Often I find myself deeply thirsting for an encounter with God, a kiss of renewal, a longing for deeper intimacy and knowing of Him and Him of I. It is easy in these times to somehow delve within ones' self, as if the groaning hunger for Him leaves me distracted for anything else.
Those times I fix my attention on Him and I begin to utter my belief ‘He is here now.’ Often it is within the swirl of the ordinary that my hunger arises, it’s surprises me in the midst of the mundane or everyday-ness of life. My heart alive to my great need of Him. In the corporate gatherings, in the secret place even, my anticipation and attention is upon Him and I pursue, but when my heart aches and my thirst rises in the everyday it is a purer sound of me.
I look upon with full faith the One who I know and believe to be my Emmanuel and I call upon my faith and belief that He is here, now, in my midst.
He is fully Himself, here, with the desire and with pleasure to commune with me, to wrap around me with grace and power.
I am bathed in the penetrating light, immersed in Him. No moment escapes Him, no activity is too mundane for Him to come and find me in, no busyness too important for Him to interrupt me, His divine calling awakening my hunger and thirst to steal a moment with me. There is nothing too ‘grown up’ that I can not go to be a child on his lap and receive the tenderness I need. No darkness too weighty for the brightness of His hope. No place He is not. He who is.
He is here now, in all His beauty and splendour, His power and tenderness, such greatness is so close to us! This is the wonder we must constantly embrace and set before us, and not that He is merely close, if this is not a privilege too great, but He in us, around us, because in Him ‘we live, and move, and exist.” ‘it is through him that we live and function and have our identity’ Acts 17:28.
I propose it is this reality that can define us, in our weakness and strength, our need, and hunger, our plenty and flourishing, in our ability and actions. Our identity in his presence that infuses all things. It is this; He is here. He is here now, and great the wonder of His loyal love to us.
Great the gift that ever gives to satisfy us in our every hunger and thirst and meet us in our every moment of longing, the lover that draws close to us, who awakens us with renewal's kiss to see, know and enjoy Him.
The ever powerful and present Word that names us, as His. Let our mouths and hearts, our souls make the proclamation that He Who is, Is here with us.
May we disturb the ‘normal’ with our awareness of Him, our decree in it that the God of greatness, mercy, grace and lavished love is with us in it all.
Allow the hunger to rise today, allow the divine to awaken you, and invade your moment with His nearness, He is here now.
He who is.
Let all your senses be moved by this.
The encounter our hearts long for, the renewal we thirst, the intimacy we hunger for, it’s in our midst as we turn to fix our attention on Him and the wonder of His ever present-ness. Our Emmanuel.
He is here.