This morning I have been thinking about a book I was reading last night called "The Dancing Hand of God" by James Maloney. It is a great book that stirs up my faith for more of the Lord in my life. This morning I am reading from John's Gospel and realized that my verses for reflection were directly related to what I was reading last night. James Maloney was recounting a time where the Lord's presence came in a way that the Lord called a habitation. He was ministering in a church for 8 days, and the Lord's presence was so thick during that time that it was as if He was in the room, and His ministry was as it had been, everyone healed, etc. It was a glorious experience from the sounds of it.
This morning I was reading Jesus' prayer for us all, right before His passion, found in John 17:20-23 NIV:
[20] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
Here Jesus is speaking of intimacy that is essentially a habitation, where we experience the intimate indwelling of "I in them and You in Me". This is so much more than a Sunday encounter at Church.
As I was reflecting on these verses I felt like the Lord said something like the following, "You have settle for an occasional Zoom call with me, and think that You desire a visitation, but what I want is habitation!"
As I thought about that statement, I related it back to regular life. Many of us make calls to loved ones via phone, face-time, Zoom or whatever is available these days. While these are ok, they don't replace face-to-face visits, where we are actually visiting someone's home for an hour or two. If we really want quality time with someone we might schedule a visit to stay with them for a weekend, or even a week. I would equate that to a visitation. Things really get serious when you decide to move in with someone, experiencing the intimacy of inhabiting the same space for months and even years. The intimacy that a habitation is meant to enable is much greater than what develops during a visitation, and certainly more than the occasional call.
Jesus' prayer in John 17, is a heart cry for habitation with us!
Wow!
Now, I will say I have lived with and experienced all of the above with friends and family. We have dear friends that will drop by for an evening and its a great time. We spend a few hours cleaning before they get here, have a nice meal, have some deep conversation and then they head back home and we go back to our regular lives. Times like these are blessings and enrich our lives.
We also have dear friends that have visited for a week or two and that is better, although that is also more work ad requires more self-sacrifice. We have to adjust our lives, our schedules, our daily regimens, when they come to stay. It is more work, and always requires a level of self-sacrifice, but the level of relationship is much deeper. We have so much more time to share, to listen, to interact, to understand and just be together. It is disrupting to our regular lives, but worth it.
We have also been blessed to have had many people who have lived with us, some living with us for over a year. This is something completely different, and requires a level of self-sacrifice that many are not willing to make. Having someone else, who isn't extended family, living in "our" house, using "our stuff" eating "our food" for months on end is not our common experience here in the US, at least not here in Kansas City. This habitation, logically, enables an intimacy that is even deeper than is available with a visit. However, it requires much more self-sacrifice. We must change or adapt our whole way of living, even our way of thinking about "our" stuff like furniture, food and time. It can be wonderfully glorious, and it can be down-right trying, even difficult at times. Not so much because of the people that inhabiting our house, but more for the selflessness that is required. The blessing is that now these people are like family! We have lived together and shared life together to such an extent that we know each other more deeply than few others. It is a wonderful thing.
The question I felt encouraged to look at this morning is whether or not I want a habitation experience, with the Lord as my housemate? We could extend that and ask if we really want the Lord to come and inhabit our church? Are we willing to radically change "our" lives, "our" ways of doing things, "our" plans? Are we willing to sacrifice "our" schedules, "our" time, "our" control? Are we willing to do lay own our lives for greater intimacy with Him? Are we hungry enough for His presence, that we are willing to open up the door to "our" lives, "our" church and make room for Him?
It is clear from Jesus prayer in John 17, that this is His desire! If that is His desire, He will make a way, and it is possible. The question is are we willing?
Oh Lord, my prayer today is that I might desire Your presence, Your habitation, more than anything in my life! Help me to be open and willing! I desire to experience the intimacy You describe in Your great prayer to the Father. I want t be with You where You are, and have You with me where I am, every day, all day long!
Amen and Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment