More than a feeling

I just have to thank God for everything that He is doing in my life! Though I can not see most of it and I do not feel at my best, I know that Gods hand is upon my life and there is no area (not even one) that’s out of His reach or control. Sometimes I just get so caught up in that moment of light affliction, but it is truly only for a moment in time and is in no way comparable to the glory Christ will reveal in the time to come. I am thankful to be standing on The Rock. My friends may fail me, my family may fail me, my job may fail me, my pastors may fail me, but my God is the most faithful and consistent one in my life and I know that He will never fail me.

When we are in the storm it’s hard to see, think, or even imagine how we are going to get out, but we must remember our God. There is no storm too big for Him. He is our God of peace, Jehovah Shalom, and we have the fullness of God’s spirit living on the inside of us. The same power that conquered the grave & calmed the storm of the raging seas dwells in the inside of me even when I do not “feel” it.

There have been many times I’ve been at churches and I’ve heard people, even some leaders say that the atmosphere is too “thick”, meaning that there’s opposition & it’s very hard to feel or get into the presence of God. I’ve heard it said many times but only recently did I realize that just because the atmosphere feels “thick” doesn’t necessarily mean that its because of some type of oppression from the enemy.

I was reminded of Moses. When God descended in the form of fire on top of Mount Sinai the entire mountain was filled with so much smoke, like that which you would see coming from a brick kiln. Still Moses pressed through the smoke, endured the heat, and made his way to the top of the mountain. It was in that place, after much endurance that he met with God and received the “Ten Commandments”.

How much more should we press into the presence of God?! It all goes back to going beyond what we feel. So many times I’ve found myself guilty of saying I don’t “feel” God, or His presence, but the truth is God is so much more than a “feeling”. Whether we “feel” Him or not He is still there, He is still God. So many times I have run across people who say if they would just play this one song, of if I attend this church service, or this conference, then I will feel the presence of God.

But we can not continue to run to other things to find our source to God, even those that are “good” things can not replace a true relationship with God and can easily turn into idols. We have the fullness of God dwelling on the inside of us, but if we never take time to commune with God on our own and cultivate an intimate relationship we will never tap into the fullness He has for us.

Eagles have the ability to tap into the slightest amount of wind. Even in the driest of deserts where you can not necessarily “feel” any wind, eagles can tap in and soar to highest of heights. The same should be for with us as Christians as it relates to our relationship with God. The only limits we have in God are the ones we place (or allow others to place) on ourselves. We have to be willing to press in, contend for more, and not cave in/ give up so easily just because the atmosphere is a little “thick”. We are supposed to be atmosphere changers. We bring the kingdom of God where we go, so we can not let an unpleasant atmosphere dictate how we respond in the presence of God.