Finding God

Rabbi Naomi Levy repeats the story about a young boy who went into the woods day after day. When his Dad noticed this pattern he inquired, “What do you go out to the woods every day?” The son said, “I go there to find God.” The father, whose theology was sound, corrected the boy, “But, don’t you know that God is the same everywhere?” The boy’s wisdom was apparent in his reply: “Yes, Dad, but I am not the same everywhere!” – To Begin Again

We are renewed by God’s Presence, aren’t we? Worship is one of the key factors in the development of spiritual maturity. Finding ways to connect with Him is the challenge. The spiritual love language that each of us speaks is very different. I am by nature a contemplative. My best times of worship require solitude and quietness. For example, last night, Bev was in our home office, working. I was alone in the living room. There, in the quiet, I found myself touched, moved deeply by the Spirit, aware that I had come near to the heart of God. I know others who experience His Presence as they dish out meals to the poor. Still others experience His renewal as they listen to the majestic compositions of Bach. Yet others worship deeply when they are shouting and dancing in a Pentecostal revival! One place is not better than another. That is where we go wrong! We tend to think that our worship language should be the way that all come near to Him.

Gary Chapman, in his well-known marriage book, explains the five love languages that are common to humans.
Some thrive on words of affirmation.
Others are moved by spending quality time together sharing experiences.
Still others are responsive to acts of service feeling loved when their spouse washes their car.
Then, there are those who experience love when they receive gifts.
Many (especially men!) speak the love language of physical touch.
A wise spouse learns the primary love language of his mate and speaks it often, even if it is not his innate way to show or experience love.

So, too, a mature disciple learns multiple spiritual love languages so that she can experience the Presence of God in the woods or at the mall; alone in the middle of the night or among the congregation in corporate worship. Jesus teaches us that our worship must be always be ‘in Spirit and truth,’ that is, offered from the depths of our beings in response to God’s moving and without manipulative or selfish motives that block His call to integrity.

Take this word from the Word with you today. Before you rush on to other duties, ponder the call to the Presence of God and invite Him near to you.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:1-5, NIV)
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Light of the world,
You stepped down into darkness,
opened my eyes, let me see
beauty that made this heart adore You,
Hope of a life spent with You.

King of all days,
oh, so highly exalted.
Glorious in Heaven above!
Humbly You came to earth You created.
All for love's sake became poor.

Here I am to worship!
Here I am to bow down!
Here I am to say
that You're my God.
You're altogether lovely,
altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

Here I Am To Worship
Tim Hughes© 2000 Kingsway Music
CCLI License No. 810055
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