Hello dear friends,
May I start this message by wishing you a very happy New Year! Please forgive me for the long delay since I last posted. I have had the joy and blessing of being able to take a very long holiday with my family.
I have come back refreshed and ready to start the year with lots of inspiration to share with you to help you on your meditation journey and walk with Jesus.
I thought I would start the year by sharing something I was reminded of this week.
Nothing is more important to me than my time I spend with God in meditation each day. It comes first, no matter what, and that includes even when I’m on holiday.
When I am on holiday I will make sure that I always schedule in time for my meditation with God every morning. This can actually be a little difficult when travelling because you are often in different hotels, different cities, different time zones and often I am sharing a room with my children. I also find that my spirit can be so excited when I am on holiday that it is more difficult to settle into a deep meditation.
So as much as I loved our holiday, I was looking forward to coming home to meet with God in my room that I have set aside for prayer and meditation and to encounter him again more deeply.
I find that in my special place where I meet with him, my spirit can settle easily into a deep meditation where I often experience a tangible presence of God. I have often experienced the Holy Spirit like a presence in the room, or a warmth in my hands, sometimes like a comforting embrace. And it is often in this environment that the Holy Spirit will speak to my spirit, usually by leading me to specific scriptures in the Bible.
So it was quite a surprise when I returned from my holiday and for the first few days back in my prayer and meditation room, found that I was not “feeling” God.
I wondered what was going on. It confused me at first but then I remembered back to when I first began meditating and something I learnt very early on.
I realized that I have experienced the Holy Spirit so much that I had forgotten that it is ok to not “feel” anything sometimes when I meditate.
There is nothing wrong. He is not displeased with me. Like I tell others “we are not seeking an experience when we meditate, we are seeking God and sometimes you “feel” nothing. And that’s ok – you just have to believe a transaction is taking place between your spirit and God’s Spirit – that is faith”
(And faith is the bucket we use to draw from the well of salvation and peace! Isaiah 12:3)
Even I need a reminder sometimes that I don’t need to “feel” it (although it is wonderful when that happens). I just need to… “know” it.
That puts a whole new light on Psalm 46:10 “Be still and KNOW I am God”. It does not say “Be still and feel I am God”. It says “Be still and know…”; know that I have met with Him; know that a transaction has taken place between my spirit and his Spirit (whether I feel it or not); know that he is with me; know that he is strengthening and empowering me; know that he is helping me; know that he is filling me with his peace; and with himself.
Just know. Have a calm reassurance in my spirit. Sit quietly in meditation and know he is with me.
“Knowing” causes joy to spring up in my soul. I can go through my day with a lightness in my spirit. I can say in my heart I met with almighty God today. He loves me. I didn’t “feel” it, I “know” it.
I do believe there are reasons why we sometimes don’t “feel” anything when we meditate. Usually it’s because He wants us to draw even deeper and even closer to Him.
Sometimes it can be that there is an area in our life we need to correct. Or it could be that He is waiting for us to act on something he has already given us. Don’t try to force a tangible experience or a revelation from God. Remember meditation is not about seeking experiences it’s about seeking God.
How do I “know”? How can I have confidence that he is doing something in my heart even when I feel like nothing is happening?
Firstly it is because he lives in me, so he is always with me. Secondly because there are numerous promises throughout the Bible that he will always be with me (Matthew 28:20) I am with you always and (Jeremiah 29:13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (and many, many more).
Thirdly, I also learnt very early on that whenever I sat in the stillness, not necessarily “feeling” God but simply believing that because I took the time to wait on God, a transaction was taking place deep in my spirit, I found that there was always evidence of this at a later time.
Sometimes a little prayer was answered or something fell into place, there was a change in my circumstances or something else happened that was evidence that God had been with me in that moment and had heard the prayers of my heart.
If you are frustrated, confused or disappointed that you have tried meditating on God but did not “feel” anything, keep going!
God honours the fact that you make the effort to meet with him and something always happens in your heart even if you can’t see it immediately. You will. This is the way to live a supernatural life.
Close your eyes, let everything else fall away, set your heart, mind and spirit on him and “know” he is with you, he is filling you. He is pouring soul-refreshing rain from heaven into your heart. Omnipotent, omniscient sovereign God is filling your soul, healing your soul, strengthening your soul.
Sometimes you can’t see it or feel in the natural or physical. It’s taking place in your spirit as you sit in the stillness and meditate on him.
I would have missed a lot of blessing in my life if I had not taken the time to “be still” or had given up on the days when I don’t “feel” anything.
I hope this encourages you this year to make time every day to meet with him in meditation. Sometimes you will feel his presence. Sometimes you won’t “feel” anything. But you will always encounter him.
Praying peace and blessing for the New Year for you!
Recent Comments