4-20-06
How have you experienced God’s presence lately? Many of us have a
hard time with that question. Even those who read the Bible and pray
regularly have to admit that they mainly experience reading and saying
words –mostly to themselves, not even aloud. There is not much
difference in these tasks (and we often do see them as tasks to be done)
and reading other material or our usual thinking processes. No real
perception that anyone else is involved occurs. I think we should have
more times when we are literally aware of the presence of God than not
when our goal is indeed to be in that very place.
Here are some things that might help.
Do not try to imagine God’s presence or force yourself to perceive Him.
This kind of imagining is like unto the utilization of icons. I’m not
condemning icons as I do not know enough about how they are used by
those who do use them, but I do know that it is not necessary to have
something – imaginary or otherwise – to represent someone who is
actually Himself present. However, you can consider yourself to be in
the presence of God, which act involves faith and not imagination.
Look for the evidence of God’s presence. As you read the Bible,
consider how God is speaking to you through what you are reading. It is
one of the ministries of God the Holy Spirit to illuminate the scriptures to
us including bringing other scriptures to mind and teaching us how to
apply them to our own lives. Those goings on within us are evidences
that God is working and therefore present. As you pray, make sure you
listen for God’s response to you. It is important to remember again that
you don’t have to imagine God’s communications with you nor do you
need to interpret any kind of emotions or sensations as being God’s
language. God communicates with us in a way that we can understand
plainly today just as He always has. I hate to think how many people
have thought God spoke because they had some sensation or feeling
that they interpreted as a yea or nay from God! When God spoke to
Moses, I don’t think it was some feeling of peace that came over Moses
when He was ‘getting it right’ and that disappeared when he was ‘getting
it wrong’. Many think that God only speaks that plainly today through
scripture and if that is the only plain speech you hear from God then that
is enough. If God does speak otherwise to you it will be just as plain, and
it will never contradict or add to anything already available in scripture.
God does still speak plainly, though, and in many ways to His people
including calling them to salvation.
Look for the particular ways God has arranged things around you.
Indeed He has produced new works of art for us all every day all around
us. What a shame that we so often ignore this glorious evidence of God’
s presence that is so plain that those who have only that communication
from God are without excuse!
Dale
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