The Sanctuary: Page 112

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates day and night"
Psalm 1:2

Today, I tried mediation for the first time in my life.  Please know, that the Bible does mention the practice of meditation, as the scripture above states, so don’t freak out on this concept.  As for me personally, I’ve meditated on scripture and I’ve meditated in prayer, seeking answers or direction.  But, today I literally mediated in a spiritual and traditional sense, with a friend, using an online APP to guide us. Of course, we are both Christians and were seeking The Spirit of God as we mediated but I have to say, I was amazed at the spiritual place I arrived.  

Following the speaker's voice as our guide, we began with steadying our breathing and quieting our minds. We were told to envision a light all around us so, I followed my mind’s eye, or spirit into God’s light.  Simultaneously, I pulled scriptures to mind that related to the guide's directives.  One of the scriptures I used was “God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24. Another scripture I used was “For we are a living temple of the living God” 2nd Corinthians 6:14.

As that scripture came to mind, I envisioned the aforementioned light, that was mentally all around me, expand out and upward and then, amazingly, found myself standing in a light-filled Sanctuary. I sensed total quiet. I envisioned God walking next to me, in the form of Jesus, while pure light radiated inside the tall, soaring ceilings of this beautiful, holy place.  In that moment I knew that no matter where I walked on earth I would always be in this spiritual sanctuary, living in the presence of God. 

This spiritual experience allowed me to expand the indwelling of the Lord, so much so, until what was inside me could be seen outside of me and I found myself walking with the Lord. Isn’t this the calling for each of us? What happened for me spiritually, during meditation, is what we are called to, in that God’s beauty exudes out of the sanctuary within us.  This was the closest I’ve ever come to having a visual understanding of the spiritual teaching of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (See Ephesians 3:16-21).

I’m blown away at the spiritual lesson this mediation brought to me.  I will forever have this visual to assist me as I represent Christ in this world and walk as his ambassador (See 2nd Corinthians 5:20).  Perhaps we all need to envision a beautiful Cathedral that creatively sits inside us wherein the Lord dwells. It is my prayer that The Sanctuary of God’s Presence presents itself to you as well.  

Lord, Make it so!

Song Recommendation:

For Your Glory

By: Tasha Cobbs Leonard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YxsruhJ6C4

 

Conduit of the Spiritual: Page 111

I have always sought the Lord through reading different articles, books, devotionals and of course the Bible.  I’ve used my mind to reason things out using scripture and the small amount of spiritual knowledge I’ve attained through the years.  I’ve also noticed that there are times a particular line from a very familiar verse will stand out because of the season I’m in. This is what happened this morning as I read my devotional.  A line from it said:

“You have lived in your mind; now live in the Spirit.” 1

I immediately recalled the scripture that states that God is a Spirit and we are to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  As a typical human, I figured this meant I was to worship God using my mind to draw close to Lord and using my intellect, allowing it to reflect my heart’s goal of knowing God and furthermore, recognizing truth.  But this particular quote, above, changed my usual process; It differentiated between my mind and my spirit.  I quickly recognized that my mind is earthly and my spirit is something else.  My mind is stuck here, earth-bound and simply can’t soar where my spirit can go.  

 

This has given me a new goal of living in the Spirit and approaching God in a vastly different way.  In the material, many things seem unreachable but in the Spirit all things are possible. As a human, my physical abilities are limited.  I know this while working out with my trainer.  Ouch.  But, with my spirit, standing alongside the God of the universe, I can ask for things that are beyond even my imagination and wait in the spiritual as I was watch them come to fruition this side of heaven.  Here is one of my favorite scripture that gives hope to this truth:  

 

“Surely, I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13

 

Things we don’t dare even dream.  Things we cannot even imagine; This is the amazing gift the Holy Spirit provides for us.  He is a gateway to the unimageable…and the conduit of the spiritual.  As we draw close to God, in spirit and in truth, he will draw close to us and then there is no telling where we can go!  

 

Lord, make it so! 

 

1-I Hear His Whisper; February 11^th; Copyright 2019 Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez

 

Song Recommendation:

The Blessing
By: Gateway Church

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ55mDL7dA0

 

Relevant Scripture:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more

than all we ask or imagine, 

according to his power that is at work within us, 

To him be glory in the church 

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations

Forever and ever!

Amen.”

Ephesians 3: 20

"God is spirit,

and his worshipers are to worship 

in the Spirit and in truth"

John 4:24