The clock has swung well past the midnight hour and I sit restless in my recliner pretending to doze here and there. The atmosphere is dark. The halls are quiet. The mind is restless. The Spirit of Jesus is stirring. But resistance is the nature of this man tonight. When a mind is set and a decision is made, the hardest thing to do is change it even when sound advice is given. Tick, tick, tick… I find no resolve or satisfaction in my distractions. Thankfully this is a struggle I give in to.
Hearing the voice of God is never easy, nor is it timely. The time table we set is not always one the Father uses. Jesus reminded us once that we wouldn’t know the day or the hour of His second arrival, but does this apply to other things as well? You betcha! After all these years studying, seeking, and looking for God, I’ve come to know something about Him, He likes to make an entrance. He has this novel idea that this world is really about Him!
Sundays are often days that church going Christians gather. It brings a unity and fellowship that adds to the desire for God. It is usually one to two hours of festivities and then they break and go separate ways. For the believers, the time set apart for church is to get a tangible taste, a touching scripture, and feeling of God. We call the feelings: glory bumps, electric, a heavy presence, and many other things, but we definitely know we have touched heaven because the congregation is reaching out in response to His call.
As a believer in Christ the gathering of the saints is a basic command, but it is not the only command. If we are to model our relationship with the Father, like Jesus did, then we must develop to know God more often than Sunday mornings. Jesus would meet the crowds and fellowship with them performing healings and relaying His Father’s message. But how could he do that? Because the Lord would often step away from the crowds and apostles to be alone with His Dad. Some much needed one on one time. Then He would gather with the apostles and fellowship with them and they would seek God in a way only small groups could. This would begin to prep and infill the apostles to be able to share when the larger gatherings occurred. And so the filling up and giving out came freely.
But it took time and selflessness to meet the demand. It was an orchestrated set of sequences that the Father used to keep the Spirit fresh and moving. The call was to come, but the time was the difference. Sometimes it was the early morning gatherings. Sometimes it was the evening escapes on the mountain tops. Sometimes it was the drifting on the boats. But the important part was Jesus would respond when His Dad called and I would venture to say without delay.
Smile and allow this little story to encourage you this day and heed when he calls. Don’t let an opportunity slip away because of a preset decision. It may be the very call you have been waiting for. The choice is yours to squander or not.
Godspeed, The Journeyman
Ps. Today’s readings begin with: Matthew 14, Mark 13, Luke 4 & 5, and Hebrews 10. Enjoy the journey!
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