Where He Is
Written by John Schaenzer Saturday, 02 January 2010 07:00
Where He Is
December 29, 2009
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) That sounds interesting and comforting, but how does it work? The key may be in the first three words, "Come to me". Do I go to the place where God is? Do I enter into His presence?
Five days ago on Christmas Eve, great joy was brought to my heart and soul as all 4 of my daughters were at my home with my wife and me. This event would have been taken for granted not too many years ago, but now with their ages ranging from early to late twenties, the complete family gathering is more difficult to orchestrate. They were each individually willing to take the time to come to where I was. They each used the opportunity to love me and to converse with me. We all exchanged gifts and spent time together that evening.
Likewise, I need to approach the throne of God, entering into His presence, with thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving is important on different levels. Giving thanks puts me in a position of acknowledging His provision for me. I recognize my total dependence upon Him for even my next breath. As the recipient of all He has given to me, it is incumbent upon me to be grateful.
Thanksgiving also begins the removal of self-centeredness. Combined with praise, it places my attention on the One who is deserving of worship. It takes self off the throne of my life and puts Christ in His rightful place. Communion with God is where I enter into His rest and receive a peace in my spirit that only He can give. This is where I can lay my troubles at His feet and ask Him for comfort through them and wisdom to resolve them. In His presence I can speak plainly and openly about whatever is on my mind.
Yesterday, our family buried my grandmother at age 92. Although there were many smiles, even laughs, as the relatives visited and caught up with one another, there was little joy. The somber funeral service was little more than a series of religious prayers and responses. The body language of most of the attendees projected a feeling of discomfort. There seemed to be a lack of hope. Although we were gathered at a church for the service, did we really go to the place that God was? Physically we were at the building referred to as the "House of God". But what about emotionally and mentally? I suspect thoughts were more on the deceased and self as the relationships came to an end. This is not totally abnormal or unexpected, but as believers, shouldn't we take our grief to the throne of grace and lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus Christ?
The service was the traditional ritual of the religion. God was asked to have mercy on the deceased and she was declared to have been a good person deserving of mercy because she had been saved through baptism into the faith. I have never been to a funeral of this type that did not declare, or at least imply, that the deceased was heaven bound. Selected verses from Scripture were used and it all sounded very religious. Was the whole of the Gospel declared? I do not believe so. The service may have been comforting to the immediate family in a time of grief and mourning, but was it God honoring? Was there a genuine message of the hope of salvation for those in attendance?
Approximately six weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a friend. He was a Christian man in his early 50's and died suddenly from a heart attack. The funeral service began with songs of worship and praise to God. It celebrated my friend's life and a number of people spoke about how he touched the lives of others. God was glorified by the stories of how my friend lived his life and of his godly character. The Gospel message of being saved by grace through faith was declared to those who attended. Hope for eternal life was offered.
These events provoked me to think about my relationship with God. Do I go to God to spend time and by doing so, bring joy to my Lord? As in the Christmas Eve story, I need to make the time to go to God and to spend time visiting. Things are not perfect in my family, in fact, they are actually messy at times. Likewise, God is not waiting for my perfection in life. I need to go to Him with my messes and all that I am. As in any relationship, it only grows with time and communication.
The funeral stories showed me the contrast of the hope that is in Christianity with the lack of hope for those who have not put Jesus Christ on the throne of their lives. I need to determine that my relationship with God is not merely an exercise of ritual, but that it is going to be an active, lively pursuit of God that looks forward with hope and anticicpation. My prayer life and daily walk with the Lord cannot be dead in form, rather, it needs to be alive in substance.
So how is my prayer life? Do I have a thriving relationship with God, or does it need some work? Am I operating in dead religious activity, or do I have a vibrant hope due to trust in my Savior? "Come to Me", He says. Jesus Christ makes Himself available to whosoever will come. As in every other area of Christianity, I must make the conscious decision to be active. There is no room for passivity. There is always a choice to be made. Actively seeking God through prayer is how I go to where He is. I would do well to memorize Psalm 100 and use it as a framework for my daily prayer life.
"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His loving-kindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."
I go to God with thanksgiving and praise both to begin and to end my day. I know I find my rest in Him. I can live each day content knowing that He is with me and will provide all that I need. He not only provides what I need to live, He also provides the opportunity to serve Him. And what He calls me to do, He will provide the means for me to do it as well as the grace to endure. As I lay down to sleep, I give thanks for at least four things from the day. When I do so, I have no problem sleeping without anxiety. The first of the four is easy. It is always for the beautiful woman next to me that He has used to bless me in so many ways. Some nights it is hard to be truly thankful for four things without resorting to the trite things in daily life. There are days where I need to ponder and give thanks for trials. Thanks for the growth I hope to experience going through them and the hope that someone else will be blessed or encouraged be seeing them. Trials also enable me to empathize and minister comfort to others when it is their time to experience similar difficulties in life.
The interesting thing about thanksgiving and praise is that it can only be truly given by going to Him. It cannot be mailed in and be genuine at the same time. It must be personal and deliberate. True thanksgiving cannot ring hollow. There must be substance to it that engages me mentally and emotionally. When I go to where He is, I experience His rest, His comfort and His very presence.
Hebrews 4:15-16 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
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