God’s Relational Framework
by Harvey L. Diamond
God created mankind in His image—an identity and capacity representing His likeness. His hope was for His children to live a life centered in the richness of His divine nature and real love so we would have a relationship with Him and be blessed through Him.
God defines relationships in covenant terms. His type of covenant contains specific promises; and His perfect nature is to be faithful to keep His promises. All His promises point to His purposes, which are redemptive in nature.
In return for His faithfulness, God looks for specific responses expressing true heartfelt gratefulness, honor, respect and faith—in other words, worship in spirit and in truth.
God, knowing mankind needs order to live a just life, designed a specific framework through which the covenant relationship would operate. The framework God designed encompasses processes by which we can engage with God in real and relevant ways.
In a similar fashion, all disciplines of life involve processes. Engineers and builders work within a framework of design processes, accountants and business administrators monitor the effective use of resources and performance of activities through audit processes, sales professionals engage prospective customers in a sales process, etc.
God designed a process to serve as a way of relating with Him encompasses a series of types of engagements He calls the Appointed Times or Feasts of the Lord. The Bible provides God’s original instructions regarding these appointed times in Leviticus 23. While the outward ways of celebrating these times have evolved over time, the apostle Paul explained how these appointed ways represent visual aids or shadows pointing forward to the relationship with God that would be more fully revealed in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. (Colossians 2:17)
The substance of the feasts provides a broad perspective of what being, living and praying “in Him” and “through Him” is truly about. In essence, it fosters a way to relate with God and know Him better.
If we look beyond the outward nature of these practices, we have the opportunity to see real and relevant values God embedded in these appointed ways to serve in fostering a rich relationship with Him. That’s our purpose behind the PATHWAYS TO GLORY Relational Devotional. Through seven levels of perspectives, we see ways God designed for us to engage, interact and relate with Him so we can grow in the knowledge of God and in relationship with Him.
May God’s grace be upon you as you engage with our living Lord and God
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