Dear Friends of “Dial Daily Bread,”
If you're river rafting in violently turbulent water, everything depends on your hanging on. You need a constant "relationship" with the boat.
We're in a turbulent great controversy with Satan. Does our salvation depend on our maintaining a "relationship" with Jesus? Many are the sincere people who get discouraged. They have to make a living; work presses hard on them. They are tired at day's end; morning comes too soon--back to the turbulence of daily life in a godless world. After some days or weeks (or months!) they realize, "I have neglected to maintain that 'relationship!'" Not enough time spent in prayer and Bible study! The precious "relationship" seems broken.
If you are one of those ("alive" rather than among the living dead) don't give up in despair. You need some Good News. The Savior takes the initiative to maintain that relationship or fellowship with you! It was never His idea to get you started or involved in a works program; His role is that of Good Shepherd seeking us, rather than vice versa.
Bible study and prayer arenecessary. But if you can appreciate the love of that Good Shepherd; if you can "comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love [agape] of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph. 3: 18, 19), you see Him as the One who seeks to maintain that fellowship with you, as the Father did with Jesus (see Isa. 50:4; don't be "rebellious," vs. 5). "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).
If you are too busy to eat breakfast, do you despair and say, "I'm no good! I'll never eat again!"? I think hunger will drive you to eat the first chance you get. So does the Savior's love drive you to respond to His continual seeking. His love, not craven fear, will motivate you to thank Him for not letting go of you (Isa. 41:10, 13). Count yourself among these: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6).
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 10, 2001.
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