Experiencing God's Presence #112

Notice how God is both kind and severe.

Romans 11:22

Majesty and humility. Awe and intimacy. Judgment and mercy. These are the tensions and paradoxes in relating to a God who is both unimaginably infinite in power and unimaginably tender in His love. We see the extremes in someone like John, who leaned intimately against Jesus at the Last Supper (John 13:23, NKJV) but later “fell at his feet as though dead” in Revelation 1:17 (NIV). Do we fall on our faces in front of this God or crawl into His lap? Do we fear His judgments or listen to His love songs? Do we approach Him as humble servants or close friends? It’s hard to know.

The truth is that we need to know both sides of God—to be in awe and to become deeply familiar with His tenderness. An emphasis on one or the other leads to a skewed view and an unbalanced relationship. There are times when His Presence will comfort us and other times when it will cause us to hit the floor in fear. And in any encounter with Him, we have to be prepared for either.

In either case, we need to know that His love is behind any experience we have with Him. If He invites us into a warm embrace, it’s because of His love. If He corrects us firmly, it’s because of His love. If He causes us to wait for Him—for a word, a touch, an answer to prayer—it’s because of His love. But in the context of His love, we can experience Him in a variety of ways. Some bring us comfort; others make us tremble.

In your quest for deeper intimacy with God, don’t make the mistake of taking Him for granted. Rest in His love, but do not become complacent in it. Enjoy His acceptance, but do not mistake it for blanket approval of your every impulse. Know the majesty of the God who is close.

Lord, let me never take You for granted or presume upon Your grace. Grant me the privilege of being in awe of You.

From the book