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In the fall of 2010 I received a tiny, yet extremely powerful book called God Calling. It’s might be considered a devotional/thought-of-the-day book that is written by A.J. Russell. Mr. Russell has put together snippets of the knowledge of Scripture and the love of Christ displayed in the Bible into notes for the reader for each day of the year as if God has written them to you.
I received this little gem from a dear, dear friend and mentor in New Jersey. She originally showed me and copied one particular note from October 30th. It was beyond fitting for the situation we went through that fall and for how God was teaching us through the fire. Then, she allowed me to keep the book. I cannot tell you how thought-provoking, love-indwelling, reminder-giving this book has been to me.
Each day I try to read the day’s note and soak in the truth’s it tells. Now that Lil’ Miss is part of our lives, I try to read it with her each morning. Of course she doesn’t understand the words or ideas but I hope that these truths will be sown deeply into her being so that as she comes to know her Creator personally when she’s a bit older, she’ll have a foundation from her earliest days.
On Valentine’s Day, February 14th, I read it and was moved in a profound way. See, for the past few months, I’ve been struggling with the whole “God’s not speaking to me” thing in my quiet times and prayers. Then came this reminder like a stark slap in the face:
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In My Presence February 14
You do not recognize that you would have broken down under the weight of your cares but for the renewing time with Me. It is not what I say; it is I, Myself. It is not the hearing Me so much as the being in My Presence. The strengthening and curative powers of this you cannot know. Such knowledge is beyond your human reckoning.
This would cure the poor sick world, if every day, each soul, or group of souls, waited before Me. Remember, that you must never fail to keep this time apart with Me. Gradually you will be transformed, physically, mentally, spiritually, into My likeness. All who see you, or contact with you will be, by this intercourse with you, brought near to Me, and gradually the influence will spread.
You are making one spot of earth a Holy Place, and though you must work an depend yourself ceaselessly because that is for the present your appointed task, yet the greatest work either of you can do, and are doing, is done in this time apart with Mr. Are you understanding that?
Do you know that every thought, every activity, every prayer, every longing of the day is gathered up and offered to Mr, now. Oh! Joy and I am with you. For this I came to earth, to lead man back to spirit-converse with his God.
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Reality Heart Check.
If God IS, then it is about BEING with Him, not having to hear Him or begging to hear Him.
I know for a definite fact that if for some reason my best girl friend was to lose her voice and not be able to speak to me at all, I would still want to be with her. I would still cherish and soak up the time we got to spend together and just BEING in her presence would be enough.
And we say all the time when people go to foreign countries, “Even thought we didn’t speak the same language, just being with those people was enough… their smile was enough.”
So why do we so often struggle and fight and beg for God to speak to us? Why isn’t reading Scripture, singing in worship and lifting up our life concerns to him in prayer enough. He is in all of those things. HE IS!
I hope this is an encouragement to you today and a call to be reminded that it’s not about what it said, it’s about being in the presence of our God, Creator, Lover and Savior.
Enjoy today and find time to BE in His presence without requiring to her Him.
SCK
