No Texting Allowed!

I mentioned last week that I had begun a new morning study in which I was going through some of the smaller books in the New Testament that I do not read on a regular basis.  I began with I Thessalonians, but have been going rather slowly as I seem to be having a hard time getting past the first half a dozen verses of chapter one.  In the Gods Word translation the third verse begins with the statement, “In the presence of our God and Father…”  Each morning as I have read this scripture my mind has immediately traveled off into considering variations of what I visualize the presence of God to be like…  A bright and consuming fire, a bright cloud, an atmosphere of powerful awe, an overwhelming sense of His love, peace that surpasses anything that I have ever imagined, joy that goes beyond definition, and a feeling of total satisfaction.

As I contemplated these thoughts the other day, I realized that verse three is connected to the previous verse where the Apostle Paul is talking about prayer.  It dawned on me that we are going into His very presence every time we pray to God!  I also became aware that I don’t always EXPECT to enjoy this kind of experience when I pray to our heavenly Father.  Many times prayer is just a quick communication that I have with Him throughout my busy day.  Come to think about it, sometimes it’s almost like a quick, non-personal text that I send out to Him!  Email and texting have become a major avenue of communication in our world today, and while they are quick and efficient, they are also very impersonal and distant in their electronic form.

Please don’t take this as a slam to electronic communication as I too, have taken advantage of these modern conveniences.  I'm just not too sure that I want my conversations with God to be at this nondescript level of intimacy.  These two verses in I Thessalonians chapter one have opened my eyes, and humbled my heart.  They also stirred up a hunger within me to experience the same type of interactions with God that Paul alludes to EVERYTIME I pray to Him!

How about you?  How would you measure your communications with God on a scale from one to ten?  Do you spiritually enter into the very throne room of God where His glory prevails whenever you pray?  Do you see the bright cloud and the consuming fire?  Do you sense the awe of His presence and the fullness of His peace about you?  Maybe it’s time to step back and think about what you’re EXPECTING before you bend a knee.  I don’t want to miss any intimate interactions with my Abba Father, and I’m sure that you don’t either.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”