Though I don’t always recognize or acknowledge God’s presence in my life, if I would try to be more aware and tuned in, I might see God. God might just give me a glimpse of himself,  and I will look and see him. It may sound crazy to say that I see God, or have seen God, but all of us have. We have the potential to see him at his pleasure and initiative, not of our own efforts or by our will. We need him to reveal himself and we need to be there to see. Scripture says that “no one has ever seen God”, so how is it that I or you can say that we have?

       We can say that we have seen him because God has reached out to us and made himself known. We see God revealed in nature and many of us connect with him or see him in the ocean, the trees, a sunset or in the face of a child. These are but just a few ways that we notice our creator God. Places or faces that somehow resonate within us and show us God and let us see him and learn something about him and ourselves in relationship to him. We see him in his Word and there too, we learn something of him and of ourselves. We see a very personal God. We learn how important it is that we are to him and from the very beginning how he showed himself to us. We get more than a burning bush, we get to see the invisible God in the person of Jesus. God in flesh, who physically lived, laughed, and cried with us. Sharing in our humanity and ultimately dying for us.

        God has, and is continually showing himself  to us but we don’t always see. Sometimes it is in such overwhelming ways that we can’t believe what we are seeing. Many times we are too busy to notice. Preoccupied with ourselves and the cares of the world, we have no time to be there to see him.  Sometimes when we do catch sight of him at a particular place or in a particular way, we seem only to look for him there. Often times missing those other glimpses given to us because we don’t expect him to show up there. Perhaps, we just need to intentionally pray that God would show up for us in and when he desires. And that when that occurs in our everyday lives, as it does, we would be able to say, I see you God.

        All of us see God in many diverse ways. How is it that you are able to say, I see you God?

As I am writing this it is early, very early Christmas eve. I have been thinking of new life, of babies, of poverty and considering the gift that was given to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Specifically, I have been pondering our poverty and need. I know that I am lacking and in need, all of us are. We generally may realize that we have material or physical needs, but we have need in far many more ways than those. The human condition, shows us our need and where we are lacking, be it  emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. God knows this and cares for us in ways that we do not recognize and often times fail to understand. Though we plumb the depths, try as we might we do not grasp fully God’s love for us.

As a baby comes into this world, it is readily apparent that he or she has needs that have to be met for their very survival and that without the intervention of a loving parent the baby will not thrive and develop as they should. As they continue towards adulthood those needs do not change they just may be met in different ways. God our father, knows where we as people lack and what need we have. He knows the ways in which we have tried in ourselves to meet those needs and the failure that brings.We were not meant to be self-sufficient.  From the very beginning we were meant to be interdependent with one another and totally dependent upon him. God used the birth of Jesus and his life to model that for us.

Because of God’s great love for us he sent his Son Jesus as a baby. A baby who was simultaneously interdependent with other human beings while at the same time modeling for us his dependency on the Father.  An infant receiving love and care from man and love and care from God. Love is what we need.  God knows us and gave us this great gift of His Son. May we spend time reflecting on what this gift means to us.  Have a blessed and joyous Christmas.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

Moon with Clouds by Wives digital

While working late this evening into well beyond dawn the next day, I had the chance to read in the Common Lectionary Psalm 63. The Psalm is attributed to David, and he is being pursued and persecuted. He is in the wilderness. While in this place he is reflecting and seeking after God. I don’t know about you, but I have been at that place of seeking after God in the wilderness. I have cried out to him, searching and struggling to make sense of what is going on in my life and yet knowing deep down that the Lord cares for me and has been with me in and through it all.

During my reading of the Psalm, what I latch onto in particular are the verses 5 – 7. David writes, “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” (ESV)

David is not where he expected to be at this point in his life. He was uncomfortable, he was being hunted and he was in the wilderness. He was not in a cozy palace somewhere with all the trappings and security of a King. He too is at a place of questions without satisfying answers. He is also reflecting on the God who cares for him. And it is during the watches of the night, as he seeks after the Lord, that he finds and proclaims abundance. He begins with a search, thirst and hunger and finds abundance.

In Psalm 130:6, David again writes, “I long for the Lord more than Watchmen long for the dawn, yes, more than Watchmen long for the dawn.” It seems to me that David is a Watchman, not only in the traditional sense, but also in his attentiveness and intentional seeking after and waiting upon the Lord. A watchman was a sentinel who stood watch over the city or encampment for about four hours at a time. In Davids day they used the military term watches as a way of time keeping ad there would be three watches throughout the night. To be a watchman required discipline and focus. You needed to have the intention of paying attention during your watch, as survival was at stake.

How many of us have been at the place of being up in the middle of the night because of some situation or struggle going on in our lives or in the lives of others? As I said before, I have been at that place. Sometimes the Lord uses those sleepless moments to get a hold of us. But to find the abundance that David is speaking of we need to be alert and intentional. We need to be open and honest with God, sharing, listening and waiting upon Him.

Do you ever take an inventory of your personal fitness level? If so what is it that you consider being fit? Maybe it is that you can no longer “pinch that inch”, or that you are no longer out of breath when you climb the stairs. Perhaps it something much greater than that. More than likely it has components of strength, flexibility, agility, and cardio.

These are things that we take into consideration when trying to judge our personal physical fitness. But when we begin to take stock of the Kingdom of God and our place in it, are we fit for it? How is it that we are to evaluate our spiritual level of conditioning? In Scripture we have the words of Jesus in the Beatitudes and the teaching of Paul on the fruits of the Spirit, as prime examples of the level of fitness that is expected of those who are a part of God’s Kingdom. To live and move with that quality of spiritual health and vitality requires us to submit ourselves to the wisdom, experience and expectations of Jesus. It is not something that we do alone. We are to do it with His guidance by the Holy Spirit, yielding ourselves totally to Him.  As with any fitness program we will need to begin with small steps. We also need to be aware that we will not always like or agree with the training methods imposed by our coach. But as we progress, our faith and trust in him and our ability to yield ourselves to the process will grow.

We are also in training with others. Not just those present with us, but those cloud of witnesses before us and those who come after us. Those who are across physical borders and cultural boundaries as well. Part of God’s training plan requires us to rub shoulders, get bruised and dirty with people who are just like us. People who are broken and limited and in need of God’s grace and mercy just like you and me.  We are to encourage, push and prod one another so that we can move beyond our personal limitations and live like Christ in His Kingdom.

There is a yielding on our part as we follow God’s plan for us. There is a faithfulness and responsibility that is required of us too. And yes there are some keys to this fitness that we need to maintain, because as humans our fitness levels can be in constant flux. We just need to trust the coach, we need to listen and follow after him.

What are some of the ways in which you Follow the coach? Do you always agree with the training plan? How is it that you are trying to be fit for the Kingdom?

Photo by: Method Fitness

When thinking about your options, or when going through your own personal decision making process, do you use your gut? We all have a process that we use whether we know it or not, that we go through when trying to make decisions. We may list the pros and cons, we may research, we may follow a trusted adviser, we may pray, but though we don’t all acknowledge it, we at some level use our gut or intuition. I myself do all those things and more depending upon the weight of the choice that I am making. But more and more I am trying to listen to my gut.  I am trying to pay attention to my intuition even in the small choices that you and I make daily.

Obviously, some of us are more adept at reading those seemingly nebulous, can’t put your finger on it sensations. Many of us even ignore them, thinking that our logic or intellect is the only way to go. But there are some who rely heavily on those sensations and believe that they are there for us to pay attention and listen to as a means of God given guidance. I too believe that those intuitions or senses are something that God hard wired into all of us. We all can look back at how many times it is those sensations that have kept us out of harms way or drawn us to certain people or situations that have been for our benefit.

So what does it take for us to begin to hear those intuitive voices? What are  some ways to cultivate those gifts of God in our lives? First of all, how about reflecting on those very times when your intuition or the intuition of others moved you on the right path. Or those times when you ignored your gut and found your self in places or situations that could have been avoided. Secondly, slow down, take time to listen. Give yourself the space needed to follow. Ask God to show you and to help you integrate those sensations into your daily process.

Following your gut is not at the expense of all the other steps that we take as we make choices. We need to consider what the Word of God says, we need to research and list the pros and cons, we need the time and space to consider and mull over things as we decide what to do or where to go. Our gut feelings take into consideration all of those things and more.  It is perhaps a synthesis of all of these things, our intuition.  Maybe it is just a way given to us to take it all in and in those times of great need or when our time to decide is quick our gut intuition speeds the process up and we instinctively choose. Whatever it is fully, or how it truly all works I don’t know, but It is certainly God given and for our benefit.

How do you decide? How intuitive are you? How has God used those gifts in your life as you try to navigate your way in this world?