The Living God

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?                                                                         Psalm 42.2

I join the psalmist and cry out with him in the first half of this verse. My soul indeed cries out, I thirst for God, for the living God. My God is not an inanimate object. He is alive. He is life. He gives life. I thirst for the life that only God can give me. Yes, I feel alive in Him, but I want more. I am eager for more, wonderful, miracle-working life power from God to flow into, and out from, my life. I am totally caught up in Him. He is the way, the only way for me. And I want to go His way one hundred percent.

The second part of this verse suggests that the psalmist is presently prevented from being at the temple to meet with God. I rejoice that the temple is not a distant place for me, a place where I might sometimes find difficulty attending. No, this does not apply to me. For the temple, now, is within me. Through the precious sacrifice of Jesus, the veil of the temple was torn and the way opened up for me to enter God’s presence directly. The temple, where I might enter the presence of my almighty and wonderful God is not a fixed building, but is the sweetness of my heart. Jesus allows me to become the temple of the Holy Spirit. I can meet God anytime, within my own being.

This is not something to be abused, but rather treasured and honoured. The God od all creation, God of gods and Lord of lords meets with me in the intimacy of my own heart. I need no intermediary. O, praise God, that I can live in such wonderful relationship with Him.

Lord God,

I thank You for this wonderful reminder of your closeness to me. I am able to meet You at any time. Indeed, I am with You at this very moment. Right now, the neighbours are chatting just an arm’s length away, but they are not intruding. I am with You. Dear, sweet Lord this is the third experience I have had of this nature in just over a week. Are You drawing me closer to You? I hope so. Something is happening in our relationship. I pray – I ask You for a more constant awareness of Your presence, a growing knowing in me that I live with You each second of each day.

Precious, precious Lord. Holy One of all. Take me. Lead me. Fill me, and fulfil me, in Jesus’ name I ask.             Amen.