"I have tasted a thrill in fellowship with God which has made anything discordant with God disgusting." - Brother Lawrence
How can one even begin to describe the sweet presence of the Lord? This week I’ve experienced him in a way that will give discontentment to a mundane, lukewarm Christian life forever. Not that I think my walk with Christ was lukewarm before this, but in comparison to where my heart is at the moment… possibly.
On Wednesday, I sat in class and felt such a strong stirring in my heart. His presence was so close that I felt like I could have laughed or cried at any given moment. There was such a strong sense of anticipation in the room of how the Lord was going to reveal himself to our class.
And that night we gathered together as a family for three hours and sought after him. We all had different experiences, but God met each of us where we were at. I had a wonderful time of worship and basking in God’s love, along with a time of gratitude and thanksgiving. A staff member prayed for me and God spoke his love and encouragement over me through her. I then sat back and watched as God broke chains of bondage, restored hearts to himself and gave an overflow of joy to the room. We all had individual experiences, but we were all experiencing the same God. He knows what each of us needs and speaks to each of us differently. How beautiful is that?
And I’ve come to realize that seeing people experience God in new ways brings me just as much joy as experiencing it myself, because I know what it is they are experiencing. It explains why when I hear what God has taught my high school kids at camp, tears always flow… I see a beautiful view or sunset and I sing and worship… Hearing a good song makes me dance… Standing by the ocean, watching the waves crash and feeling the breeze gives me a peace that surpasses understanding. It all comes back to Jesus and how good he is!
There are moments that mark us and change us forever. Often times I don’t think we can know the significance of these moments until farther down the line, but for now my heart sees and feels the significance of this time. Only God will reveal what these moments mean, but I know I will never be the same.
Lastly I want to share with you this song. It’s not a Christian song (although I think the artists are believers), but it brought me into the Lord’s presence this morning to worship. A reminder to ask the Lord what he’d like to do today. That safety and stability are not promised, but nothing really matters as long as I’m with him. It's called "La Reyna" by Penny & Sparrow:
http://youtu.be/ZqecX9tHJEk
What kind of day do you want this to be
Cause I sure would like to give it to you
We can go out on a mission or maybe just watch TV
We can do you whatever you wanna do
We’ll be movers and shakers and leaves on a tree
We can talk smart or just act a fool
I don’t really care
It doesn't matter to me
Because I know that I’ll be with you
Yes I know that I’ll be with you
Life could get hard
I could lose my job
Safety is not promised to me
If everything crumbles I have to pull through
And I know it’s no guarantee
We’ll be movers and shakers and leaves on a tree
We can talk smart or just act a fool
I don’t really care
It doesn't matter to me
Because I know that I’ll be with you
Yes I know that I’ll be with you
“Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” – Psalm 34:8
How can one even begin to describe the sweet presence of the Lord? This week I’ve experienced him in a way that will give discontentment to a mundane, lukewarm Christian life forever. Not that I think my walk with Christ was lukewarm before this, but in comparison to where my heart is at the moment… possibly.
On Wednesday, I sat in class and felt such a strong stirring in my heart. His presence was so close that I felt like I could have laughed or cried at any given moment. There was such a strong sense of anticipation in the room of how the Lord was going to reveal himself to our class.
And that night we gathered together as a family for three hours and sought after him. We all had different experiences, but God met each of us where we were at. I had a wonderful time of worship and basking in God’s love, along with a time of gratitude and thanksgiving. A staff member prayed for me and God spoke his love and encouragement over me through her. I then sat back and watched as God broke chains of bondage, restored hearts to himself and gave an overflow of joy to the room. We all had individual experiences, but we were all experiencing the same God. He knows what each of us needs and speaks to each of us differently. How beautiful is that?
And I’ve come to realize that seeing people experience God in new ways brings me just as much joy as experiencing it myself, because I know what it is they are experiencing. It explains why when I hear what God has taught my high school kids at camp, tears always flow… I see a beautiful view or sunset and I sing and worship… Hearing a good song makes me dance… Standing by the ocean, watching the waves crash and feeling the breeze gives me a peace that surpasses understanding. It all comes back to Jesus and how good he is!
There are moments that mark us and change us forever. Often times I don’t think we can know the significance of these moments until farther down the line, but for now my heart sees and feels the significance of this time. Only God will reveal what these moments mean, but I know I will never be the same.
Lastly I want to share with you this song. It’s not a Christian song (although I think the artists are believers), but it brought me into the Lord’s presence this morning to worship. A reminder to ask the Lord what he’d like to do today. That safety and stability are not promised, but nothing really matters as long as I’m with him. It's called "La Reyna" by Penny & Sparrow:
http://youtu.be/ZqecX9tHJEk
What kind of day do you want this to be
Cause I sure would like to give it to you
We can go out on a mission or maybe just watch TV
We can do you whatever you wanna do
We’ll be movers and shakers and leaves on a tree
We can talk smart or just act a fool
I don’t really care
It doesn't matter to me
Because I know that I’ll be with you
Yes I know that I’ll be with you
Life could get hard
I could lose my job
Safety is not promised to me
If everything crumbles I have to pull through
And I know it’s no guarantee
We’ll be movers and shakers and leaves on a tree
We can talk smart or just act a fool
I don’t really care
It doesn't matter to me
Because I know that I’ll be with you
Yes I know that I’ll be with you
“Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” – Psalm 34:8