I’m re-reading a powerful little book that captured my attention 20 years ago.  It is called “Practicing His Presence”, journaling two men’s attempts to continually be in the presence of God. 

As soon as I opened it, I found some thoughts that are absolutely amazing.  Each of these deal with lessons the author learned about seeking out and remaining in the presence of God.  Where do we go wrong?  What should be the goal?  How do we seek and find His presence?

We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence, be continually conversing with Him.  That it was a shameful thing to quit His conversation, to think of trifles and fooleries.

Do I not spend too much of my time distracted by things far less useful, far less noble than the God of all creation?

That we should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of God, which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him.

Do I not tend to minimize God, rather than allowing the truth of who He is and what He has done nourish my soul?

That we out to quicken [activate, invigorate] our faith.  That it was lamentable we had so little; and that instead of taking faith for the rule of conduct, men amused themselves with trivial devotions, which changed daily.

Do I not replace a simple faith in God with a preoccupation with the complex rules of man?

That we ought to give ourselves up to God, with regard both to things temporal and spiritual, and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will, whether He lead us by suffering or by compassion, for all would be equal to a soul truly resigned.

Am I truly resigned to His will or am I not?  Am I willing to do anything He asks of me or am I not?  Have I truly given myself up to God or have I not?

Oh, there is great joy, abundant peace and overwhelming power when we find ourselves basking in the presence of the Lord our God!  He is worthy to consume our thoughts!  He is greater than anything we can imagine on our own!  He will take a little faith and move mountains with it!  He will change us in ways that glorify Him and benefit us!

If we can only practice His presence TODAY!

This post is a brief follow-up to last weekend’s message: “Choosing Better”.  Remember the lesson we learned from Mary?  She sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.

Mary chose to go counter-cultural, sitting where she wasn’t “supposed” to be.  Mary chose to ignore her to-do list.  Mary chose to put Jesus first, not last.  Mary chose to seize the moment and sit at the feet of her Rabbi, Teacher and Lord…and listen to Him.

Thank you Mary for showing us the better thing to do…the only thing that is necessary!  Thank you for the reminder that while there may be other important things to do in this world, they will only serve as distractions unless we first sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to Him.

I really like the New Living Translation version of this story, as it gives a slight variation on how to read the passage.

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)

The NIV translates the last verse as “Mary has chosen what is better”, while the NLT translates it “Mary has discovered it”.  I like that way of considering the story.  In one sense, we are to choose God, but in another sense we merely need to discover Him.  Perhaps combining the two terms would be useful.

We must to choose to discover God.

That is my prayer for myself and all of you.  That we would choose to discover God.  That we would choose the one thing that is necessary…Him.

Do you want to give a worthy sacrifice to God?  Do you want to honor Him?  Do you want God to reveal Himself to you?  Two words: give thanks!

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalms 50:23 (NLT)

I don’t usually think of giving thanks as a sacrifice, but it is.  Check out this definition from dictionary.com: “the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim”.

Giving thanks requires me to surrender myself to God.  It requires me to submit myself to Him and not focus on what I want Him to do.  Instead, it forces me to focus on what He has done.  Giving thanks recognizes that He has a higher and more pressing claim on me than I do.  Giving thanks is a natural and wonderful replacement for whining, complaining, arguing, envying, boasting and many other self-centered things.

So I did it this morning.  For several minutes I thanked Him…plain and simple.  And I pray that my thanksgiving was a worthy sacrifice to Him and that He was honored!

Enough people asked for some follow-up information from yesterday’s service that I thought I would do a quick post here.  The message centered around Psalm 119:105.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalms 119:105 (NIV)

Here are some follow-up resources you may find helpful in approaching and applying the Word of God to your life in this new year:

• A recent set of posts commenting on Tozer’s “The Pursuit of God”.
• One of a multi-part post about the specifics of spending time with God through His Word.
• Some resources on reading and meditating on God’s Word.
• Information on Grace Point’s Band of Brother’s gatherings.
• Information on Grace Point University, including upcoming classes.
• Information on Life Groups.

I hope one or more of these help!

As a follow-up to the message on worship yesterday, I want to recommend this song by Addison Road to you.  Michele pointed it out to me, and it is an AMAZING in both its musical simplicity and lyrical depth.  Please allow the words of the song to impact you.  Might they reflect part of Isaiah’s reaction in Isaiah 6:1-8.

What Do I Know of Holy?

I made You promises a thousand times

I tried to hear from Heaven

But I talked the whole time

I think I made You too small

I never feared You at all No

If You touched my face would I know You?

Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)

What do I know of You

Who spoke me into motion?

Where have I even stood

But the shore along Your ocean?

Are You fire? Are You fury?

Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?

What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out

I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about

How You were mighty to save

Those were only empty words on a page

Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be

The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)

(CHORUS 2)

What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?

And a God who gave life "its" name?

What do I know of Holy?

Of the One who the angels praise?

All creation knows Your name

On earth and heaven above

What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)

What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?

Thanks for everyone that prayed for my 24-hour unplug last week.  It was a great time roaming God’s creation, seeking His face and searching His Word.  I thought I’d give a short recap of what exactly I did while I was there.

On the way there I did two unthinkable things.  First, I didn’t listen to talk radio.  Second, though I’ve been to Otyokwah many times, I didn’t take the route I was familiar with.  Instead, I let my GPS get me there.  It took me a different route, and the new scenery and new route was both refreshing and unnerving.

When I got to Otyokwah, the familiar cabin was waiting for me.  Everything was in its place, but most comforting to me was the huge front porch and the fire ring full of leaves.  It was great to get there…and I fought the urge to start a fire right away.

Instead of starting a fire, I walked up to “Vesper Hill”.  It is probably the tallest spot at camp, and has a huge concrete cross at the top of the hill.  I stayed there for a while, enjoying the familiar surroundings and quiet reflection and prayer.

Then I went for a hike, which is when things got interesting.

During my hike I continued to enjoy nature and a great time of quiet reflection with God.  During the couple of hours I spent hiking I saw a bunch of signs for trails, but I ignored most of them, feeling confident that I knew where I was going. 

I planned on back to camp on the opposite side from which I had left.  I was surprised when I instead came out on a road about a mile from camp.  Thankfully, I recognized some landmarks that guided me safely back to the main Otyokwah entrance!  Ignoring the signs got me “lost”…following the landmarks got me back to camp.

Finally, it was time to start the fire, which burned from about 3pm until 9pm when it started raining.  I spent hours around the fire playing the guitar and praying.  I prayed so very intently for Michele and the boys.  I prayed over every adult and child in our church directory by name.  That is over 900 people, and it was truly an honor to pray for so many people in such a short time.

So, the time at Otyokwah was relaxing, refreshing and challenging.  Most of the 24-hours went just as I planned.  What I did NOT plan was the unexpected reminders of how important it is to follow God’s directions as I walk through my daily life. 

• The unfamiliar trip there reminded me that we are sometimes so comfortable with our lives that we miss something brand new that God may have in store for us…if only we’ll follow His directions.
• My hike reminded me of how easy it is to lose my way in life, even when it seems like I’m covering ground I’ve covered many times before.  If I fail to follow His directions, I’ll inevitably get lost.
• The landmarks that guided me back to camp reminded me of God’s faithfulness to bring me home when I stray from Him.  He will provide the landmarks I need to return, but I’ve got to be paying attention.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. Psalms 119:105-106 (NLT)

It was a great 24-hours, and I can’t wait to do it again!

I am headed out for a 24-hour “unplug” at Camp Otyokwah this morning.  I’m hoping to unplug from the day-to-day world so that I can refocus on God’s kingdom.  I want to dedicate some time to be refreshed and be challenged by the nearness of God.  My supplies will be my Bible, guitar and pen/paper.

I’m taking two Psalms with me as “starting points” for my time in the Word.

The first comes from Centri-Kid church camp in 2005, where the pastor taught from Psalm 73.  It has remained one of my favorite passages as it describes a life totally focused on God, a life that recognizes that the “nearness of God is my good”.

Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works. Psalms 73:23-28 (NASB)

The second is Psalm 63, were the Psalmist describes a longing for God and the deep satisfaction that comes from finding Him.  By the way, the “lovingkindness” described in this verse is the same word I blogged about a week or so ago.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalms 63:1-8 (NASB)

I would be honored and grateful if you would pray for me over the next 24 hours.  Pray that I would seek God with my whole heart and with few distractions.  Pray that I would find Him and be refreshed.