I wonder if God laughs when he sees us contemplating how to ‘best’ practice His presence.
Do I need to go pray in the church?
..Read the Bible every morning before work?
..Spend time in nature?
..Maybe partake in coffee with a friend while discussing Jesus’ characteristics?
Yes – to all of these things together, but no to each of these things alone.
Don’t we see?
If we truly believe God to be the creator of the universe – the creator of you & me – why would we not believe that God is inextricably involved in each & every aspect of our lives? He wants His followers to experience Him through time in prayer, reading His word, exploring nature, and over coffee with a friend.. and then some.
When we think that we can set out x amount of minutes/hours/etc. (also known in Christianese as ‘quiet time’) in order to get ‘closer’ to the Lord, we are inadvertently diluting His image. God was never meant to be reduced to a ‘once a day’ dosage. He wants us to experience His goodness & joy constantly – without ceasing. (And no – this is not to say that I don’t like setting out time to learn about the Lord. If you know me, you know I love a good coffee house & some Bible reading; rather, I am saying that God wants us to stretch out this communion with Him over the entire course of our days.)
..so why do we do this? Is it because we’re scared?
Are we unbelieving?
Are we forgetful?
I would argue the latter to be most prevalent in my case. Unfortunately, it is extremely easy for me to be consumed in my current situation while completely neglecting God – not necessarily on purpose, but just because it is hard for me to redirect my thoughts on something I am not tangibly seeing or communing with.
However, I truly believe that if we intentionally opened our eyes and removed our blinders, stopped putting boundaries on where we expect God to show up, we will see that God is speaking to us throughout each & every moment of our days.
I can guarantee that He wants to work through you..if you let Him.
I can guarantee that you will find Him.. if you look hard enough.
He’s there when you wake up – affirming that His mercies are new every morning.
He’s there when you eat lunch – giving you nourishment through the foods He created and the taste buds He blessed you with.
He’s there in your conversations with coworkers – urging you to love them as Jesus loves you: without limit, without fail, without judgment.
He’s there in the midst of your worrying about your busy schedule or your upcoming project deadline – He wants to give you focus & endurance when you ask. He wants you to be still & know that He is God.
What I’m saying is that He wants us to feel His presence and let us know that He is with us.. constantly. Let us not take this gift for granted.
Let us occupy ourselves entirely in knowing God. The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.
--Brother Lawrence
That we need only to recognize God intimately present with us, to address ourselves to Him every moment, that we may beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful, and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have done.
--Brother Lawrence
