Recognizing God

⁴¹As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴²and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you." – LK 19

Why would this destruction come to Jerusalem?  Because they did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them.

Can the same be said of me?  Does my life erode because I do not recognize that God is close?  Could it be that peace is closer than I think but I just don’t pay attention?  Could it be the God is very close, but I don’t fully recognize it?

There is something special going on at MCC.  I bet he is moving in your church as well.  He is coming to us (actually, he is already here).  I want to make sure that we don’t miss it.  I want to make sure we recognize the time of his coming to us.  How do we do that?

We have to get aggressive to recognize God’s closeness.

I received a note from a friend this week.  Among other things, she said . . .

I encourage you with everything in me to press into Him as never before, Take more time to come away with Jesus and be still before Him. Light a candle (or whatever stills and quiets your soul) and just sit in His presence at times when there is much activity and pressure surrounding you.

What a tragedy to have the creator of the world visit us and we not recognize it.  Today I am having lunch with God; sort of.  Kind of weird, but I’ll be fasting over lunch, just spending some more quiet time with him.  Maybe something dramatic will happen; maybe not.  At the very least, it will make my eyes a bit shaper in recognizing him.

What about you?  What will you do to recognize the time of God’s coming to you? I bet you could carve out a few uninterrupted minutes (even 5) to spend with him today.  And who knows, you may recognize the God that has been there all along.

photo by lieutenant pol