In Harmony with God

    I was recently doing my devotional, reading from the Amplified Translation, and ran across an interesting phrase which sparked a revelational thought. (Proverbs 10:20, 31 AMP)
    Although the context of these verses is talking about our words, what about the concept that we can either be in harmony or out of harmony with God? I have sensed the urgency in this season for us to be intentional about our walk with God and our sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit. However, this thought of being in harmony with God took that impression to another level. The first thought in this regard to harmony was in its musical application. But looking at the dictionary definition was very enlightening! When used as a noun, harmony carries the idea of compatibility in opinion and action; agreement of opinions; or a harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole. I wish I could type in a mind-blown emoji right here!
    I began to think of the ramifications of living a life in harmony with God and His purposes. Now we all agree with this mentally, but I mean really, consciously, and intentionally living in agreement and a harmonious state with our Creator! Through salvation, Jesus removed the barrier and made us “right with God” relationally. This is a legal transaction that has been accomplished by the work of Jesus on the cross and through His blood. (Ephesians 2:14-21 AMP)
    Jesus has brought us back into harmony with God! It’s a fact and it is finished! However, the other facet to this is in how we choose to live it out. We are righteous, but are we living righteously? I’m not talking about legalism or performance. But are we relationally in harmony with God through the expression of our lives? (Philippians 2:1-2 AMP)
    We have mostly relegated verses like this with how we live out our lives with one another and that is the intention of Scripture. However, we cannot live harmonious lives with each other if we are out of harmony with God. How can we love if it’s not His love flowing through us? How can we live in peace, if we are not at peace with God? This harmony issue is a big deal!
     Again, this is not a pitch for a legalistic existence but a real assessing as to whether our thoughts, our words, and our lives are in harmony with God. This is a life lived in consciousness of His presence and the reality of our choices, every one, to either be in or out of harmony with Him. This is a walk, daily decisions, and a life-style. The Passion Translation makes this point even more clearly from these verses in Philippians. (Philippians 2:1-2 TPT)
   Walk in friendship and harmony with the Holy Spirit and you will live out your harmonious purpose! I believe this is an individual harmony that will ultimately express itself in a corporate reality. It’s not just about “getting along”! It’s about walking in the beauty of harmony with God first, then overflowing with love and harmony with one another. Oftentimes we try so hard to get the earthly right we miss the source of the harmony, the source of the love, and the source of the life we want to see lived out. (2 Corinthians 6:15-16 TPT)
    We are super good at turning verses like these into a list of “do’s” and “don’ts”, places to go and not go, people to shun and people we embrace. Like the people of Jesus’ day, us religious folks have missed the entire point. Paul even used “Christ” and “Satan” so we would see the huge gap between the ways of Jesus and the ways of satan. It’s the gray areas that often get us out of harmony with God. Does what we are thinking, how we are responding, and how we are loving look like Jesus?
     In the end, harmony looks like family resemblance. Do our lives carry His traits? Do our actions drip with His love? Do our words comfort and draw others close, like His do? (Colossians 3:14-15 AMP)
    God is calling us to a life lived in harmony with Him! Oh the wonders of what that will produce!! (Romans 14:19 AMP)