Heart rendezvous with God are appointments I endeavor to keep.
I’ve stumbled into my fair share, largely gaining clarity in hindsight. I’m thankful for the times that I am hearing his voice in preparatory stages, keeping pace with his leadership, and managing a good attitude in the process.
In all fairness, God understands our dullness of heart, it being exemplified in the first human beings. The Garden of Eden was a pretty simple game plan to keep pace with. “Oh, you mean THIS tree is the one that you told us to refrain from eating?” Obviously, quoting Gods’ command to the serpent, they were culpable for their choice.
The voice that contradicts the word of God is never safe to follow.
I’ve made wrong choices, or failed to make right ones, at times from pure disobedience and at times because I did not understand the why of the delay or the need for restraint when a more palpable option for my flesh had been provided.
By the way, confession, repentance, and forgiveness are all frequent accompaniments in our walk. The idea is not to expect that I will never commit sin but rather that I will recommit my life to God every time I do. (Obvious caution here is that of a “false grace” mentality, where the forthcoming grace bounce-back morphs into a permission giving mechanism on the front end.)
The Scripture is replete with illustrations of the need to keep pace with God’s movements and to maintain the proper mindset.
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (1 Peter 1:13,20)
In another place, we are described as those whose names are “written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” (Rev.13:8)
Interludes have been known to defy human comprehension. Jesus was foreknown from eternity past but only appeared as Savior at the perfect time, determined I assume by the united heart of the Trinity. First appearing – perfectly paced – perfectly timed. Best of all, He appeared for the sake of you and me, and every time he is revealed in part, there is grace delivered to our doorstep, even as we expectantly wait for the full revelation.
Simeon and Anna in the temple were faithful in the interlude that preceded Christ’s first appearing. They were keeping pace with God’s plan for them, hence they were in the perfect place. Even now, there are millions of saints anticipating Christ’s second appearing, albeit their waiting room is a more exciting and vibrant temple environment.
This great cloud of witnesses would adjure us to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and to run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
I write with the ink of mystery here, the only surety being that God foreknew I would turn from darkness to light as a twenty-one year old man, and like the very first humans, the power of choice was bequeathed to me.
“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and…hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” When I finally heard the sound, I ran to the shelter of Calvary’s tree, not a hiding “from” but an encounter “with” the very presence of God.
It was the heart rendezvous that forever changed my life.
I’ve worked really hard over the years to not compare my perceived spiritual place with others, knowing all too well the resultant inferior and/or superior postures of heart.
If I’m walking in integrity, seeking to keep pace with the Spirit, I’m in a good position.
The perfect pace is the perfect place.
photo credit: Tez Goodyer <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/64181014@N04/14243278421″>Sunrise jogger</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a>