Daily Devotionals for Women - Today's Encouraging Word from Scripture

WHAT CONSTITUTES AFFINITY?

I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. Psalm 119:63

When the Spirit of God is mighty in a stranger, and I see His Spirit in them, I can honestly say that I love them. Spirit recognizes Spirit and there is instant communion, even if unspoken.

When two people are drawn together by their love for God and each is on a journey to love God above all others, the fellowship they share is of infinite value. Over time, the love deepens and the spiritual bond defies explanation. When two people are drawn together by reasons other than a common love for the Spirit and do not share a commitment to radical discipleship, a chasm will develop that neither can fix. What one values is earthy things, the other values Christ. That difference pulls them in opposite directions. True and lasting affinity is only born of the Spirit.

I have spent less than five hours with a Spirit-person and had deeper fellowship than with lifelong friends. Mutual and deep heart affections for Christ bubble to the surface very quickly in our conversation and the enthusiasm just builds. Hours pass as we share our stories, what we’ve learned at the feet of Jesus, what we are trying to yet learn, and there is sadness at the thought of cutting it short for any mundane task of this earth. Tearful gratitude for such a precious time is on the face of each person as they part company.

True spiritual affinity knows no boundaries either. A king can long for the spiritual company of a poor man, so coveted is the communion between them. A poor woman with a few dollars in her bank account can cross town and curl up in the armchair inside a spiritual friend’s mansion because what binds them together is Christ.

If 2013 has been a year where your heart has been set ablaze for Christ, then you have probably noticed a shift in your relationships. People and conversations that used to excite you leave you aching for something you can’t put your finger on. The Psalmist says that he is only a companion of those who fear God. It’s difficult to discover that companionship with any other is akin to nails on a chalkboard. Conversations are long and uncomfortable. What’s missing? Spiritual communion. Find others whose heart is on fire and you will be in step. Find a church whose congregation is on fire and there will be spiritual synergy.

There is no language barrier between two whose faces are radiant from a Spirit filled by You. I am so grateful for the new path you’ve set me on, one where fire blazes the trail. Amen.

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org