I love rainbows and sunshine on a cloudy day. Both of these thing bring a sense of brightness to dreary days. In winter, on rainy/cloudy days, I love our fireplace and the glow and warmth it spreads throughout our house.
Rainbows seem to appear suddenly and spread across the sky. Last week I was rushing to take the children to football training when we saw a rainbow start right in front of us. It moved quickly from being half a rainbow to a full arch. By the time I got home 10 minutes later, it was not only a full arch but it was now a double rainbow going from one side of the sky to the other.
I took out my camera and as I did, the sun came out through the clouds and shone on the tree that the rainbow seemed to touch. I took one photo and then stood still for a moment, loving the sight in front of me and forgetting to take more photos. (the photo I took is above)
The next morning I was ( rushing again!) to take my children to school. It was overcast and the sky was once again grey. As I drove home, lost in my own thoughts, I suddenly realised that my shoulder was warm. I looked out my side window briefly and realised that the sun shone through the clouds and was hitting the side of my car. In front of me was shadow. I looked in the rear view mirror and there was shadow behind me. The sun was peeking through the clouds and had hit my car. I smiled with the warmth on me and soon it was gone.
A few days later, with these two scenarios forgotten, I took out my bible to have my “other” quiet time. This is the time I have with God during the day when the rush of the morning is over. I tucked my feet under me and started to read. A scripture stood out as I read it, and I felt a touch from God as I warmed from the instruction.
I love getting a touch from God when things are a bit dreary and my mind is in a fog. It is like God is saying, “I am here, I have never left”. These moments are precious to me and they are as real as the sights of rainbows and sunshine. I feel lifted by them and energised by them.
But…
Here is what I really want.
I not only want to be touched by God, I want to be immersed, filled to the brim, overflowing in abundance…glowing from the inside out!! That is what I pray for. I want to be so changed that I warm others because of God in me. End…of…story!!
I want to be like my fireplace in winter, with a good glow of God and the warmth of His spirit.
I know God is doing this. Things in me are being burned up. Selfishness, impatience, rebellion…oh and don’t forget my mouth!!
These things are being burned from my being…slowly. A bit like a slow burning wood log in my fireplace. I hurt as He changes the ways I demand to be and makes me something different. He wants me to glow with His Love and power, but I must be willing to change.
Yet God brings joy to my cloudy days with rainbows and sunshine, because He knows that this is necessary too. There are moments of warmth and colour, but I have to take the time to stop and get the moments.
My prayer for you today is that you will desire a touch from the inside out, but that you will also take the time to stop for God moments.
I am hearing so many Christians today that are not taking time for God. They do not have a desire for the things of God. Oh, my fellow soldier of Christ… you cannot do much without God who changes us from the inside out. Please take time for God, don’t just turn to Him when you are desperate.
Don’t look for the ways that God speaks to me, find the way that God speaks to you. It might be through the loyalty of a pet, or a flower that pops up in your garden. It might be through a soft breeze that hits your face on a hot day and God will remind you that He wants to touch your life just the same.
Desire to glow, desire to change, desire the moments and get back to God. He is as real as the physical world we live in.
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.
2 Thess 1:11 (NIV)
Be blessed.