Being with Him

I know that this "routine" kind of life that we are living is good for the twins as well as the rest of the kids.  I knew that it would be a challenge for me but I also knew that it is what the kids needed, especially the little guys.  God is healing them, bit by bit and making the rest of the family more and more like Him, again bit by bit.  That is what His purpose in our lives is, to make us more and more like Jesus (Rom. 8:29).  He will use anything at His disposal to fulfill that purpose of making each one of us more like Jesus.  So the key is to let Him do it, to seek Him through the hardship, through the difficult circumstances, through the suffering.  It is easy to say but not so easy to do sometimes. 

I have been thinking about something lately and preaching it as well when I have opportunity.  Why did God do all that He did when you look at Genesis through to Jesus's death on the cross?   Starting with the fall of man, the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden God then put in motion His rescue plan.  He would teach mankind who He was, that He was holy, before anything else, His Holiness would come first.  He taught us more through the story of Abraham and Isaac, the passover, the parting of the red sea,  wandering 40 years in the wilderness, the arrival of Jesus- God in the flesh, His amazing life and horrible death, the darkening of the earth at mid-day, the earth quake and finally the tearing of the temple veil.
He went to some pretty extreme lengths that is for sure!  Why did He do that?  Was it to save us from an eternity without Him, an eternity in Hell?  Yes.  But it was more than that.  Did He do all He did so that we could go to church every Sunday?  No.  So that we could listen to the Pastor each Sunday?  No.  So that we could read our Bibles?  No.  So that we could memorize scripture?  No.  These are all good and important things to do, but they aren't why God did all that He did.

The answer lies in Jn. 10:10.  Jesus said - "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly."  The "they" is us.  The word "life" doesn't just refer to eternal life.  It can mean eternal life in Greek but it also means life here and now.  My point?  God did all that He did so that we could have life right now!  And where is life found?  IN HIS PRESENCE.  So here is the question, we know that God is everywhere all the time, but are we conscious of it?  Do we consciously go into the Holy of Hollies now that the temple veil is torn?  He did an amazing miracle in tearing that veil that was huge and thick!  He was speaking very loudly that He wants us to come in, to commune with Him, to abide in Him!  Do you?  Do I?

We can read our bibles, we can listen to sermons, we can pray and make no mistake, they are all vital things that Christ followers should do on a regular basis and they are designed to guide us in our time in His presence, but none of them on their own are guaranteed to change us!  There is only one thing that is guaranteed to change us, His presence.

I have known people who read their bibles and leave unchanged.  I have known people who listen to sermons and leave unchanged.  I have know people who have prayed and have left unchanged but I have never known anyone who has truly been in God's presence and has left unchanged.  It doesn't happen.  We will find life in His presence and we will be changed!

So please make it a practice of consciously going into the "holy of hollies" and realize who you are communing with.  The Holy God of Israel!  Be reverent, be serious and be quiet!  If He is the master and we are the servant, we should do more listening than talking.