Since being here in Assam, the Lord has been teaching me so much. Something that has radically changed my walk with the Father is how much I have been seeking Him. My whole life seeking the Lord has consisted of reading the word and journaling. This past month I haven’t been able to do either of those things due to the concussion I got in January. In this time the Lord has shown me the importance of seeking all the different sides of His character. One of the things that He has revealed to me is that many people think they understand God, but they really only experience one side of Him. If you only seek God in one way, and aren’t open to new things, are you truly striving to know Him?
Before my concussion, the Lord spoke to me through words and metaphors. He crafted beautiful sentences that flowed with an eloquence I can only hope to acquire. He spoke through His written word and revealed things that my human brain could never understand apart from Him. I loved the way the Holy Spirit spoke to me; I built my life upon His words. I never thought of seeking out God in different ways, because the way I sought Him worked for me. It had never occurred to me that if I sought the Lord in a new way, I would see Him in a new way as well.
When I found out that I would not be allowed to read for a month, I was met with frustration because the word was my main source. In January, I made the decision to read through the Bible during the last 5 months of the race. Unfortunately, I was now unable to read for a month. I was left unaware of how to communicate with the Holy Spirit. I was talking to a team mate one day and they suggested painting. Painting is something that never crossed my mind because I am the least artistic person on the face of the earth. Keen to try something new, I started immediately. I borrowed some water colors, put on some worship music, and got to work. I asked the Lord what color I should use and where I should put it and He told me. At the end of each painting the Artist of the Universe would give it a name. He showed me that while I am no artist, He most certainly is!
In Colossians 1:19 it says, &For God was pleased to have all of His Divine Essence dwell within Him [Jesus]&. When I read that verse the words &Divine Essence& really stuck out. In fact, I was quite blown away by those two little words. I asked the Lord what His Divine Essence looks like, I closed my eyes and He showed me an explosion of color. The radiance of it all was absolutely astounding and I cannot begin to describe the beauty He showed me in that moment. The Holy Spirit continued to blow my mind by reminding me that God placed His Divine Essence within each of us. Before we know Jesus, our life is like a blank paper, everything is mundane and frankly its’s quite boring. Jesus enters and the colors of His Divine Essence explode within our soul. Color bursts from our lives in everything we do. No longer are we stuck in the bland, unfulfilling lifestyle of a sinner. Jesus enters and life begins.
God loves using color to describe His glory. In Ezekiel 1:28 it says, &Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.& So, if His glory dwells within us and there is crazy amounts of color flying everywhere then how could we possibly keep it inside? It’s no wonder Jeremiah says, &but His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.& Jeremiah 20:9b The glory of the Lord is a majestic fire burning with colors that we cannot contain in our mortal bodies. When Moses asked the Lord if he could see His glory, the Lord answered and said, &You cannot see my face; for no man shall see me, and live. So it shall be, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.& Exodus 33:20,22-23. The glory of our Infinite Father burns, and consumes, and rages with an intensity we cannot comprehend.
In summary, when life knocks you down, stand back up and figure out how you can do things differently. God calls each and every one of us to seek Him. He is always waiting with open arms, ready to receive you no matter your situation. He knows exactly what will stretch us and He knows what will draw us closer. Don’t pass off your struggle as something pulling you away from the Father, recognize it as an opportunity to experience an entirely new side of Him.
