I Want to Know You More, Really!

I Want to Know You More, Really!

Isaiah 6: 1-5 NKJV
 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
3And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
 the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

One translation renders verse 3 as, “More holy than the holiest holiness is ADONAI-Tzva'ot! (The Lord of Hosts or the Lord Almighty) The whole earth is filled with his glory!"

   I write a lot about spending more time with God in His Presence.  But I know a couple of reasons why it’s not done more.  One reason is laziness.  We live in an instant world so we want an instant relationship with God the Father.  Why spend hours reading and praying and meditating on Him and His Word?  Just punch up a Bible passage on your laptop or tablet, scan it, and your done!  Instant Christianity!
Another reason is that spending quality time with God is a fearsome thing for most of us.  Often when I pray, I have to come face to face with unanswered questions, unresolved hurts, and unconfessed sins.  At times like this, God is not a Holy fascination but a reminder of my own shortcomings.
   I will confess that at times when I pray, I am reminded of loved ones who have passed away.  I prayed for healing for them, but they’re dead anyway.  And sometimes when I pray, I am filled with grief over broken promises and mistakes I’ve made.  Not pleasant things to be reminded of.
   And, continuing to confess here, I sense His Holiness and His Glory and sometimes it fills me with wonder and awe but sometimes it fills me with a sense of, “why am I here?  I don’t belong here!”  Talking to honest Christians I’ve found that this happens to others as well.  As opposed to the Christians who say that everything is “Fine!” all the time.  They could be in a car wreck and have a leg half torn off and if you ask them how they are, they’ll say, “Fine!”  Well, I’m not a “Fine! All the time, Fine!” kind of Christian.  I find myself filled with doubts and remorse in His Presence at times; and it’s not a comfortable feeling.
   But I really do want to know Him more.  So what do I do when my conscience bothers me when I pray?  Our conscience bothers us because we are not products of this world, but belong in another one; a holy one and a pure one, a world with this Holy God as the centerpiece. Yet we live in this world with its cesspool of sin and we get dirty, too and when we pray we know we’re not perfect and yet we’re praying to a perfect God.  It's natural for us to feel like failures as Christians because of that reason.
   If we draw close to God, and deal with the sin in our lives, and let God heal us, and accept that we will not have answers to all our questions, then we will begin to let more of Him into our hearts.  The more of God we let into ourselves, the more we will become like Him and the less we’ll feel like we belong here in this sinful world.
   If we will not meditate on Him and His word, we will never know Him.  Short Bible readings and quick, cookie-cutter prayers will not reveal God to our hearts.  The Bible speaks of Him and leads us to Him, and only through its Words will we come to know Him.  If you have never just prayed for the sake of basking in His presence, if you’ve never just wanted to look into His face, you’ll never know His joy.

Stephen Cram                         August 21, 2011                Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Visit the blog at http://stephencram.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment.