The other Sunday we had a brooding sense of the Presence of God. It was rather awe-inspiring. Some were overcome by the sharing of the Word, some by the worship time. The pastor felt so 'distracted' he was not sure he could preach coherently!
I felt shakey, a melting sense inside, close to tears all the time - a deep sense of his love mixed with joy. A song we had sung stayed with me for days and days, and still returns. I woke with it in my head this morning and the same sense of being a little distracted, overwhelmed.... was upon me.
Even doing ordinary things - I feel I just want to sink into worship and disengage with the focus on TV or reading or cooking or emails... Interesting. It feels like He is calling me away over and over into adoration or just listening for him. It is fully a heart/spirit thing. My head can be elsewhere and there is that deeper engagement with Him.
It has created a deep hunger again - for that awareness and attentiveness I have known in the past. Is this how it is always meant to be? Have we had things upside down, inside out... HE IS THERE, with us, all the time. Sinking into that is our 'hiding place', our place of peace, our source of joy, our strength and wisdom... all we need.
Here are some great quotes from Bill Johnson's latest book Hosting His Presence:
Meeting Him through adoration
“It has been a practice of mine for many years now to go to sleep with this simple act of releasing my affection, my love and adoration for him until I sense His Presence rest upon me. I don’t sing or worship, or intercede for others - I simply love him until my heart is warmed by His Presence.
Genesis teaches us that the day starts at night. Giving him our nights is the way to start our day. For many, the torment that is experienced in the night watches would end by this simple action. Start your day at night by giving him your affection until He warms your heart.” (p.159)
Letting Him love you
One of the more meaningful parts of my life is the five-minute vacations I take. They can happen any time or anywhere. The amount of time I take varies, but the activity does not. For example, if I am in my office, I’ll ask my secretary to hold my calls for a few minutes. I will sit down and generally close my eyes and pray something like this, “God, I’m going to sit here quietly, just to be the object of your love.” The flow of His love for us is like a massive waterfall. Becoming aware of that love and experiencing that love is wonderful beyond words. It has the side benefits of driving out all fear.
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