Experiencing God's Presence #353

Experiencing God's Presence #353

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

John 3:8, NIV

God loves variety. He also loves to keep us on our toes. Our religious instincts always look for patterns and principles to follow, but God won’t let us find them with any sense of lasting satisfaction. That’s because we can live by patterns and principles without Him, even while assuming that we have “a relationship with God.” But a relationship with a system of beliefs is a poor substitute for a relationship with a person. God won’t let us function on “automatic.”

So God rarely does the same thing twice. He spoke through a burning bush—once. He won a victory by having His people march circles around a city—once. Jesus healed a blind man with spittle and dirt—once. He has spoken on numerous occasions, won many victories, and healed many eyes, but not with any uniform methods. His ways are beyond figuring out.

That’s why the Presence is essential. It keeps us in relationship mode rather than religion mode. When we live exclusively by Christian principles and patterns—even those we can discern from Scripture—we stop listening for His voice, hanging on to His every word, watching His every move, and asking for His specific direction. Instead, we revert to human wisdom, practical and sensible options, and muted expectations. And we miss the personal touch.

Learn to be blown by the Spirit wherever He pleases. Dwell in the Presence so thoroughly that when the Presence moves, you do too. Take pleasure in God’s variety. Use it as an opportunity to pull away from the practice of religion and draw close to Him.

Spirit, blow through me as You will. Redirect me however You want to. Make me sensitive to Your true paths, Your varying methods, and Your specific timing.