I have not seen it yet, yet some people are or seem pretty good at it! But too many seem to want to be "the judge" of it all and don't realize how many they run off.
Now when you are sharing real truth, some people are just going to get offended because they don't see it the same way you do! Or they have not experienced what you have, and we presume they should just know because we do! Some groups want you so "sterilized" that any bit of "wrong appearance" will disqualify you to them!
Now we are going to trip up from time to time because we don't know His Word! But it's not a legalistic system even though many try to present it that way. WE are not The Judge. And if we can really know that we would GROW in knowing Him! When the power and the Glory of God is there, a holy hush often will come in the room because of the awareness of His Presence.
It's not just "us" experiencing something like an emotion, but a Presence of a power that forces an encounter. It is something that can be learned on how to respond, but it does take some effort to respond in ways that will benefit you and those around you.
Some people have learned a way to respond that makes them feel familiar with that. But just like when you meet anyone, you learn they have ways that evokes an even more positive response! And there is a temptation to believe you have everything all figured out because you have had some interesting or provoking responses! But if even these turn into predictable ways, they can become a tradition, and we are told that we can miss God through our "traditions."
So of course it helps to know the Word! But something happens there, too! The true Word of God is living, and it makes an impression on us. Just like meeting someone, they will have an effect on you which hopefully is good and sometimes is not.
We learn to adjust or escape because perhaps we were not ready for that or it was not the right time or fit! The power of God is so strong that even His angels can put people on the floor in response. We will get sobered, realizing that we need our wits about us to respond in the best way!
Even in the natural, some people will relate to some people or things more than others. Some will feel intimidated or disturbed by some things they are not used to! But if we grow too casual, we can block some things and blessings that will benefit us. We are told to "fear the Lord" and to "respect Him” because of His power. Even in the natural, we learn to have respect for many things bigger or more powerful, like animals or electricity or machinery. When we learn it, we can utilize it in a good and proper way!
People have been planted here on earth, and we know now that we will thrive here if conditions are right! But if we are ignorant and abuse certain things or people, that can work against us.
Sometimes we will put OUR limitations on things because we are uncomfortable or unfamiliar, or even fearful. But God has a line of things He will allow and permit and some things that He won't.
Now, don't try to compete with His Brain! We have been given a Book to help us learn Him called The Bible, and we learn and progress. In fact, many books are written and sold because we have the ability to learn new things! Even in the Bible it says, "How can they hear without a preacher?"
A response of humility, that "I could learn something more if I remain teachable" can help us a lot! When we group together, we often find a concentration of things believed and it can help define the circumstances. But we are not through learning, we are still ever learning! And when it comes to God, He is not in a box, and He can be beyond His Book, but He ordained His Word to be a standard for us.
God wants to move among us, revealing His Personality and it is and can be a wonder-filled thing! But if we learn how to do it the way He wants and says, the experience can sometimes be phenomenal.
If we are inspired to do things better, we benefit! He is a God who can really be a pathway to peace for us. And we learn that he can talk, preach, teach and even transfer His Presence to us! Do we ever stop learning? Some of us have the expression, "You can learn something new every day!" And it's true!
Let's keep our hearts open and with respect to know something about God more every day. Let's approach Him with respect, with a teachable heart. When He sees that kind of response, He will often respond to us with a strong healthy Presence! We get relieved, inspired, sometimes even healed, and with a soul's encouragement of greater things are ahead. It is not impossible to see and know more for the better!
Faith is and can be powerful. These three things remain, He says, faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is Love. That Love has great power for changing hearts, minds and soul vision, and even bodies. Let's press in and on to know Him more!
Pam Clark
