Bulletin
July 2007
Gen 3:9 “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”
Patiently he sits waiting, longing, hoping. But alas, he returns home grieved and dejected for she did not come to him again today.
Today slips into tomorrow. To the same old log, by the same clear brook, beneath the same mighty oak he rushes.
“Maybe she's lost her way,”
he thinks to himself, refusing to accept her absence as mere negligence.
But, she knows the spot all too well, for this is the very place where long ago they first met. She had always been so excited and cheerful during those sweet interludes, her conversation so affectionate and engaging. She seemed mesmerized by this chivalrous, inspiring, strong yet tender suitor. He had been charmed by her elegant gracefulness, yet flattered by her childlike dependence upon him. This was their rendezvous place. This is where he wooed her, won her.
His face flushed with tearful emotion, he allows his fingers to trace nervously over the bark of the tree, whose branches sway proudly over this special place. His eyes are drawn to the carved initials in the tree’s trunk. He remembers the day he pulled out his old pocketknife and carved them there. His and Her initials, intertwined into a heart, tell all who might happen upon this out of the way place, of the touching romance of two gentle lovers. Hand trembling, he reaches to touch the etching, feeling intense pain within his chest, as though the carving had been engraved more permanently upon his own heart.
Sadly, weakly, head hung, shoulders stooped, with great effort he forces himself to leave "The Special Place."
It is a listless, heartbroken God whose people neglect to fellowship with Him in consistent, personal, private prayer.
Eagerly and with patient devotion, our Lord yearns for our prayerful conversation. During these times, He shares with us all manner of spiritual insights into His divine will. We also have the blessed privilege of being escorted to the forefront of revelation and understanding, when this beautiful communion is maintained. We absorb His glory and the life-giving power that others so desperately need. We cannot afford to sever such vital connections with the Spirit, by ignoring a faithful prayer life before God.
Hasten your return to "The Special Place," where you and the Lover of your soul once met. Take up your vigil upon the old stump beneath the oak tree, and beckon Him to come. Plead with Him until the intensity of former passions carries you into the resplendent glory of past encounters; those times when you were in Christ, and Christ was in you; when you lived, moved and had your being in Him.
Could it be that one of God's most troubling apprehensions regarding His blood-bought church is, “Neglected Prayer”?
The most intimate method for “Practicing His Presence” is to meet regularly with Jesus Christ in personal private prayer.
ARE YOU PRACTICING HIS PRESENCE?