This evening I found myself walking the halls of a completely empty mega-ish church after a counseling session. In an almost habitual fashion I walked into the sanctuary. This place was usually filled with people, music and lights but tonight it was still, serene, quiet. Had there been more cars in the parking lot, I would have felt inclined to believe the rapture had come and gone, but in a rare moment I was there alone.
I could only help but think that this moment was pre-ordained. I felt that God had planned this moment to happen, that I would be at church, alone in a 1500ish seat sanctuary and that literally no one else was there, no events, no noise… no distractions. Rare indeed.
Now recently I have felt that God’s message has been “I want to spend time with you.” I feel it in every fiber of my spirit, that God is calling me to just sit with Him and to rest with Him, to hear from Him, to learn from Him, and to talk to Him. The Creator of the universe wants to spend time with me. That’s a strange thought. What is even more of a strange thought is that to any other lesser famous person, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend time with them… or at the very least I would at least consider it.
I would happily hang out with President Barack Obama, as readily as I would with President Donald Trump, I’d jump at the opportunity to have a meal with Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks or maybe even Chris Pratt. To pick the brain of Elon Musk, or to sing with Taylor Swift I wouldn’t give a second thought, but for some reason, some unknown reason, I have every excuse in the world to not spend time with God – THE one and only God, Yahweh.
Tonight felt like the moment there was not an excuse in the world for me to leave Him waiting. This was my Kairos – this was a greek word I knew from college. Kairos is defined as, “a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune and decisive moment.” This was my moment – God had called me into His courts. Was I to ignore Him. Nah.
I want to share with you how a moment in God’s presence plays out: starting my time with God in quiet, I don’t say anything. I try and allow my head to clear out until my thoughts have passed away. Once I have reached a good frame of mind, and a clear head, I start by saying “God here I am.” This feels like it really sets the tone for my time with the King. When I say “God, here I am” I am declaring that “God, you have my undivided attention, I am ready to hear from you.” That phrase is also a reference to when God talked to Samuel by the Ark in Tabernacle, and another reference to when God was looking for Adam in the garden, God said “Adam where are you?”
When I say “God, here I am” I am declaring that “God, you have my undivided attention, I am ready to hear from you.”
Tonight did not disappoint. I won’t tell you of all the things we talked about in that moment but I can tell you that I walked out of the sanctuary feeling different than when I stepped in. There was a peace that completely overcomes the chaos, a love that overwhelms pain, and a joy that leaves sadness without a place to reside. Sadly, I will quickly forget what it is like to spend a moment with the God of the Universe, but that’s why we need to remind ourselves every day, we need to return to the throne room of the King to fill ourselves up, to receive the life-giving “water” that can only come from God Himself.