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I am more and more convinced that people do not experience the presence of God more for the following reasons (no particular order):
1. They were never taught how.
2. They were never taught to value the presence of God.
3. They feel unworthy, rejected, condemned or otherwise shunned by God and undeserving of His love.
4. They are so busy serving God that they miss out on being with Him.
5. They prefer a lower level of intimacy due to fear or control issues.
I'm sure there are more reasons. Maybe I will add to the list later.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
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I agree with your reasons. Not a lot of folks out there modeling this. Maybe another reason.... it doesn't come easy. Sometimes it's as if there's no connection. Also, it takes time. So, there's a cost involved,
ReplyDeleteBut he does promise that if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. Maybe it's just that it's hard to recognize when he does. or that he seems to build testing in to so much of life.
I also think we just don't read all scripture, Old and New, enough. By that I mean we just don't seem to realise that we can just sit down and read the Bible like we read any book. And that's where God is - in His word. That's where we'll find His presence.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I agree entirely on this. The presence of God is separate from His word - just as an embrace is separate from a love letter. That said, I think it is very possible to encounter the presence of God as we read His word. It is also possible in other ways, too - worship, nature, acts of service, prayer.
ReplyDeleteI should add to this list another reason people don't seek the presence of God - they have been taught that something else is His presence. For example, I have often been in situations where the presence of God is equated with being in a worship service when, in fact, His presence is really His presence in the room revealed in such a way that I can sense and experience that He is there.
I think I'm following what you are saying about people being mistaught regarding what the presence of God is, but I'd like for you to illuminate alittle more what you are saying above regarding the worship service scenario.
ReplyDeletethanks!!
Good question. I did not explain it very well in my comment.
ReplyDeleteI have been to (and led) many worship services where we sang songs and heard a sermon, but never encountered the presence of God. The songs were nice and the sermon was good, but no one in the church (including me) even conceived of the idea that when Jesus promised to be in our midst that we could actually feel and know He was there.
Often times, we say we are in the presence of God at church and what we mean is simply that He is there in an intangible, vague, unnoticed, omnipresent sort of way. That may be good enough for some people, but it is my heart's desire to have the Lord enter into our worship services in such a way that we all know it and experience it. When that happens, the whole concept of a church service is radically changed - and so are the people.