The Perfect Union

Wow.

It's been a minute.

But reading this devotional today, I was prompted to write many things down.  This devotional was short, but it took me a while to "get it."

Sometimes, we sit down to do our devotional (a.k.a., readings) and other things start to creep in - "When is our family member going to wake up and interrupt me?  I need to hurry!"  "What is that noise?"  "What do I need to do today?" "What time is it? I'm running late and losing my day."

 I often feel like I start out fully focused and then slowly lose the closeness to God, the ability to hear Him, and the concentration I need to keep going.  

I think that's what started happened when I got to this devotion.  So, I kept going back to digest it.

I hope my sharing it here comes to you at the time you are able to "hear" it.  Because this is a really good, and quite frankly, meaty little devotion thrown out there in the midst of a simple YouVersion plan.

Go slow, digest, and think about the words below.  Happy Sunday my friends.  You are loved.

The Christian life is meant to be marked by union with God. By the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, the Holy Spirit now dwells within us—longing to make his nearness known. He longs for his perfect love and peace to be the foundation of everything we do, think, and feel. 

Brother Lawrence wrote about a life lived in continual communion with God in the book, The Practice of the Presence of God. He said “I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of GOD. For my part I keep myself retired with Him in the depth of centre of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing; but the least turning from Him is insupportable.” The more we grow in our knowledge of the profound union that exists between our spirit and the Holy Spirit, the more we will discover our great need of his tangible, constant presence.

Maybe you are at a place where you don't feel like you really know God. Maybe you know about him but don’t know him like a friend. In describing the process of coming to know God, Brother Lawrence wrote, “In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.” An amazing transformation takes place in our hearts as our souls awake to our union with God. His love has the power to ignite us toward a lifestyle of seeking greater communion with him. 

In many ways our God is infinitely more knowable than any person. Because God is spirit and now dwells within the hearts of believers, he is perfectly able to reveal himself in deeper, more knowable ways than you have access to with anyone else. He has the ability to reveal his thoughts, feelings, power, love, and will moment by moment and in ways that surpass the miscommunication that language often brings. He speaks straight from his Spirit to yours that you may truly know him to greater depths than anyone else. The question is not can we know God, but are we willing to center our lives around the knowledge of him. 

Take time in guided prayer to experience union with God. Ask him to reveal his nearness that you might know him in deeper, more tangible ways. May your day be marked by God’s presence and love moment by moment as you seek to walk with him in all you do. 

Your God is both patient and kind. He longs to be with you so you might know his peace. He longs for the foundation of your life to be his love. Seek his face throughout your day today that your life may be marked by his nearness. Don’t settle for an ordinary day, but strive for the fullness of life God has for you. May your life be marked by a moment to moment knowledge of God’s nearness and love. 

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6