I was talking with a fellow and he commented about how he just didn’t feel the power of God in his life like he once did. He told me that he studied his Bible and prayed and meditated but just couldn’t get that sense of God’s presence. As we talked I asked him about those times when he did feel God’s presence in his life. He told me about the times when he was working on a particular project at church. He said another time he especially felt God’s presence was when he went on a mission trip with his church to a third world country.
As we talked, I told him that I, personally, that a person would sense God’s power and His presence simply by studying and meditating. I told him that, for me, it is when I used the knowledge that I gained by my studies that I felt God’s presence. I pointed out that the times he felt God’s power in his life was when he was in the middle of the battle. That is when all your studies become useful. If we never use the knowledge that we gain during our studies, then not is nothing more than going to my therapy sessions but then never using the strength, in my daily life, that I gained through my exercises.
As we talked, I thought about the story of David and Goliath. When David fought Goliath with his sling shot, I am guessing that was not the first time he had ever used that sling shot. Don’t you know that he practices and practiced in those fields while he was watching the sheep. Then it came time to use what he had practiced and the Bible said that David “ran” to meet Goliath. I believe that in the battle is when David felt God’s power and presence.
What about our churches today? I am afraid that too many of our churches are nothing more than the cruise ship that my sister-in-law and niece enjoyed on their Alaskan cruise. That ship was set up for their convenience and to make them comfortable and help them relax and enjoy the trip. So often, that is all our churches do.
My Point: I guess that I believe that our churches need to be more like battleships that are training their members for the war. One of those roles of the church leaders, according to Paul, is to “prepare God’s people for works and service” (Ephesians 4:12). In other words, we need to use our Bible studies, our sermons, our life groups to prepare God’s people to get into the battle – that is when we will really see God work and feel His presence.
When I was at Ohio Valley College (University), I played baseball my freshman year. In practice we were told that how we practiced would determine how we would handle the pressure of game time. Practice was hard but it was fun. There was not the pressure of the actual game. I found that there was nothing like being in the game and feeling the pressure of the situation. That is when all of my practice sessions came into play. AND, it is when we are in the battle that we will discover just how we prepared in our times of Bible study, prayer and meditation.
Do you feel the power of God in your life? Do you feel His presence with you? Let me ask: Have you ever been talking with someone and they are telling you about a struggle they are having and you stopped them and prayed for hem right there, right then” Have you ever had someone say that they feel like they are floundering in life and you sat down with them and had a Bible study about what God can do for their life and how He can help them with their struggles?