Living in the Spirit
July 19, 2017
Scripture Reading: Genesis 28:10-19a
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. –Genesis 28:16-19a
Of course, God by nature is with us all the time; we are the ones who lose sight of God’s abiding presence. God surely desires our company on a regular basis, not just when something bad happens, we find ourself in trouble, or even when we are celebrating. I am a strong proponent of preventive health care. Eating right, exercising, getting adequate sleep, keeping my vaccinations current, and getting recommended tests and check ups. Can’t say I always practice what I preach regarding preventive health, but I do work at it. Continuously working at being at-one with God is preventive care for our souls.
There are numerous books describing spiritual disciplines that can help facilitate relationship growth with God. My favorite is Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. The most important lessons I have learned over time is that there are as many ways of communing with God as there are people on the earth. We certainly can learn from each other, but we must search out the ones that are most meaningful to us. We benefit from attempting practices that are outside our comfort zones ways that are most meaningful to us. Journaling is oft recommended as a spiritual discipline. I love to write but when I tried journaling, what I wrote grew more and more morose. Putting my thoughts in writing in response to daily scripture reading has had the opposite impact. It helps me see myself more clearly and envision ways I can better serve God.
Another recommendation I discovered once was reading scripture, picking a character in the scripture, and putting myself in that character’s place imagining how I would react in the same circumstance. I must confess, I thought this was a somewhat bizarre idea, but when I tried it, I found it to be a most meaningful experience. What did it feel like to be in Mary Magdelene’s place when she encountered Jesus alive at the tomb?
The older I get, the more comfort I take from inviting the presence of God to just rest with me for a while, I am learning what the song Abide with Me teaches.
Prayer:
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me *. Amen
*First three verses of Abide with Me by Henry F. Lyte see at http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Abide_with_Me/