BelovedSample

SPENDING TIME WITH GOD

Do you see God as a real person, wanting to be with us and creating opportunities to do so?

Over and over throughout the Bible, God shows how much He wants to be near us. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve, filled the temple with His glory, became flesh and dwelt among us, and gives us this vision of our eternal destiny: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3 ESV).

Recently I’ve been meditating a lot on Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (ESV).

It’s a crazy thought that right now, even as you read this, Jesus is knocking on the door, desiring to sit and eat with you. And the kind of meal that Jesus wants to have with you is not hurried but a prolonged enjoyable feast.

We get worried and distracted by so many things, but only one thing is necessary. We need to be more like Mary, who chose the better portion of sitting at Jesus’ feet, or like David, who says,

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 ESV)

I used to think these were just pretty words. Almost poetic hyperbole. “One thing”? Really, David? Not safety from your enemies? Not success in battle? Not the welfare of your family? Just dwelling in God’s house?

The older I get, the more I understand that David was not exaggerating.

Those who have tasted the sweetness of focused time in His presence know that it is the one thing that actually satisfies our souls.

Prayer: Today spend unhurried time in both “speaking prayer” and “listening prayer” with God.