01/17/2025
The faith of someone who has truly encountered God and been in His presence is virtually unshakable. It is an experience that marks the beginning of a life that will never be the same again.
God is beyond all wonder and comprehension. He exists in a realm that is impossible for us to even begin to fathom.
Throughout space and time, God has left vast evidence of His existence in order to inspire us to seek Him and believe in Him.
All of creation has the fingerprints of an awesome and intelligent Creator scattered all over it, however, that alone will rarely convince someone that God is anything more than a myth or an excuse for Christians to avoid having to scientifically explain the origin of things.
But God is not someone who needs humanity to prove that He exists. Spiritual things can only be understood and revealed as truth by the Spirit of God. To the unspiritual and unbelieving, they are mere foolishness. (1 Cor. 2:14)
No amount of sound apologetics will ever fully convince a skeptic of God’s existence. Sure, it is a wonderful tool to aide in explaining the character and nature of God from a human perspective, and can be helpful in inspiring a shift in an unbeliever’s way of thinking, but the heart can only be convinced by God and God alone.
That is why He offers us the gift of His presence in the form of His Spirit who continually works on our hearts and minds to bring us to that point of absolute acceptance that He IS God—perfect in every way—who not only created us, but actually WANTS to have a relationship with us!
If you have ever encountered God before, you will know exactly what I am talking about. But if you haven’t, then it will be difficult for me to convey to you the absolute magnitude of what it feels like to have an experience so “otherworldly” that it leaves you breathless.
Explaining God’s presence cannot be articulated anymore than trying to explain the exhilarating rush of skydiving to someone who has never done it.
Any explanation will sound lackluster and hollow… “Ok, you’ve said that it was “amazing” and “unlike anything you’ve ever experienced”, but what exactly did it feel like?”
You can’t wrap words around it that will allow them to feel precisely what you felt as you were free falling from 12,000 feet.
This is exponentially more true when it comes to explaining what it feels like to encounter God. It is something that has to be personally experienced. But how?
Ultimately, it is a gift from God—given precisely at the moment He chooses to enter into someone’s life and reveal Himself.
It is not something we can buy, or something that is automatically awarded after logging so many hours at church functions, (although there’s a good chance you might meet Him there!)
Encountering God most often comes from faithfully seeking Him with a heart that longs to know Him and a spirit that longs to be reborn. He is a God who answers.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
God’s presence is the undeserved blessing from a perfect Father that confirms that He has heard your unspoken prayers of a longing to be free, and now has come to make Himself known. The gift of His presence is given in order to ignite a desire within your heart to become one with Him.
In some situations, God will simply reach down and pull someone out of the fire because He sees their suffering and knows that, amid their brokenness, they long for something better—to be free from whatever is destroying them inside—but they don’t know where to turn or who to seek.
This is this pure grace of God and absolute mercy from a Savior whose primary mission is rescue and “to proclaim freedom for the captives”. (Isaiah 61:1)
It is given freely, without obligation, and will radically reshape your life through Spiritual restoration if you allow Him access to your heart and soul.
Not everyone’s encounter with God is the same. Often, it can be a subtle, yet undeniable whisper that stirs the heart in a way that nothing ever could.
However, some people require a little more than a soft nudging from the Spirit in order to turn and believe. That can come in many forms. God knows precisely what each of us needs in order to be able to hear His voice and He meets us where we are at.
I am amazed by God’s willingness to reach down and pull anyone out of darkness. Whether that darkness is a slavery to addiction, mental illness, feelings of worthlessness and suicidal ideation, or something else, God wants to set you free!
I pray that you will encounter God in a way that will redefine every aspect of your life and give you a freedom that you never knew was possible! I pray that you will be transformed in this life as you wait with breathless anticipation for what is to come when sin and death are no more.
We worship an indescribable God who longs more than anything for us to turn from whatever is disconnecting our hearts from Him and come back home.
Take the plunge. The water is calling and gives life to the one who comes thirsting for more than what this world can ever offer.
