I struggled yesterday with a feeling of something I just could not shake. Something was, is, different and I could not put my finger on it. I tried to figure it out without success. To say that it was very frustrating is a mild understatement! Then I found myself in the Russian Baths.
It is hard to explain just how relaxing the combination of air @ 190+ degrees is with water @ 38, but it is completely invigorating! As I recovered from the stress of the day, I realized God is just like the heat of the sauna. One can run, hide, and have cold water thrown on them with no lasting impact. If one stays in the presence, they will be totally, completely, absolutely permeated with the experience. To the uninitiated, the experience may say strange, harsh, or even cruel, but to the people who have tasted the outcome the process is pure joy!
This weekend I fulfilled a task for God. I did not seek the experience. I know I carried my doubts along with me before the time to act. The difference was, and I did not understand it at the time, that God’s presence was there all along – taking care of my uncertainties, guiding each moment. There were times that my forward progress seems to lose momentum, or pause, but the purpose of the instruction was always clear and in sight.
Why is any of this relevant to me now or to you? Simple, God keeps his word. You can depend on it with absolute certainty. His word for you is simple.
He loves you unconditionally, exactly as you are.
He has prepared a special place in his heart for you.
He is waiting; ready for the moment you want Him to open the door for your big entrance.
He has no motive other than for you to experience heaven today, tomorrow, and every day that follows.
What should you do with God’s presence? “Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world lies through its teeth.” (Romans 3.4)
