THE JOURNEY | Access Granted
Access Granted
by Becky DeWitt
The month of February is a month which there is a great celebration of love especially on Valentine’s Day. But there is a greater celebration of love that occurs every day of the year and it is eternal love. It is the love of the Father for each and every one of us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
God is so awesome that at the beginning of creation, even though He already knew the outcome, He made provision to reconcile us back into His presence. Prior to our existence in this natural world, we were with Him in the supernatural. The minute that we are born, the enemy targets us for his usage. God’s love for us was the reason that He provided the access that overrides the world system from which the enemy operates. In other words, there is not a reason for anyone who comes into this world to miss the opportunity to be and return into His presence.
Since we have access granted, we should have a hunger to be in the presence of the Lord, yet we are far, far away. Many in the Body of Christ fail to realize that there are two sides to our relationship with the Father. The word relationship, not religion, is defined as having a connection or a dependence. If one is truly connected to God, you will realize that you are dependent on Him for everything. There is not one single thing that you can do without Him. He is the very air that you breathe!
Have you ever taken the time to think that God depends on you? You may think what could God possibly depend on me for? There are many things since God is a spirit and you are flesh and bone. He needs a body in the earth realm.
Recently I was meditating on certain scriptures concerning the sons of Zadok. They were a part of the Levitical priests in the Old Testament who kept the burnt offering continually on the altar. They kept the fire burning the flesh. There is an interesting passage, Ezekiel 40:46, which states, “and the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keeper of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord to minister unto Him.” I begin to wonder how do we minister to the Lord. Several answers came such as praise, worship, and obedience. But the sons of Zadok were separate from the others in the Levitical priesthood as they did something that was different, but special to the heart of God.
The word states that they ministered to God. To minister is to attend to or care for the wants and needs of someone. How do we attend to the wants and needs of the Almighty God, El Shaddai, the all sufficient one? Perhaps that we are too busy asking Him to minister to us, to take care of our wants and needs that we neglect to consider His.
“But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God:” (Ezekiel 44:15). Is there a remnant that will stay at the altar? Some of us are too far away even though access has been granted. Where is the desire, the fire, which you will place upon the altar? Is it that we do not want the refiner’s fire to cleanse the filthiness of the flesh? “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord and offering of righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3).
Who or what will cause you to go astray and not only leave, but forget about the needs of your first love? Who or what will you let hinder you from the secret place in His pavilion? His love is eternal, yet patient, all the while, He waits for you.
“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.” (Psalm 65:4)
