Have you ever been given a word of advice but you've never really received it? It may have come through a trusted friend who ventured into the realm of "danger" with you by offering some unsolicited admonishment or suggestion or perhaps it came more innocuously by way of something you read. But either way, you heard a "message in it for me" but perhaps chose to not act on the word.
There have been a few occasions in my spiritual walk where I have found myself being "prompted" by something, or more appropriately Someone, but I've not moved on it as quickly as I likely should have. It is something akin to what Jack Deere writes in his book "Surprised By The Voice of God" as the "internal voice." An inaudible, but yet fully clarified "voice" of something (again more appropriately Someone), calls to the listener and awaits a response.
Camping out in Psalm 27 this week, I've wondered if David had a similar experience.
"Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior."
Ps. 27:7-9
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior."
Ps. 27:7-9
There are times I know, beyond any reasonable doubt, that God is calling me "closer." My heart has said, "seek His face" and I know cognitively I have been invited, but I hesitate and resist the movement closer to His face. Most often, the hesitancy rests in me and my laziness or perhaps my fear of what I will see of myself in His awesome reflective countenance.
As for David though, I love His pursuit of the "face of God." He pleads that God not "hide his face from him." What an incredible testimony to the depths of their mutual relationship. His face I will seek!
I long to be more like David and act on the "invitation" of the Lord, don't you? My heart says, "Seek His face" and that is precisely what I long to do.
How about you? How many invitations from God to "seek His face" have you let pass? What do you do to follow through on those incredible invitations? What amazing experiences await those who do, indeed, "seek His face?"
If you don't mind sharing, I'd like to know what you think...
As for David though, I love His pursuit of the "face of God." He pleads that God not "hide his face from him." What an incredible testimony to the depths of their mutual relationship. His face I will seek!
I long to be more like David and act on the "invitation" of the Lord, don't you? My heart says, "Seek His face" and that is precisely what I long to do.
How about you? How many invitations from God to "seek His face" have you let pass? What do you do to follow through on those incredible invitations? What amazing experiences await those who do, indeed, "seek His face?"
If you don't mind sharing, I'd like to know what you think...
3 comments:
Christopher,
Your words really hit me between the eyes tonight. God's been revealing some things in me he want to change and as a result I need to make a few phone calls and eat some humble pie. That's HARD for me to do. It's been over a week and I still haven't made those phone calls. . . . You can ask me Sunday how they went.
I'm hanging out in Psalm 139 asking God to continue his "reveal."
As I was reading your post, I had one thing keeping coming in my mind. I have found that when I am not in the word as much as I should be, my bible seems to pop up every time I turn around. I look it at with a passing glance and move on. When I have passed it about the 5th or 6th time in one day, I begin to realize that God is calling me (rather beating me over the head with a 2 x 4) and I am ignoring Him. I think sometimes I'm afraid of what He is going to reveal to me. And usually it's those times that I need to in the word the most. Thanks for the eye opening reminder.
I can certainly relate. I get godly "nudges" and when I do act on them, the exchange is usually profoundly meaningful. As for the "fear" factor... I believe elevated "godly fear" is a sign of increasing intimacy with the Father. Consider how many godly encounters in scripture reference "fear." The numbers are signficant!Thanks for commenting!
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