My spirit longs to experience God’s presence. After years of searching and seeking to fulfill the longing deep within my heart, I finally heard God’s voice saying, “I AM the One you are seeking.” I realize that only God can complete me. He created me. He “knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) So how do I get to know Him? How can I experience His awesome presence?
Is it a matter of “squeezing” God into my schedule…penciling Him into “His” slot…and then expecting Him to permeate my being with His presence throughout the rest of my day? Do I think I can “give” God a few of my precious moments each day, calling it my “sacrifice”? Do I try to “fit” God into my perspective of life?
What I am learning about God is that He cannot be constrained to a timeslot in the schedule of my life. In fact, I cannot view God from my perspective at all. When life is about me, my senses and my spirit are numbed to experiencing the presence of God, and therefore I mistakenly assume He is not with me. In reality, God is with me – and always has been with me – every second of my life! So what changes need to take place in me to unclog my senses so that I can see God, hear God, and feel God’s presence in my life?
Experiencing God’s presence requires practice. If I know (with my mind) that God is with me, how can I become aware (with my senses) of this fact and acknowledge His presence? One key to practicing the presence of God is learning to convert all of my thoughts into dialogue with God. This is essential! If my God is with me always, and I truly believe that He is, then why do I ignore Him…or seek Him only when I want something? I must develop the habit of conversing with God continuously. It should not be a chore! It is the greatest privilege of my life that I am the child of the Most High God! I have the privilege of enjoying His presence.
If I believe in the depths of my heart that God is who He is, then my only response must be to worship Him, to praise Him, to thank Him for choosing me to be His child. Why should I depend upon myself for anything? God has given me everything, including the opportunity to be in His presence and under His direction. Shall I cast this aside in pursuit of worldly trinkets? Shall I throw this gift that God has so graciously given me into the wind? Shall I depend upon my own mind and capabilities when the God of the Universe has so graciously offered to direct my every thought, word and deed?
I must practice my faith so that God’s Word will be actualized in me. I must beg Him to give me His perspective, to see the world through His eyes, to feel what He feels, to love like He loves. I must practice His presence until it is the most natural thing in the world for me to do. I believe He made me to do this. I want to do this. But undoing decades of not doing this is extremely difficult. I forget. I slip back into my old comfortable habit of conversing with myself. I so desperately need His power in my life.
1 comment:
I think about this very thing. It's pretty much key. I pray that God will continue to show you how to lounge in his presence. Amen.
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