Wanting An Encounter
July 24
Wanting an encounter with Christ I packed a bag with my Bible, a notebook and a few other reference books. I also packed my camera and a zoom lens, before locking the door and heading out. I regretted not taking an iPod loaded with praise music. An overcast Monday usually affords privacy on our dock. This past weekend a blue heron had appeared strutting his stuff for our grandson and I hoped he would reappear. Most of all I hoped Jesus would show up and speak to me.
My soul felt as if it had been eating junk food the past six weeks and sense that before I could begin to feed upon meat and vegetables I needed to detox spiritually (repent). Inviting the Holy Spirit to embark upon a sin search is a process in which I tend to procrastinate. Turning my heart to the Lord, two blue herons appeared in the distance. I took this as notification that Christ would come near when I confessed and cleaned up my act.
Watching and waiting for over thirty minutes for those herons to take flight convicted me that I had given the Holy Spirit maybe three minutes to point out my sins. Why is it so difficult for us to sit alone with God?
Look closely and you will see the progression of the blue heron coming near. It began sitting way off on top of the second boathouse roof in the first picture. There is a second heron behind it.
I shot these with a zoom lens.
Wanting an encounter with Christ I packed a bag with my Bible, a notebook and a few other reference books. I also packed my camera and a zoom lens, before locking the door and heading out. I regretted not taking an iPod loaded with praise music. An overcast Monday usually affords privacy on our dock. This past weekend a blue heron had appeared strutting his stuff for our grandson and I hoped he would reappear. Most of all I hoped Jesus would show up and speak to me.
My soul felt as if it had been eating junk food the past six weeks and sense that before I could begin to feed upon meat and vegetables I needed to detox spiritually (repent). Inviting the Holy Spirit to embark upon a sin search is a process in which I tend to procrastinate. Turning my heart to the Lord, two blue herons appeared in the distance. I took this as notification that Christ would come near when I confessed and cleaned up my act.
Watching and waiting for over thirty minutes for those herons to take flight convicted me that I had given the Holy Spirit maybe three minutes to point out my sins. Why is it so difficult for us to sit alone with God?
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Moving forward from a time of repentance, I began to dig deep into the book of Daniel. John MacArthur did a study years ago on Daniel titled: "An Uncompromising Life". I came away with these key points:
1) "We need to be like cups that are filled with love-when someone bumps into us, love spills out onto them.
2) When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way he causes their enemies to make peace with them. Pr. 16:7
3) "Allow God to place you where He wants. Don't seek your own advancement."
(Now for Daniel that meant being placed in Babylon and then at 90 years old into a lion's den.)
4) Be alert and of sober mind. 1 Peter 5:8
5) Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
And the biggie:
"The point of life is to please the Lord."
Look closely and you will see the progression of the blue heron coming near. It began sitting way off on top of the second boathouse roof in the first picture. There is a second heron behind it.
I shot these with a zoom lens.
