Connected to the Source

Although it is already late March, it is still pretty cold around here. Some mornings, when I first get up and go down to the den, it is a bit chilly. So I pull the space heater over near my corner of the couch and enjoy its heat as I begin my day. 

A few mornings ago, I pulled the heater to my favorite spot and attempted to turn it on with the remote. This accomplished nothing at all. I then reached down to push the “on” button. There were still no results. Before me on the floor was a little brown box that remained dark, cold and silent.  Following the power cord, I found it securely plugged into an extension cord. Everything appeared fine.  Then I followed the extension cord into the other room, where I found that it had been unplugged from the wall. Without the power source, the heater was incapable of providing any heat. Although it is fairly new and not broken, it could not work at all. Without the power source, it could not serve the purpose for which it was made. 

We, as Christians, are very much like that little heater.  We can be in perfect operating order to perform as we have been designed. Yet without a secure connection to our power source, we cannot produce the desired results.  “Yet for us there is [only] one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things and for Whom we [have life], and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through and by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we [ourselves exist].” (1 Corinthians 8:6 AMP)  Bing planted in the soil is very similar to being plugged into an electrical socket.  Jesus told his disciples, “ I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 AMP)  Our source is the Heavenly Father and our connection is our Savior, Jesus. 

In order to remain plugged in with God, we must seek Him.  “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2 AMP)  Seek is like an intense search.  Notice that we inquire of and for and we crave Him.  This is not just a passing acknowledgement of God’s existence.  When we inquire of or ask questions, we listen for the answers. Something we crave will not leave our mind, so we go after it. Other definitions of seek include the word, require.  This is an absolute need.  When we are seeking the Father, we will not let anything interrupt us.  This is to be an ongoing and constant part of our life.  Seeking God with your whole heart may be time consuming and appear to be a lot of work.  But consider the result in this verse.  We will be blessed.  That is being happy, fortunate and envied.  I’ll take that.  We will also be prepared to give love to others. 

Being plugged into our source, we can both receive and also give many things.  “…Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace, and [then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11 AMP)  Comfort, encouragement, peace, affection, goodwill and benevolence are all promised. Yet this Scripture mentions only a small portion of the richness of God’s provision.  We can receive and give, not only these, but all that is in the nature of God.  This means that we will have what we need, when we need it.  That’s a great promise. 

Although my heater appeared fine by being plugged into another cord, it was not going all the way to the source.  Once the plug was connected to the wall outlet, the heater ran fine.  I was able to sit and enjoy my cup of coffee and time with God.  The heater that had been dark, cold and silent now hummed with a soft orange glow and produced the warmth to take the chill of this nippy morning.  When we seek and plug into our Heavenly Father we will also operate the way He has planned for us.  We will bless others with the warmth of His love.

 Take time to truly seek and plug in to the source of all good things.  Don’t settle for a life that appears fine.  Find where the interruption to you connection is.  Complete the circuit to your loving Father.  There is never a power outage with God!