Tag: Intimacy with God

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The hope of the practice of the presence of God

For as long as I can remember the most fundamental thing I’ve known about reality is that there is an all-powerful, all-loving God who is attentive to us and present in all. This is the bedrock truth influencing and overshadowing everything else.

But, for me, this awareness about God has been partnered with an enduring frustration. Why can’t I retain awareness of God and God’s presence as I live through my life each day? If God holds this prime position in reality, then shouldn’t this colour everything? Yet, much of the time, how I experience the world – what draws and retains my attention, where my thoughts dwell, how my feelings are influenced, the sensations in my body – seems disconnected from that fundamental truth.

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The invitation of Jesus

There is a cry repeated throughout scripture and one that is voiced numerous times by the Son of God himself. Jesus says,

“Come to me.”

Here are just a few instances where this is found in the Bible: Isaiah 55:1-3, Matthew 11:28-30, numerous verses in John 6, Revelation 22:17.

I wonder if often we, myself included, fail to do just this. It is as if we are happy to do things for God, to talk about “God stuff”, to read books about God, to sing and listen to songs about God, to even speak to God. But do we take the time to actually come to him? What would that look like if we did and how would it be different? And what does this mean in practice?

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Hearing God part 2 – How does God speak?

When I was younger, I was terribly frustrated that the Bible didn’t give a blueprint for how to hear God. For it doesn’t. I expressed my frustration to a wise person that I know (also known as my Dad). He said to me that the reason God doesn’t do this is that he speaks in an infinite variety of ways. And he speaks to each person differently. If the Bible told us one way we would all be looking for that one way, instead we have to learn, to seek, and to find. Instead, we each get to go on the incredible adventure of discovering how God speaks to us.

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Worry or Trust – which will I choose?

Fear, worry, anxiety – these are common feeding grounds for many of us. This is where we spend much of our time and much of our mental capacities. But as a follower of Christ, we know that we should be different. If you have followed Jesus for any length of time, I am sure you have heard something to the effect, “don’t worry, you just need to trust God”. But, in my experience, that “just” is far easier to say than to do.

The Bible is full of verses about fear, anxiety and worry. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, we hear the call to not be afraid. This is both comforting and confronting. We can find solace in the fact that worry, fear and anxiety are not new to us, not problems rooted in our day. Instead, they are as old as time itself, or at least as old as the first humans that walked on this planet. It seems that human beings have always walked in fear. But, the resounding cry of the Bible is that the people of God are to be different. That we are a people set apart and marked by peace and trust.

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Why is it so hard to accept that God loves us?

In Christian circles, we are often bombarded with the words “God loves you”, we hear them in our churches, small groups, Christian books, and in song, both those that we listen to and the ones we sing in church. But, there seems to be a problem, a significant disconnect, between hearing these words and coming to embrace them as words that depict our personal experience. That, indeed, has been my journey.

Perhaps you have never struggled with this concept at all, that is wonderful, may you be profoundly and abundantly blessed in every way, feel free to read no further. But if you have, I hope that the following may be of some service to you.

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Tell me about Jesus

I’m not really a fan of small talk. I know my personality type has a lot to answer for here, but as an INFJ, I would rather just skip the small talk, and talk instead about what really matters. Don’t get me wrong, I can talk about the weather just like anyone who has lived for any length of time in this southern city at the bottom of the world. I know that social norms dictate small talk as a safe and comfortable place to converse, I get that many would much rather stay there than delve into meaning and depth of connection.

But if I had a choice, and if I thought anyone would respond with even a little enthusiasm, this would be the question I would ask: Tell me about Jesus, please? Not just about what you know of him or what you have read about him, but tell me about him. What does he say to you, and how does he say it? What does he look like? Can you describe him for me? How have you found him?

Perhaps, you know nothing of this Jesus and these questions strike you as being profoundly odd, if so please continue reading, I hope what follows brings you a little clarity, perhaps you might also like to read this.

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Longing for God and the Gift of the Desert

For many years I longed for God. I wanted to know him, to see him, for a depth of relationship that was neither superficial nor non-existent. But while this was the longing and cry of my heart, my experience was far different. Despite my efforts, God seemed remote. I would read my Bible, I would pray, but the times that God appeared to draw near were rare. For me, this was my reality for more than fifteen years.

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