Where we meet God is a great place to be. Have you ever looked back and been able to say Lord it was good that I was there. Can we trust now, as long as He is with us that it is good to be right here?
I am not saying circumstances are good; I am trying to grasp God’s presence in the circumstances. Can you find His voice within you? Sometimes circumstances and choices take us to a place where we will find that still small voice, His voice. Have you heard it?
Today’s affirmation is from Matthew 17: 4 when Peter says this to Jesus right after the transfiguration on the mountain. This statement hit me in my spirit that it is good to be here, now. No I am not on the mountain after the transfiguration as Peter was but God is here where I am now. Yes Lord it is good for me to be here.
I pray you don’t tire of my amazement of how God orchestrates unbelievable circumstances into guiding us to Him. Here is how I have gotten here today if you care to proceed. Matthew 17 begins with “now after six days”… actually folks Matthew 17 was where I was sent from the Celebrate Recovery Participant’s guide one YESTERDAY. When I read the “after six days” part I felt the need to read the previous chapter so see what had happened.
The mystery of God’s Spirit is this gut reaction to read the previous chapter was where God had wanted me yesterday. He knew, I knew I was actually at a point of surrender and I needed to, I needed to read Matthew 16 to get Jesus’ plan on how to surrender all. He spoke clearly to me that I must want and desire Him, deny myself, pick up my cross and follow Him. Yes, that is the process I needed to hear yesterday. Today, He is reminding me that it is good to be here.
Does Jesus show up due to circumstances or regardless of the circumstances? I am thinking the latter but the circumstances certainly affect our attention to Him. This morning in my prayer time I found that Spirit place within me. Do you know what I am talking about? Have you felt it, have you heard Him there? I keep wanting to say I can feel it deep into my Solar Plexus but since I don’t really know where or what a Solar Plexus is, I just encourage you to find that spot within you. I was there again this morning and I felt God was just telling me to stay there. Don’t speak, don’t think, just get to know this feeling. Know that this is where I will meet you, there that was it do you feel it? Yes, Lord there it is. If I stand will I still feel it or will I lose it. Thank you Lord I am changing positions and I can still identify Your Spirit, Your place within me.
Is that weird enough for you? Oh well, that is just where I was and just felt I was being led to exercise that muscle to recognize that place to know it to know God. Am I reading too much into this? Am I creating this in my imagination? I think not. I just know when I feel this place I just know the Spirit of God is there. OK, you may think I am crazy but I will challenge you to seek it and to find it. It has seemed to be a progressively familiar place that I don’t always go to but when I read Peter’s statement this morning, “Lord it is good that we are here.” I could so relate to Peter. Yes, thank you Lord.
“Oddly” enough the very next verse in Matthew 17:5 the voice of God comes out of the bright cloud and says: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” “Hear Him” also became an affirmation that I want to claim. I hear Him. May I remember this place and may I hear Him.
Much like we would Peter, James and John had fallen to the ground in fear as the voice had rang out on them but Jesus now in verse 7 “came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Let’s rise and not be afraid of this voice. In verse 8 it states: When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (NKJ) May we only see Jesus and not be afraid.
Later in Matthew 17 the disciples were not able to cast out a demon and they wondered why. Jesus said in Matthew 17:21 “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (NKJ) Is it a leap for me to take this message to my own struggles, my own thorns in the flesh that I need to surrender to God? Are there things in our lives we are “working on” or trying to deny ourselves of so we can surrender all to God? I think we all have them and some of these will not go out “except by prayer and fasting”. I hear you Lord. It is good for me to be here. I thank you for meeting me here and giving me guidance. Please help us as we pray and fast on those demons we each face. Do you believe God meets you where you are?
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Hi Tom… great post.
What jumps out most at me is your question, “Does Jesus show up due to circumstances or regardless of the circumstances”?
This was such an eye-opener for me and continues to be. In my experience, I cannot limit where or when God shows up to just my expectations.
I do believe what the Bible says about, “When 2 or 3 are gathered in my name…”. But that can be any 2 or 3 in any place. Not just in an organized church environment.
But God has taught me some of the most amazing things in the most amazing settings. Even settings where I know I was deep in sin. Moments of clarity that I could only give God credit for.
I don’t suppose the woman at the well anticipated running into Jesus the day she did. Nor Paul on the road to Damascus. Nor the thief on the cross beside Jesus.
God is so much bigger than our understanding and expectations. Jesus teachings are timeless and relevant thousands of years after he spoke them.
Ciao.
Chaz
Amen Chaz! God is so faithful, surprising and there. You are soooo right none of your examples expected Jesus there and yet there He was to change lives. Thanks for dropping in. Please don’t be a stranger! I too am AMAZED at how relevant his teachings were and are and how perfectly timed they are.
Will do Tom. I have you linked.
Chaz