Am I Jealous?

Read: Zechariah 8
“2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ Zechariah 8:2

Examine:
He is jealous for me; exceedingly jealous with great wrath. His anger burns when I give myself to others and His wrath is fueled when others threaten me.

Apply:
Am I jealous for God? There are two definitions of jealous that should be apparent in my relationship with Him. To be jealous for God would mean I am fiercely protective or vigilant for what is mine in Him. This includes His promises, His commands, and His will for me. Being jealous for God also means that something in me demands faithfulness and exclusive worship. I should be irate when God’s faithfulness is not evident in my life. I should be up in arms when my worship of Him is void of His Spirit. There should be such passion in my heart to be near to Him and experience His presence that I fall apart when I don’t have it. Am I jealous for God? Not nearly enough…

Pray:
I would not allow my wife to give her love to another. I would be shattered to my core if one of my children called out to another man as being their Dad. I would not allow weeks to pass without being intimate with my wife and I would not allow days to go by without a hug or loving contact with my kids. I would fly of the handle and demand something be changed. I am jealous for them; exceedingly jealous. My actions prove this.

In comparison to my relationship with You I settle for far too little and that is what is stirring on my heart today. My love for You, my intimacy with You, and my experience of You has to become the center piece of my life. My greatest passion, my strongest intention, and my most faithful endurance has to be expanding my love for You.

I recognize Your faithfulness this morning and step towards that. I do not know how to be a better lover of You but I am so willing to learn. Teach me Father. Open my eyes to see the things that keep me running from You. I pray that I love You first and above all other things. I pray that I love others more than myself. I want to center my life on the power of Christ and take that power into the world around me. Take me as You will today Father.