Thursday, October 05, 2006

I have been talking a lot about ‘Seeing God’
My heart is stirred to the point that I am now desperate to see him ‘obviously’ at work in all our lives.
I have come to realise that most generations throughout history have struggled with God when they haven’t
experienced him personally.
This thought drives me to help us all see God at work. Without it, we only have history to go by and most of us either hate history, or ignore it.

As part of my Bible reading recently I found another story that kind of goes along with some of what I have been talking about.

Back when Jesus was born there was a very old man called Simeon.
The Bible actually calls him ‘righteous and devout’...very complimentary.
Simeon had been calling out for God to move in his generation. Asking God to do something before he died. His heart was to not miss out on seeing something of what God had promised happen in his time.

He loved God and we find him in the Temple when he first sees Jesus.
Because of Simeon’s heart, apparently God had promised that he would see the Messiah before he would die. When that actually happened we don’t know, but we do know he believed God, that he stayed the course and God fulfilled his promise.
He got to SEE Jesus.

The Bible also says that he was waiting…
This is that ‘active waiting’ I have been talking about.
He didn’t sit on his hands when God gave him the promise. He was looking and expectant enough that the Holy Spirit was able to prompt him be at the Temple the same time Jesus was there.

I am convinced that God wants us to see him!

The keys are very simple!

Isaiah 641-5a
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
©Today's New International Version. 691. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 2001, 2005.

1. We need to do right
2. We need to wait on him

God wants us to see him be dramatic and do what he has promised.
He is not a man that he should lie about anything!

We need to keep things simple and focused.
Do what you know is right
And actively wait on him.
Do the things like prayer and worship and getting together.

Can I encourage you as I encourage myself…
To turn our thoughts and hearts towards God again this week.
To begin to cry out that he would show up!
That this generation would SEE him…

No comments: