Meeting with God
Apr. 15 2007
Have you ever run out of gas? Have you ever run out of gas twice?
How about 3 times in one week?
Yep. Guilty. 3 times in one week.
It was a full week and I just thought that 2 gallons would get me through it. Nope. It took 3 times to prove that. Should have put 6 in the tank. I know all of you are thinking, “You idiot. Look at the gauge. When it is on ‘E’ that usually means you need to stop.”
Gauges are great but only if you actually use them.
We live in a world full of gauges: scales, dials, buzzers, alarms, and flashing lights. They all warn us or remind us of something important. But sometimes we forget a gauge for the most important thing in our lives…
Do you have a gauge for your spiritual maturity and the condition of your soul? How is your soul? How is your walk with the Lord? How do you gauge it?
There are many gauges for spiritual maturity: service, obedience, generosity, sacrifice, evangelism—just to name a few. But possibly the most important one is spending consistent time with God in the Word and prayer.
Some people call this a quiet time. I’m not really sure where that term came from. Not the best term if you ask me, but it’s a term that represents something that is not lame at all. Meeting with God. That’s incredible. Every day, every hour, every minute is a chance to meet with God. Jesus Christ made a way for us to come into the Father’s presence. He speaks to us. He reveals himself to us in Scripture. Phenomenal. As children of the living God we have the amazing privilege of meeting God through prayer and study of God’s word.
So answer this question. Over the past 2 weeks how many days out of 14 did you spend in prayer and Bible study? How much time did you spend in prayer and bible study each of those days? Are you checking the gauge? Is the gauge empty or full?
I am sure some of you right now are sitting in front of your computer screens and thinking, “That just sounds so legalistic. Are you saying that my maturity in the Lord and my love for the Lord is completely equal to how many days and how much time I spend in prayer and Bible study?” I am not categorically saying that at all. There are times where we long to be with God in prayer and Bible study but circumstances outside of our control dictate that we can’t. But I am saying that this time with the Lord is a great gauge for our hunger for him and his presence.
I completely believe that grace is against earning favor with God, but it is not against effort. We are completely saved by grace and not works and we do not earn favor with God through our quiet times. Christ has earned our favor on the cross when he made a way for us to be forgiven and be restored to the Father. We are saved by grace alone through Christ’s work alone and by faith alone.
But here is the point. You want to know if your hunger for God is high? You want to know if you are maturing in the faith? Then look at the gauge of your times with the Lord. Look closely. Do you hunger? Typically the things that we hunger for the most we actually pursue. Make sense?
Here is something that should motivate you: Every time you pursue God, he is there with his presence, waiting for you. He is leaning forward ready to pour out his spirit upon you as you come to him to pray and read about him. He’s ready to reveal something about his glory and his plan of redemption. So with that in mind, he is worth the time and discipline. It is an incredible experience to meet with the Creator of the Universe before you go to work or school. It’s worth every minute.
Maybe you never have really spent time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study. Maybe you have tried but you feel like the times have been aimless. I’ve been in that place many times in the 17 years that I have walked with Christ.
If you’re feeling that way (and even when you’re not) here’s where you can start…
1. Pick a time that is consistent each day.
2. Plan that time. Let’s say you want to spend 30 minutes a day. Spend 10 reading 4 chapters of the Bible a day. Spend 10 minutes praying through a certain section of those 4 chapters. Then spend 10 minutes praying. Just a suggestion. But I find what is most helpful when I lack a plan is just to simply pray for help and then ask somebody who is much older in the faith and wiser for their thoughts.
3. In all of this remember the goal is to meet with Christ. It’s relational. You want to get to know Christ through his Word and prayer. The goal is not having a quiet time to fill the quota; it’s to meet with your Maker and Savior. Stand in awe of that fact that he wants to meet with you and bless you. In light of our sinfulness and his holiness this is a miracle, it should melt your heart to tears as you fathom the depths of his love and mercy.
I am sure for most of you the gauge is on full and you’re not going to run out of gas. Maybe for some you’re looking at the gauge and you’re on “E.” For some you might have really run out of gas 3 times this week. You’re below “E.” Regardless of where you are, we all need Christ’s help. So let’s seek his face together and grow in our knowledge of him and the experience of his presence.