Enjoying God’s Presence

This is the field I walk in every day. Do you see all that blue sky?!

A shorter post this week to give you a few extra minutes to enjoy it. 😊

I quoted the fox from The Little Prince in a presentation a couple of weeks ago. Ever since, he’s been on my mind. His heart was glad when he knew when to expect his friend.

As I walked in the field this afternoon, I looked at my feet, watching for dog piles. In an ordinary neighborhood field with weeds and dirt (mud not long ago!), I counted half a dozen different varieties of wildflowers—in the back half. When I headed home, I saw nearly that many other kinds in the front half. Unexpected beauty, right under my feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the fox said, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”¹

What is essential is not always something we see. It may be something we hear.

Last week’s post included this thought, “walking with God in obedience is more important than any rituals we follow.” Therefore, we’ll explore a side path this week.

• We have to be near God to hear His voice.
• We listen when we pay attention to His Words, which leads to obedience.

*Why does God sometimes lead us on side paths?

*How can we learn to hear God’s voice?

This week I listened to Deuteronomy 3 one evening while quilting. Moses was a friend of God, had conversations with God, and listened to God. Like us, he didn’t always do exactly what God commanded.

God may have us set aside one (larger) thing to focus on a different (smaller) thing. To set aside our dreams, who we think we are, going our own way, instead of submitting to God’s will.

*What is God calling you to do?

It may be something very small!

Or it may be what you are already doing.

The “word” and goal for this year’s reading is to know God and His character. We revisited walking with God through life. Which includes listening and following His Law, or instruction and direction in our lives. One way we become better acquainted with God is to spend time in His presence. When we hear something more than once, it’s time to listen. Here’s what I heard:

• encouragement to return to simplicity to discern God’s guidance and direction
• an exercise to prayerfully consider what He does and does not want us to do in this season
• a message at church from Joshua 1:1-11, with a theme of God’s presence as a way to walk with God
• the current “vision” for our church: seek God and surrender to Him
• through the pages of Mesu Andrews’ writing with messages of God’s sovereignty, care, gifts, wisdom, presence, — that we might praise and honor and trust and serve God.

*What does it mean to return to simplicity? Why is this important?

*What is the connection between God’s presence and walking with Him?

*How can we seek God—and how might this lead to surrender?

*How can we find time to sit in God’s presence?

God’s gift to those in the PNW, a forecast promising sun. 😊

 

1. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Little Prince. (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1943). 70.