Scriptures: Acts 17: 23b-29
John 1:12;
John 20:11-13
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
The verses above tell us something about Mary Magdalene. She had a close relationship with Jesus and she refers to Him as “My Lord” when she found an empty tomb.
“My” is generally a possessive word that implies “belonging to”; and Mary identified with Jesus at such a personal level, that she referenced him as, ‘mine’. As Christians, we should aspire and work towards having such a close relationship with Jesus.
A relationship is a way in which two or more people (or things) are connected. As born again Christians we have a relationship with God and like any other relationship, we have an active role to play. Let’s look at three-pointers towards building our relationship with God:
1. Know that God speaks to you through the Bible- Every time you sit to read a portion of the Bible, ask yourself, “What does this mean?” Within the passage is a core spiritual truth that is meaningful to you.
Ask yourself, “In what ways should my life change as a result of studying this scripture?” The spirit can change your thoughts, speech, and behavior when you allow Him to use the principles in God’s word to shape you.
2. Respond to God in prayer- Confess your sins and thank God for His promises. Ask Him for a clearer understanding of what the scripture means and how it can help you to become more like Jesus.
3. Write it down- Anything you read and fail to write you will possibly forget or remember less than 10% of it. If you write it down, the chances of remembering rise up to 50%. If you practice it, it rises further to 75% and if you teach others then it goes up to 90%. Therefore keep a written record of what you read and also share with others. Your journal or wherever you are recording will help you see how you are growing in faith. It will help keep it fresh in your mind so that you can continue to be influenced by it throughout the day.
Finally, building a relationship isn’t easy, it requires diligence, communication, patience, trust and time(availability). Our relationship with God is no exception. Spend time with Him in His word and in prayer. Take your conversation with Him into every part of your life. Allow Him to speak to you and take time often to speak to Him. As you do so your life with God will deepen and you will find that the results are well worth the effort.
Be blessed!