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by Dr. Nancy Moelk
"But in the depths of my heart I truly know
That you have become my Shield;
You take me and surround me with yourself."
Psalm 3:3a from The Psalms, Poetry on Fire by Dr. Brian Simmons
Listen here (4 min.) or read below.
There is a medicinal quality to hanging out with God. I can only compare it to having a shower on the inside where you just stand there and let the water hit you and wash away whatever seen or unseen things that have been making you dirty and stinky. Learning to be still with Him was such a struggle for me but now that I can do it most of the time (or rather calm myself to recognize His presence is already there), it is one of my most important times of the day and night.
"Take the good gracious God just as he is, as plain as a common poultice, and lay him to your sick self, just as you are. Or if I may put it another way, lift up your sick self, just as you are, and let your desire reach out to touch the good, gracious God, just as he is, for to touch him is eternal health."[i]
I want to share with you little exercise I learned in my journey to be with God in the inner place of stillness. This one came from the book The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counsel by some unknown person who was trying to help others to connect with the Lord Jesus. First, I must explain to you what this man meant by a "cloud of unknowing." He states that we can never be with God with our minds but can only relate to him by reaching up with our hearts and loving on Him. So, the "cloud of unknowing" has to do with letting go of trying to intellectually know God in that moment and instead seeking to love Him as He is with yourself, just as you are. To get there you ask God to help you have a cloud of forgetfulness between you and all your problems and life responsibilities. For a little time, you are asking for help to let go of the world and its offerings of both pain and fun to hang out with your Creator.
Here is the exercise. Sit still in a quiet place and say, "Lord, let there be a cloud of forgetfulness below me. I want to forget everything and everyone for these moments except for You. And let there be a cloud of unknowing above me. I want to reach up with my heart and love on You." Wait on God here to come and assist you.
Try this for five or ten minutes to start. You may have a low ability at first to sit still or to be with someone so intensely (or both). I had to run away quite often when I first felt God's presence. It was too much for my underdeveloped relational capacity. Or your mind, like a naughty puppy, may try to get your attention. Just tell your naughty puppy “Not now.”[1]
As we persist in choosing to focus on the Kingdom of Heaven within, on Christ in us, our capacity to entangle with Him will continue to develop and expand into eternity. Our goal is union.
Here is another possible way of you being with Him. Listen to the song “Endless Love” sung by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. Imagine that God is singing that to you and you are singing it to Him. You are enmeshed with Him already in an “endless love.” May you awaken more and more into that reality!
[1] I hear J.P. Abraham give a talk on meditation and he referred to the mind as a “naughty puppy.” I like that way of addressing our mind because it removes any self-condemnation at being distractable. Puppies need training, not scolding.
[i] The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counsel by Anonymous p. 175 [Written around 1375]
The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counsel by Anonymous p. 175 [Written around 1375]
This work is available for free on sites such as this: Cloud of Unknowing - Christian Classics Ethereal Library*
For another resource to help you feel His presence look into this helpful booklet: Share Immanuel, The Healing Lifetyle.
*My quoting of a saint or any other source does not represent an endorsement of the totality of their work but rather just a small gem of truth I came across in reading their books.]