Jeremiah 5:22 Moment

This morning while I was writing in my quiet time journal, I felt like the Lord was calling me to pray and just invite him to come spend with me. So I just stopped and asked that His presence would fill my room. I don't know how many times I've prayed that prayer, but for whatever reason this time when I said it I finally felt the weight of what I was asking! I think usually when I pray that what I really am thinking, without even realizing it is, "God make me feel good during this time, so I'll know that you're here," which is kind of a prideful thought really. But this time instead of getting a rush of peace, I was overwhelmed with fear. Had I really just invited the God of all creation to sit in my room (my laundry piled in the corner, unmade bed, last week's cereal bowl sitting on the floor, would drive my mom crazy, dirty room)? And I did it so nonchalantly! Did I really have the authority to even suggest that the Lord who holds every piece of this world together would actually desire to sit and spend time with me? I think the whole idea of inviting God's presence to dwell among us has become too routine for me. It's a prayer I pray almost every day, whether it be in church, when I'm having lunch with a friend, or during my quiet time. It's a prayer that comes from good inentions, but like every habit, eventually the concious meaning is replaced by ritual. May the weight of those words never seem simple to me again! And the best part is that in the midst or my fear and feelings of unworthiness, the Lord whispered, "Of course I'll rest with you. In fact, I long for that opportunity more than you ever have or ever will!" The mystery of a perfect, holy God who desires communion with flawed and filthy sinners will never fall short of being the most amazing reality any of us will ever know! Find joy in the knowledge that there is no one the Lord desires to spend time with than you, and there is no other time he would rather start than right now. Approach his throne with freedom and confidence (ephesians 3:12), but in humbleness recognize whose presence you are sitting under (Job 38-41).

Oh, and we just finished our first life group meeting. It was really great. Not exactly what we planned it to look like, but when the Lord is leading it rarely does. Keep praying that the Lord would place more people on our hearts to be a part of it!