“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT)
Have you ever been hungry? No, I’m not speaking about having an early breakfast and by lunch you’re starving. Personally, I’ve missed a few meals I hadn’t planned to miss, but having seen some of the suffering in our world, I’ve never really known hunger, with one exception. My heart aches like the gnawing pangs of hunger to know my Savior more intimately, to sense His presence more closely, and to hear His heartbeat as though it were my own. These are the longings of my heart in this season.
Nothing satisfies the human heart and soul like intimacy with Jesus. Jesus longed for closeness with His Father. That’s why the agony of the Cross was so hard for Him. Having to be separated from the Father, if only for seconds, was like an eternity for Jesus. How can we walk with the Lord and not long for His presence in every second?
James L. Snyder wrote: “Throughout the history of humanity, there have been great discoveries. I am not sure which one we could point to and say, ‘That is the greatest discovery in the world.’ But for the hungry heart, there is but one discovery that satisfies it: the discovery of the manifest, conscious presence of God.” (A. W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, ed. James L. Snyder – Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014)
I wish I could tell you it’s always been that way for me, but it hasn’t. It’s a growing process, but once we finally make the connection between the nagging ache of our heart for “something more,” and the thirst-quenching, life-sustaining presence of the Lord, our lives will never be the same. As I understand the process, pain is the pathway that leads to the heart of God.
It may be physical, emotional, financial, relational, even spiritual pain, but too often our hearts are not willing to be postured to hear God’s voice until our pain is deepened to the point the voice of the enemy is stilled. It’s in the quiet agony of our brokenness that the voice of God becomes crystal clear.
Beloved, it’s a journey, but to bask in His presence is heaven! To sense the affirming, loving, inviting presence of His Spirit, healing your heart, informing your spirit, and soothing your soul is something no one or nothing of this earth can accomplish.
I’ve shared before how I’ve wrestled with regret regarding my first marriage, but especially my failure to love my kids well in critical times in their lives. My failure has led to their walking without Jesus as their best friend, which is my deepest regret. Recently, the Lord has freed me of my regret.
He’s shown me that to focus on what wasn’t done in the past has blocked what He’s wanted to do in the present. To fill my mind with “what if’s” is to block the path to His “what will be’s.” Anytime we choose the past over the present, we choose death over life; sorrow over hope; defeat over victory. Our God has no limits. Prayer is our lifeline. What belief in a living God can do is literally unimaginable. He alone satisfies the hunger of our aching heart.
How will it all turn out? God alone knows. But I know this! It will be good, better than anything I or you can imagine. How do I know that? Because I’ve sat in His presence, and He whispered it to my heart.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 