August 2018
Have you noticed that the world seems to not have an awareness of what God is about – what He is up to – even though it is happening right before our very eyes? I think that having that awareness may be part of what it means to belong to Him; to be His child, His faithful. I recall many years ago when I was unaware of God and how He was working all around me all the time. Oh, sure, I said I ‘believed.’ But one day, someone responded to my decalration that I believed by saying, “Well, even the devil believes in God. How do you experience God? How do you respond to His presence in your life?” I was somewhat surprised at my friend’s challenging words to me, and not quite sure how to reply. And I knew he was right in his comments, uncomfortable as they made me feel.
This is a question that often comes up as we minister to those who come to us for relief from the pain and unhappiness that this world can often lay at our feet. It’s a question that must be answered for each of us in the depths of our own souls. It is not something that anyone else can attend to on our behalf. The road to address the question of how we expereince God in our lives and how we respond to His presence can seem lonely – because it is! It is a journey that we must travel all alone – with God.
The first step on this quest is to NOTICE that God is with us – always has been and always will be. Once we ‘see’ Him and acknowledge His power, love and grace, we often expereince an immensely deep and almost overwhelming peace. It is in this peace that our hearts and souls are set free to embrace and delight in His presence.
We have heard many accounts of the moments when this happens. Clients are always eager to share those God-sightings in their lives with us – and we are delighted to hear them! It tells us that the healing power of the Holy Spirit is impacting their lives and the spiritual transformation God desires for them is taking place. These moments are our greatest reward for our investment in the often unhappy messiness of human drama.
As counselors, we are often challenged and saddened when our clients don’t see what we see so clearly – that God is our only source of hope. Now, it just may be that it is easier for us to see because we are not in the ‘tall weeds’ of their emotional upset – or it may be that their faith is not yet matured – or that they are distracted by the pain and discomfort of their circumstances. In any case, that is one of the reasons God has orchestrated our connection to them.
That is why God has equipped us and called us to this work. And we are blessed and honored to have been called to work alongside Him, as He heals, redeems and strengthens those struggling in what it means to be fallen humanity. It is a joy to witness that beautiful moment when someone who was lost in their pain finds God and finds relief from their struggles.
Life is messy. Life is like a bowl of water to a thirsty world, and as we lap it up to quench our thrist, we can’t help but make a mess of it. But God is bigger than any of the messes we can make. God is the answer to all of life’s challenges and longs to comfort us, hold us, heal us and re-calculate our direction from all the messiness and unhappiness we will encounter in this life. We need only to acknowledge His presence and trust in His provision and guidance for His beloved. It is all so simple, but at the same time, it is not always easy. It requires a firm commitment to daily turn the controls of this life over to the One Who knows all, sees all – and loves and cares for us like no other.
I have been reading a book by Cecil Murphy and Twila Belk, titled I Believe in Healing: Real Stories from the Bible, History and Today. Murphy counters the doubt many express in the healing power of our loving God by saying, “These stories from the Bible, history and today are stories that can’t be explained by natural means – and remind us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
His love and provision – His power and might never changes! We pray that whatever challenge you may be facing today, you will hold onto that truth and be comforted as you acknowledge His presence with us always – and in all ways!
Blessings on you as you discover the love of God that was, and is, and will always be.
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