Ever feel cold in your soul? You just weren’t that excited about reading your Bible, and praying didn’t seem to change the things you’d hoped for. Did you worry that you weren’t spiritual enough, whatever that means? Did you think you better whip up some spiritual fervor because you didn’t feel very close to God? But what if God wants to be close to us more than we can stir up the desire to be close to him? What if God is tenderly wooing us? What if God knows we’re fickle and loves us anyway? What if God makes loving moves toward us each day? What if all we have to do is respond to his kind Presence? It seems to me that he is skilled at using our everyday experiences to draw us close to him.

For instance, looking back over the past week, I experienced 22 different emotions: Panic/fear during a weird migraine, discouragement over my progress in a skill, overwhelm when there were more responsibilities than time, disappointment in someone’s behavior, gratitude for a warm house during bad weather, enjoyment of good food, security with a loving husband, hopelessness that ‘they’ would never turn to God, relief that I survived that scary migraine, pride in a family member who saved someone’s life. Then there were the feelings of worry, indecision, delight, frustration, pity, sadness, exhaustion, encouragement, feeling loved and cared for, temptation, anger, and love. Before you write me off as a lunatic, hear me out.

What if every time our soul was stirred by an emotion, we heard a knock at our heart’s door? What if that knock was Jesus reminding us that he wants to be with us in our human experience? What if every time a fearful thought entered our mind, we invited the Lord of Heaven’s armies into the conversation? What if every time we enjoyed a beautiful sunset we complimented the mighty Creator? What if every time we dispaired of someone changing, we rested in the good plan of the One who knows the heart of each of us?
When trouble casts its deep shadow over us
When discouragement slows our steps
When temptation pulls us aside
In those very moments, God comes to meets us.
He reminds us who he is, that all he does is right and good. He is gentle and compassionate, yet just. He is patient and kind, yet has boundaries. His grace washes over us. His mercy surrounds us. His love shields us. His goodness nourishes us. He is everything we need.
No matter what our circumstances, or our personal abilities and actions, God is in charge. Every piece fits into his plan for our good. He is bigger than our minds can comprehend. It’s not just our stories he controls, but the story of every person who ever lived. When we recognize that his plan is being accomplished throughout human history to this very second, our discouragement fades. His power holds the universe together. He is never surprised or panicked. He is untouched by time and its deterioration. He is eternally the same without diminishing. And his every plan will be accomplished for his own glory and the good of his beloved people.
And aside from all his countless thoughts of care for us, he himself shines in glory simply because he is God. He is apart from humans and angels in incomprehensible power and beauty. In admiring him, we are released from fear and darkness. When we adore him because of who he is, we are lifted out of our pit. Our sight is filled with his greatness and our troubles shrink. He knows best and he is doing best. When we acknowledge that he deserves the praise of every living thing, we want to add our part to the concert. We willingly turn toward him and away from lesser things.
When we admire the beauty of Nature, we are admiring the handiwork of God. We are seeing a glimpse of his glory. Our enjoyment of a sunset, a tree, or a pet is deepened when we breathe a “Thank You” to the Source. And when we study the stars, or rocks, or sea life, or cells we are constantly reminded of the great Mind that designed it all. His glory shines from his Creation even now after the sad deterioration from its original perfect state at the beginning of time.
The great Creator made humans creative like himself. So even the things created by mankind as his image bearers, point to the Creator. Of course, human makers often create bad things because of evil motives or because we can’t foresee all the consequences of even our best intentions. The good and beautiful things we make reflect in a limited way the goodness and beauty of God.
So the next time we don’t know what to do, let’s hear the knock of the One who is all wise and invite his counsel.
When we’re afraid, let’s open the door to our Shield and Protector.
When we are weak, we hear the knock of the One who will give us strength.
When we are tired, we hear the gentle knock of the One who renews and refreshes us.
When we are discouraged, Hope himself is knocking.
When we’re sad, the Man of Sorrows is waiting to comfort us.
When we’re feeling beat down, the Lifter of our heads is near.
When we’re dreading something, the One who holds our future in his loving hands wants to come in and sit down.

^“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”  Revelation 3:20
Let’s allow our daily experiences to amplify the sound of God knocking on our door. Let’s gladly welcome him in for a meal!

Images created with Ai under my guidance and with additional work.