Pursue His Presence

In the book, Pursuing the Will of God by Jack Hayford, he retells a story by Jean Firth.  John and Jean Firth were missionaries to Columbia starting around 1952.  They had endured severe persecution as they were not allowed to pass out tracks or advertise and were even stoned in the street (as told by The Vine and The Branches by Nathaniel Van Cleave).  However, they witnessed miraculously healing through prayers and that started a revival and the church grew by many thousands. 

Jean was on a very old plane flying over the Andes Mountains when the plane experienced very violent turbulence.  She was shaken, half-sick, and afraid for her life.  She quietly prayed to God that He would instruct the turbulence to be quiet just as He had told the sea to be still.  God answered that she should instruct it.  So she said, “In the name of Jesus I command you to be still.”  Instantly the turbulence stopped.  About 30 minutes later, the turbulence started again and it was just as violent.  She said again, “In the name of Jesus I command you to be still.”  But nothing happened.  Confused, she prayed to God again asking why the turbulence stopped the first time but not the second.  God answered her saying, the 2^nd time, you didn’t ask me to stop it.

Today I am reflecting upon this story and the author’s thoughts that we need to depend only upon God’s direction, leadership, and Words every day.  They must be new every morning.  What God did yesterday, how He delivered us, and where He led us may be completely different in how He delivers and leads us today.  We must turn to God first every single day so that we are following Him, not leading Him thinking we know how He’s going to answer our needs today.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Today, life may be asking you to give more than you want to give.  You may feel like you are slowly being drained of life every day taking care of the responsibilities God has given you or bearing a grief that has been laid upon you.  Maybe you feel like you are in a time of darkness and you just don’t know how, when, or if you’ll make it out.  Maybe you feel like nothing will ever just be normal again.  Do not fear.  God knows exactly where you are.  You are not lost or forgotten.  He is there.  Trust Him and ask Him to draw preciously closer so that you can feel and know His presence.  We are only complete in peace and full of love when we are in His presence.  Pursue Him this morning and rest in His hands.