God Loves Clingy People – Part 2

“I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

JESUS put off His divinity, left glory behind and took on human form to do His Father’s will – to die for our sin.

With the same humility of spirit, believers must take on the humble attributes of CHRIST JESUS (Philippians 2:5-8) and abandon the world’s notions of what lifestyle attitudes produce the best life. 

The world celebrates a “pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-boot-straps” way of moving through life that’s not GOD’s plan for His people.

The Christian life is centered on the lifestyle modeled for us by JESUS who lives in every believer. If He's in you, then you’re going to be like Him.

JESUS remained dependent on His Father, “I say only what the Father has taught me,” staying in constant touch through prayer Luke 6:12; John 5:19, 30; John 8:27-30. At His weakest and most vulnerable, with the hour of His death on the cross upon Him, JESUS reaches for His Father’s strength and clings Luke 22:44.

You must see dependence, humility and vulnerability as acceptable and valued characteristics in a child beloved of GOD.

“As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.” (Jeremiah 13:11).

GOD wants His people to cling to Him so the world would see us thrive in extraordinary ways, even in weakness, and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16.)

But only those who cling as closely as Jeremiah 13:11 describes become His pride and show forth His glory.

How does one cling to GOD?

To cling to the SON is to cling to the Father (John 10:30) and JESUS and the Scriptures are there to guide and enlighten:

• Don't worry about your daily needs; your Father knows what they are and He will provide for you. Matthew 6:25-34; Psalms 23:1.
• Embrace humility – before GOD and your fellow-man. GOD promises to honor those who do so here on earth and for all eternity. Matthew 5:5; James 4:10; Micah 6:8. You are promised a much more pleasant reward than the one GOD promises for acts of pride Proverbs 16:5,18.
• Stop pretending to always have a perfect life when you don’t. Accept it when you’re overwhelmed by life. Trouble has been promised to every believer but you have also been promised a reliable solution in CHRIST.
• Ask GOD. Ask for anything and everything, for the real and the impossible; ask for divine miracles and for practical wisdom to make good decisions. Lay it all out before Him Matthew 7:7-10; James 1:5. 
• Don’t struggle on your own – tell it all to JESUS and allow Him to help you as you rest and are comforted in Him. Matthew 11:28-30; Psalms 23:2-4
• Remember, you have your own personal Helper-Teacher living inside of you in the person of the Holy Spirit John 14:26; Luke 12:12.

Truth be told, no matter how hard we pretend otherwise, believers are nothing and can do nothing without the entire Godhead working for on our behalf…Father, SON and Holy Spirit. John 15:5.

We are broken vessels who are only fit for the Master’s use after He repairs our brokenness and molds us into usable shapes. “LORD, You are our Father. We are like clay, and You are the potter; Your hands made us all.” Isaiah 64:8

For this to work in our lives, we must give ourselves entirely into GOD whose "hands made us  all” and hold back nothing in reserve. 

Conclusion

The world sees dependence as weakness but GOD loves people who cling to Him, for they show forth how truly glorious GOD is.

“Clingy” is the highest of compliments and greatest accomplishment for all GOD’s chosen people (Jeremiah 13:11.)

GOD loves clingy people!

…learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. Matthew 11:29

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who are like little children. (Matthew 11:25). We thank you Father for teaching us that in our weakness we are strong in the power of our LORD and Savior, JESUS CHRIST, in whose Name we pray. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile