“I Felt Like God Was with Me”
I walked into our front room with a deep hunger for connection with God. As I drew up the curtain, light began to enter the room… golden light, it felt… heavenly. I sensed this was exactly what He wanted me doing. I sat down on the armchair and didn’t leave that place for the next 25 minutes. I brought my hunger to God, told Him how I longed to be there with Him, and asked Him to speak to me as I opened up John’s Gospel. I felt like God was with me, that I was connected, and I carried those 25 minutes with me throughout the rest of the day.
Why was this moment so rich for me? Well, it was a gift from God. I didn’t bring some special formula to my time with the Lord. My times in God’s Word feel ordinary at times too. But, having said that, in this case I did respond to what I sensed God wanted. I had been talking to my mentor a day earlier about the challenges of being a dad and how my devotional rhythms felt so 2nd-rate as the kids were often already up while I’m trying to read my Bible and so forth. As I spoke to him, I told him that I was sensing God just wants me to get up earlier. He encouraged me to do that. So, I set my alarm earlier that night, and the next morning God met me in such a beautiful way. That sense of connection I longed for with God was restored.
How is your relationship with God? Did you know that while on earth Jesus prayed for you? Read John 17:20-26 if you don’t believe me. Jesus wants you to know Him and the Father. Jesus wants you to know that the Father has loved you even with the love He has for His own Son! If your faith is in Jesus, then you are hidden in God (Colossians 3:3). If you love and obey Jesus, the Triune Gods makes His home in you (John 14:23). You can’t get much more connected than that. So, how can you love and obey Jesus today? Like Adam said on Sunday, we’re brought into God’s family by grace, but our enjoyment of that closeness is linked to our obedience. Is there something you sense Jesus wants you to do to abide in His love (John 14:23)? For me, it was readjusting my priorities around God and His Word each morning. Is there anything you sense God wants you to change? Does your daily rhythm include time for intentional connection with God? I like what Adam said on Sunday, let’s give God something to bless. We don’t control God, but we can put ourselves in a position receive from Him.
I’ll leave you with this prayer from Paul to the Ephesians. May God answer this prayer for us also.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-21)
Amen indeed,
Ben
