Encountering God
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:3-4
This week’s devotional is an excerpt from my third book, The Point: Journey to Life. The excerpt is from Chapter 17, Study, Pray & Serve. If you would like to preview the book, please click here.
Think about your first encounter with God. Where were you, what were you doing when God grabbed you and forced you to realize that He is real, that He is really with you, that He is really present and really near? When did you gain intimate knowledge of Him in your soul – I am not talking intellectual knowledge, rather genuine knowing through relationship. When were your eyes opened?
For me, the process continues today. God continues to reveal and affirm His holy presence, but at some point along the way, I realized and I accepted and I knew in my heart that God is real, He is really with us, He is really present, and He is really near. At some point along the way, I remembered what I first felt standing in the church as a young boy experiencing God, and since that time I have sought Him. When I pray I seek Him, when I attend church I seek Him, and when I am out in the world I seek to take Him with me.
For a long time, I attended church for the wrong reasons. I went, I don’t know, to try to convince Lori that was a better person than I am, I went because I kind of liked getting dressed up, being with people at church, experiencing the pageantry of it all, and going out to lunch. It was a brief form of entertainment between breakfast and lunch once a week. Maybe I went because it looked good to my neighbors. I don’t really know why I went, but I can say with certainty that I did not go to church seeking God.
But gradually along the way, I experienced Him, and that made all the difference. I know He is really real and I pray that you do too. Because He is the source of satisfaction, He is the source of wholeness, He is life and light, and I know in my heart that God wants that for you.
If you have not experienced God in a way that makes Him real to you, I pray that you open yourself to that experience. And if you want that, please do not wait because early flames must be gently nurtured or they may be extinguished. If you feel the flame of desire, act on it.
So what does it mean to act on it? Pray – invite God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit into your heart, into your life. Study Scripture regularly seeking God with a fervent desire, and offer yourself in loving service to others. Whatever you do, take Jesus with you and allow His love to flow through you. If you are a student, take Jesus to school with you. If you work, whatever your occupation might be, take Jesus to work with you. I often see students, professors, teachers, accountants, doctors, and business people. I see folks who are retired and on occasion I see people who are unable to leave bed. No matter your occupation, your position, or your situation, you can show the love of Jesus Christ to people around you.
A friend of mine is a teacher, and after years of struggling with her high school students, she decided she would pray for each class. She teaches five classes each day, so she dedicates one day each week to pray for each class. At the beginning of the semester she tells her students that she is praying for them and she invites them to give her specific prayer requests and this relatively simple act opens new avenues of connection and communication and it invites Jesus into the room with them.
Another friend is a plant foreman. He has spent his career working in a factory and he said, after he met Jesus his language changed, his temper calmed, the way he handled certain situations changed, and even though he did not tell anyone about his encounter with Jesus, his co-workers noticed his change and asked him about it. He said gradually the culture of his group at work changed. They gradually changed the music they listened to, the things they talked about during break, and the jokes they told. And the group developed a closer bond and they accomplish more at work. One man’s conversion had a dramatic rippling effect and he said that he did not try to take Jesus to work with him, Jesus just tagged along as part of his new life.
As followers of Christ we are each called to serve our Master. Regardless of your occupation, you are commissioned to serve God. He calls each of us continuously into service. And whatever specific task He is calling each of us to do, His agenda, His task for us always involves love. We are called to allow His love to flow through us.
May you continue knowing Christ Jesus, growing closer to Christ Jesus, serving Christ Jesus. Amen.