My friend was struggling with his life. If, it was going to go wrong, it did for him. Each time I talked with him, something more challenging had occurred. Difficult, hard things happened over and over. He described himself as burned out and over the edge. He prayed desperate prayers of release. Then. He woke up one night and literally knew God was present. He said he had always thought he was a good Christian but he had kept his distance, barely thinking about the fact that God could be or actually was fully present.
"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!" (John 14:15-17, The Message)
The reality of life changes when we become aware, acknowledge, and believe GOD is present. In other words, to experience the presence of God is to be changed. To see the presence of God, our spiritual eyes must be wide open. It's through the powerful gift of grace, we've been given the opportunity to receive a love that frees us from blindness to see the Truth of Reality. When we do see, our perspective changes, we realize the power is the presence of God, not the stuff of life.
When we are no longer blind to the presence of God, discouragement and fear dissipate, courage and faith increase. It really goes back to what John Newton wrote centuries ago:
Amazing GRACE, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Be changed through God's grace.
Open your eyes wide and see God.
Learning to Kickstart the day seeing the presence of God,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
The thing is . . . we often miss seeing God is present . . . because we allow the stuff of life to blind us.Consider the Message:
"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!" (John 14:15-17, The Message)
The reality of life changes when we become aware, acknowledge, and believe GOD is present. In other words, to experience the presence of God is to be changed. To see the presence of God, our spiritual eyes must be wide open. It's through the powerful gift of grace, we've been given the opportunity to receive a love that frees us from blindness to see the Truth of Reality. When we do see, our perspective changes, we realize the power is the presence of God, not the stuff of life.
When we are no longer blind to the presence of God, discouragement and fear dissipate, courage and faith increase. It really goes back to what John Newton wrote centuries ago:
Amazing GRACE, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Be changed through God's grace.
Open your eyes wide and see God.
Learning to Kickstart the day seeing the presence of God,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)