Finding God

We hear people say they need to “find the Lord.” Sometimes they believe that can only happen in a church service. That is to say, they may have concluded that spiritual direction is somehow separate and apart from the events of daily life. Not only do they believe that spiritual direction is separate from the rest of life, but that God is separate, and must be sought out in special places and through special words or rituals.

But the simple truth is that God is always present to us. We only need to open our hearts and minds to experience the ever-present love, strength and hope of He who made us. Proverbs 8:17 says, “Those who seek me diligently will find me.”

What an incredible feeling we have when we first realize that the good things we have been taught about the Lord are real! He is alive and He loves us. He waits in our hearts to bring the wholeness that we have desperately desired.

Talking to God

It is not fashionable to say that we “talk to the Lord,” but that is what we must allow ourselves to do. We must learn to lay down our burdens and express our joys and hopes to this reliable friend who is the source of truth and order. Then we must wait and listen for the wisdom He will impart to our minds and hearts.

This will not happen in a flash. The process of friendship with God grows slowly. It begins with our hearts when we genuinely desire to know Him. As we open ourselves to Him we will be drawn closer to His heart. It is a process that all those who desire to have the living presence of God within them will experience. There are many who know about the Lord and His saving grace. Many have accepted Him as savior, but not all have yet experienced the fullness and intimacy of His loving presence.

Prayer is the essential element in communicating with the Lord, but it is not the actual presence of the Lord. It is the way that one realizes the Presence that determines the form of God's manifestation. When one believes with all of their heart that God will be Present in an activity then God's presence will be perceived. God is Present. That is to say that belief is the key to unlocking the power of His presence.

His Presence

It is when we acknowledge His presence that we actuate the awareness of His presence. That is to say that God is the initiator and implementer of our noblest behavior. When we cultivate the art of listening for His voice and respond to His guidance, we will be formed and shaped in accordance to His directed will.

When people are able to experience the presence of the Almighty as the constant source of their life, they begin to realize that life is ordained to purpose. Life is never happenstance, however it is often misdirected. Frustration is the result that thwarts our progression when we refuse to follow our inherent awareness of God's direction for our life.

People appeal for the “will of God” in matters of great importance. Yet too often they fail to understand that God is present in every aspect of daily life. The choices that people make are the building blocks of their relationship with our living Lord. It is in the choices made that we must learn to cooperate with the ever-loving, ever-present Creator.

It is essential to understand that our relationship with God is the ultimate condition of life. It is a condition that is not attainable through study or church attendance. One must simply allow it to be. That is to say that God is fully aware of the details of our lives, when we seek our deepest heartfelt thoughts to direct our choices we will discover the will of the Father.

Following God

A loving Eternal Parent uniquely created us and gave purpose to our lives. The mission in the life of each individual is to fulfill his or her God-given purpose. When this occurs, the peace that passes understanding will permeate their life allowing them to become productive contributors in the plan of Almighty God. All of life is so ordered that each person has been designated to assist with the completion of the plan of God.

Individuals must conform to the thought process that enables them to render assistance to those who are less fortunate than themselves. This is a basic tenant of life. When the thought process is one of self-concern the focus then becomes distorted and one becomes an extension of themselves rather than that of the God they serve. This causes the distortion that is present in their daily life.

God has ordained the way of life and the means to live that way. This is accomplished through the words and actions of his people in the world. It is when we obey our Creator, that we dispel the darkness that permeates the world at large. Our words and thought must be grounded in the spiritual realm if they are to change the course of life.