“I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.” Isaiah 8:17 Do you ever feel like the Lord is hiding his face from you? Sometimes I do. Sometimes when I pray, I feel like I’m just talking to my room. I read in the Bible these stories of believers who saw visions and were audibly spoken to, and hear the same stories from my friends and wonder, “What am I missing?” Why can’t I experience the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, like they can? God has surely allowed me to come into His presence many times in the past few months, but not every time I come before Him do I feel as if I’m really coming before Him. Perhaps you, the reader, can relate. It is difficult to come into the presence of the Lord Almighty. But it’s also quite simple. God is creative. He reveals Himself in different ways, during different disciplines. Perhaps because God is a creative God, He wants us to be creative in our approach to Him. Perhaps a routine that looks identical from day to day is not going to get us very far. “It used to be that if I had a great worship experience, I asked God to duplicate it the next time I came to worship…One thing I’ve learned about God over the years, however, is that He rarely ‘does it again.’ He’s the Creator, which means that He is (among other things) creative.” I’m beginning to learn that same thing. My routine has looked almost identical from day to day: wake up, get dressed, pray the same prayers, read the Bible, then go about my day. But on the days where I switch things up a bit, maybe drive up the mountains, go for a walk, spend some time in worship, etc., He feels more present. God is good. He goes with us everywhere, and His presence really is an open door. But you still have to get up and walk through it. Act on your love for Him. Drive a little, sacrifice a little, walk in the rain, go out and have fun with Him. He delights in your joy, and He is present in every moment. Sometimes, to really feel Him there, you have to leave your comfort zone. “Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the ‘Helper’ or ‘Comforter.’ Let me ask you a simple question: Why would we need to experience the Comforter if our lives are already comfortable?” Even when I do not feel the presence of God, still I will praise Him, still I will trust Him, still I will listen to what He has to say. He reveals Himself in His time, I have no reason to be frustrated. He has already given me everything I have, what more could I ask? He has already allowed me to come into His presence many times, what more could I ask? Yet He continues to give and give and give. How awesome is our God!
0 Comments
|
AuthorFighting complacency and advocating change in myself for the world around me. Posts by Date
February 2019
Posts by Name
All
|