When Nothing Else Matters
But for Me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalm 73:28 (ESV)
Everyone’s life has ups and downs; sometimes those shifts can overwhelm our emotions and frustrations set in. When this takes place my view of God is limited. My view becomes narrow and I restrict seeing God in the everyday mundane of my life.
Recently I allowed circumstances to cause me to slip into that narrow view of God. A distant sense of His presence. Even before recognizing this state of self, I made a radical decision to go for a hike in the mountains, ALONE. Some may say “that’s no biggie” but for this girl, who loves being with people especially when adventure is involved - trust me, this was a big deal. Not feeling very brave I set out to find a trail that would be scattered with hikers. Working hard to convince myself, “this will be nice hiking alone.” I decided to push the boundaries a little and find a less traveled path.
At the foot of this trailhead I immediately noticed I was alone, and a feeling of loneliness set it. To combat this, my headphones were set in place with worship music feeding my soul. Little by little I grew braver and continued on the path less traveled until there was no one in sight. First time on a hike alone, I determined to push myself and forged ahead on that quiet trail.
I found myself on the Benton McKay Trail and then it happened. One song grabbed me and the words burned in my heart. It was at that moment I sensed the Holy presence of God in a powerful encounter. My perspective opened and no longer were my eyes set on any of my circumstances but on the Lord, the creator and ruler of the universe. As the song was set on repeat, my heart completely abandoned the things of this world and was set on God and God alone.
Thank you to songwriter Cody Carnes and Nothing Else for providing the words to express this tender encounter on the trail.
I’m caught up in Your presence
I just want to sit here at Your feet
I’m caught up in this holy moment
I never want to leave
Oh, I'm not here for blessings
Jesus, You don't owe me anything
More than anything that You can do
I just want YOU
I’m sorry that I’ve just gone through the motions
I’m sorry when I just sang another song
Take me back to where we started
I open up my heart to You
I’m sorry when I’ve come with my agenda
I’m sorry when I forgot that You’re enough
Take me back to where we started
I open up my heart to You
I imagine this is a glimpse of what heaven will be, our eyes completely set on our God and overcome with being in His presence. I believe Revelation 21:3b-4 to be true, “”Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (NLT)
Be encouraged to get alone and set your eyes on God, who loves us more than our earthly minds can understand - Open up the deepest part of your hearts to HIM.
Dear Lord, thank You for pursuing us when we lose sight of You and even Your presence. Forgive us for becoming consumed at times with ourselves. You are enough in fact You are more than enough for each one of us. In Jesus name we declare our love for YOU! AMEN
