What is truly wrong on the deepest level?

Then review God's motives for you that were discussed in the second lesson (father, friend and groom). Finally, ask God to show us what He wants to deal with on the deepest level.

Conclusion

When we repent of our wrong concepts of God (lesson one), then embrace Him for who He really is (lesson two), then we can rest in His presence (lesson three), and allow Him to fix us on the deepest level (lesson four).

May God bless each of you for opening your hearts and allowing Him to deal with you so that you can be all He wants you to be, and you can fulfill your destiny!