How well do you know God?
Do you enjoy meeting with Him every day?
Is He the first thing on your mind each morning?
Do you crave time with Him? With His word?
Do you look forward to His sweet whispers throughout your day?
Do you sense His presence in every sunrise and sunset?
Do the thoughts of your Heavenly Father cause a smile to creep across your face?
Do words of His goodness and faithfulness easily ebb and flow in your conversations?
Is His word alive and active, piercing your heart each time you read it?
Does worship just bring you to tears as you meditate on the words, on God's goodness in your life?
Do you enjoy the sweet intimacy of a living, breathing relationship with the God of the universe?
Or...
Has your time with God grown stale, more like a check list of things to accomplish?
Do you long for a deeper intimacy with the One who created you?
Do you feel like your prayer life is dull or non-existent?
Do you struggle to focus during worship services?
Has it been a while since you felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit?
Has your spiritual life grown lukewarm?
There was most definitely a time when I felt God's presence so near, every moment of every day. A time when I couldn't get enough of Him. A time when my times with Him were so real, so alive. A time when I couldn't wait until I could be in His presence again.
But, if I'm totally honest, I'm in a dry season. I often feel like my time with God is boring, non-productive. I feel like it's been forever since I heard a fresh word from Him. I long for those days of sweet intimacy where I could truly sense Him with me in every moment of my day.
This last week as I was out walking, I was listening to a sermon. As I listened, I kept hearing the phrase, "Return."
Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. Revelation 3:3
It's been a topic of conversation around our home lately. What does it take to regain that intimacy we once had? How do we get back to that sweet place with our Father?
As I walked and meditated on those thoughts, a couple of things popped into my head.
Remember God's faithfulness. Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites often experienced miraculous works of God. Immediately after seeing God at work, they were commanded to take stones and create a memorial (Genesis 28 and Joshua 4 among others). The stones were designed to remind them and the future generations of God's faithfulness.
Do you have stones of remembrance? I know I do! I remember answered prayers. I remember sweet whispers. I remember provisions I can't explain. Throughout my life, I can look back and see how He has been with me every step of my life, paving the way and guiding me to the place I am today.
I can list a few examples of how He provided for my college education as only He could. Shortly after my ex-husband passed away, I received an unexplained and unsolicited gift in the exact amount I needed to pay for my daughter's medical bills. I remember the day I was so distressed over events in my life and I heard God in the loudest and yet inaudible voice simply say, "Trust me. I've got this." I remember the sense of inexplicable peace after I completed praying circles around my house. I could go on and on.
Remembering reminds me of His faithfulness, of how He has never left me and never will. It builds my faith to believe if He has done it before, He will do it again. It focuses my mind on the character of God instead of the chaos of life. It helps me fix my thoughts on Him so His perfect peace floods my life (Isaiah 26;3).
Return to the things you used to do. I keep asking myself what's different now. There are some definite things over which I don't have much control. My job is far more demanding and I'm simply in a different season of life.
However, there are some things I can do. I make time with God the very first thing each morning rather than getting distracted by everything on my phone. I can keep a prayer book by my desk and utilize it throughout the day. I can keep praise music playing in the background. I can cultivate strong Christian friendships that keep me focused on Him.
If I were to pick one thing that has always helped me in my Christian walk, without a doubt I would choose Christian friends. Those times I have been closest to God have always been times when I was in community with others. It's true that as iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).
We are in a season of seeking out and building strong Christian friendships. It may mean we need to reconnect with old friends. It may mean we need to build new friendships. No matter what, it means we need others. God created us to live in connection. I know it's essential to regaining the intimacy I desire.
Hold onto it. In true God fashion, two days after my walk, the sermon at church was on this very topic. Pastor Craig told us all to remember it, finish it, and hold it. Only God could reinforce what He was telling me in that way!
It's so true. When we seek God, we must hold onto it. We can't adequately hold onto this world and hold onto God at the same time. To maintain a strong grip, it requires both hands. Scripture says we can't be a friend with the world without being an enemy of God. Regardless, it requires us to whole-heartedly hold tight to the thing that is most precious to us.
Too often we get distracted. I know how hard it is in this world that clamors for our attention. But, we must make a decision to make Him our one and only priority, to hold so tightly to Him that we let go of any distraction that might pull us away. I don't know what you are holding onto, but I know what I'm holding to--and it's time to let go.
And I need a friend to take the journey with me. Will you join me?
