“Life under, over, from, and for God each seeks to use God to achieve some other goal. God is seen as a means to an end. For example, Life From God uses him to supply our material desires. Life Over God uses him as the source of principles or laws. Life Under God tries to manipulate God through obedience to secure blessings and avoid calamity. And Life For God uses him and his mission to gain a sense of direction and purpose. But Life With God is different because its goal is not to use God, its goal is God. He ceases to be a device we employ or a commodity we consume. Instead God himself becomes the focus of our desire.” Sky Jethani

Exodus 19:5-6 (ESV)

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.

Exodus 20:18-20 (ESV)

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Matthew 1:22-23

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Any distance between us and God is self imposed.

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

When we commune with God we discover that God has been with us all along.

• Explore your heart and ask if you are approaching God in any of the ways we talked about today. Are you trying to use, manipulate, or control God, or are you walking with Him?
• Watch the With series on Right Now Media and discuss it with a friend.
• Meditate on what it would it look like to walk with God consistently in your life.