Encountering God

Thursday 12/17/2015 6:51 AM

Sometimes I am envious of Bible characters like Moses, Jacob, and others, who had personal, physical encounters with God. Moses had the burning bush and Mount Sinai and Jacob wrestled with God at the Jabbok river. Somehow I feel as if they had an unfair advantage in their walk with God because of their encounters. I have sensed God’s presence in my life on various occasions but when explaining it to others I never state outright, “I saw God today.” I use other phrases like, “I sensed God’s presence today,” so people do not think I’m entirely crazy. I also wonder if my experiences are real or if I am conjuring up things that are not real because of my emotional state at the time.

John Mogabgab writes about Jacob’s encounter with God at the Jabbok river. He writes, “…before he met God, Jacob sent his wives and servants and all his possessions to the other side of the river Jabbok. Jacob cleared an arena in which God would meet him ‘face-to-face,’ a place apart from the supportive relationships and material resources that sometimes mask our true self. Spiritual disciplines are like ground-clearing exercises aimed at providing room for God to confront us unmasked. The initiative for such a meeting always rests with God. Yet like Jacob, we can set aside our usual commitments and relationships for the sake of transforming encounters with God. The practice of such spiritual discipline truly prepares a way for the Lord.”

As I thought about that this morning I came to realize that my regular time of devotions each morning is my way of preparing a way for the Lord to meet with me. Over the years I have sensed his presence with me in the morning and he has provided direction and encouragement through my Bible reading, meditation, prayer, and meeting with my small group. I should not pooh-pooh those encounters, rather, I should acknowledge them for what they are, God’s personal meeting with me. I pray that I will continue to take time to make myself available to him.