It’s early in the morning…20° in the church parking lot…yet my car starts immediately. The adversity of cold weather does not stop the performance. Tune-up, gasoline and antifreeze all helped but the key ingredient is a good battery. I’ve experienced the difference between a bad and good battery, haven’t you?
What is the spiritual counterpart to an automobile’s battery? Some would say church attendance and indeed that helps tremendously. Yet I perceive our spiritual battery to be our “daily quiet time with the Lord”. It was during such a time recently that the Lord spoke plainly, giving me a vivid vision that I would like to pass on to you.
Get comfortable – pull the screen down in your mind and project the following up on it:
Imagine being in heaven – you’re coming up to the massive open doors of God’s throne. Brilliant light and gorgeous music are emanating from the room. You are drawn to enter, but an angel approaches and says, “Today God has some special things planned for you, would you follow me?” He then leads you to the next room. There is only one door and it’s like those you are accustomed to in your own house.
The light that comes through the open door is bright and inviting, but has a quality of intimacy to it. Once again you notice music drawing you toward the room. Your heart begins to mouth the words of your favorite worship hymn or chorus…Once you step inside you sense the angel closing the door behind you. The room reminds you of the place you meet the Lord at home. You notice to your left a tiered fountain and the sound of the water running over the rocks adds to the soothing feeling beginning to warm your mind and body. In the center of the room are two over-stuffed chairs. You know you can do your part to fill one of them nicely. There is a table to the side of one chair with a glass of iced water and what looks like a well worn Bible on it. To the side of the other chair is also a table. It too has a glass of water, along with a basin, pitcher, and a towel.
From that second chair rises Jesus Christ (are you visualizing this?). “I’m glad you are here. I’ve been waiting for you”, He says.
As you approach the Lord, He doesn’t wait for you to cross the room. He meets you half-way with a smile that melts all your anxieties and seems to block out all other thoughts. His nail-scared hands wrap around you and you hear the precious words from His lips, “I love you Steve (your name). O, how I love you”. He steps back and states, “Come let’s sit and chat. I’ve blocked off a good bit of My busy schedule to meet with just you. I trust you can stay a while.”
What are you thinking and feeling right now?
If you are like me, I feel: loved, important, ashamed, scared (He sees right through me), reverential fear, connected, and anticipation. I also feel sad because I’ve missed soooooooo much by not taking advantage of the quality and quantity time the Lord has wanted to spend with just me.
The over-stuffed chair is for you. Is it worn from use or is it like new? How often are you staying for “a while”? How often do we keep Him waiting? How often do we stand the Lord up?
As you start 2009 will you join this pastor in committing to keeping your spiritual battery charged by daily taking your place in the over-stuffed chair?
Pastor Steve