When you feel dissatisfied, it's time to gaze at God.
There is nothing so quieting and reassuring than to simply contemplate God in peace.
It is so good that David says in Psalm 27:4:
"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
There are always things to trouble us, to prey on our minds. But, entering the presence of the Lord and enjoying him alone is like the touch of a cool breeze on a warm summer's day. It refreshes.
David was always at war as King of Israel. He had bad relations with some of his children. He had a lot to worry about.
I have nothing really heavy on my mind right now. But I have felt something gnawing at me for the last few days - something I can't quite put my finger on.
So, this afternoon, I turned to this lovely passage in Psalm 27 and thought about "gazing upon the beauty of the Lord".
This is a great picture. In my mind, I see David kneeling before God and just gazing at him in wonder and joy. I am certain he is doing that now in heaven.
Like David, we don't need to wait until heaven in order to gaze upon him. We may not see God as clearly as we will when we are with him in eternity. But we can be aware of him with us - and enjoy him.
Richard Foster, author of Sanctuary of the Soul, recommends that we "put away all obstacles of the heart, all scheming of the mind, all vacillations of the will". As St. John of the Cross said, it is like a house going still. We quiet ourselves.
Now, we are ready to relax in his presence, attentive to him.
Sometimes, that is all that happens. As Foster says: "In silence, we behold the Lord. Words are not needed for there to be communion. Most of all, we rest in God's 'wondrous, terrible, gentle, loving, all-embracing silence'."
Often, I have pictured God with me and I am resting in silence with him. He is just with me and no words are needed. He extends his peace to me.
At other times, we may want to hear him as he speaks to us.
Mark Virkler, who wrote How to Hear God's Voice, imagines walking with Jesus on a beach and just delighting in his companionship. He opens his mind to what Jesus is saying.
As Foster says, listening to God means being aware of how God speaks and what he has said in the Bible. God does not contradict what is said in scripture. But he does speak to us personally through the promptings of the Spirit in our minds and hearts.
The key to listening is wanting to hear what God has to say. He may simply be saying: "I love you." What he has to say is always good, even if he is urging us to change for his sake.
So, after gazing at God, I am no longer dissatisfied. I am renewed.
There is nothing so quieting and reassuring than to simply contemplate God in peace.
It is so good that David says in Psalm 27:4:
"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
There are always things to trouble us, to prey on our minds. But, entering the presence of the Lord and enjoying him alone is like the touch of a cool breeze on a warm summer's day. It refreshes.
David was always at war as King of Israel. He had bad relations with some of his children. He had a lot to worry about.
I have nothing really heavy on my mind right now. But I have felt something gnawing at me for the last few days - something I can't quite put my finger on.
So, this afternoon, I turned to this lovely passage in Psalm 27 and thought about "gazing upon the beauty of the Lord".
This is a great picture. In my mind, I see David kneeling before God and just gazing at him in wonder and joy. I am certain he is doing that now in heaven.
Like David, we don't need to wait until heaven in order to gaze upon him. We may not see God as clearly as we will when we are with him in eternity. But we can be aware of him with us - and enjoy him.
Richard Foster, author of Sanctuary of the Soul, recommends that we "put away all obstacles of the heart, all scheming of the mind, all vacillations of the will". As St. John of the Cross said, it is like a house going still. We quiet ourselves.
Now, we are ready to relax in his presence, attentive to him.
Sometimes, that is all that happens. As Foster says: "In silence, we behold the Lord. Words are not needed for there to be communion. Most of all, we rest in God's 'wondrous, terrible, gentle, loving, all-embracing silence'."
Often, I have pictured God with me and I am resting in silence with him. He is just with me and no words are needed. He extends his peace to me.
At other times, we may want to hear him as he speaks to us.
Mark Virkler, who wrote How to Hear God's Voice, imagines walking with Jesus on a beach and just delighting in his companionship. He opens his mind to what Jesus is saying.
As Foster says, listening to God means being aware of how God speaks and what he has said in the Bible. God does not contradict what is said in scripture. But he does speak to us personally through the promptings of the Spirit in our minds and hearts.
The key to listening is wanting to hear what God has to say. He may simply be saying: "I love you." What he has to say is always good, even if he is urging us to change for his sake.
So, after gazing at God, I am no longer dissatisfied. I am renewed.
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