Discovering God by Lisa Mauldin
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God”
John 1:12 ESV
As a mom, I am quickly approaching the empty nest stage. I have 4 incredible children whom I was given the blessing of watching grow from helpless little ones into the grown, thriving young men and women that they are today. My heart treasures the moments when we can all be together, but the times when I get to have one-on-one time with them is something I try to store up in my heart as much as I possibly can. You see, the one-on-one moments with my children are when life can be shared, conversations can be had, worries and dreams can be talked about, and, at times, prayers can be spoken. Lately, as I think back on some of these moments, I begin to understand a little deeper the love that God has for me. I believe He looks at me, as I do to my own children, with the utmost admiration and joy. I believe His heart is full when I choose to spend time with Him, as it is a time when so much can be shared. God doesn’t need me to tell him anything, but the fact that I choose to lay it all before Him are moments where He can truly know my heart. I know that He is a safe place for me to land. He is a place that I can bear my soul, yet know that I will not be judged, but loved unconditionally.
It took me a long time to get to a place where I truly felt this love He has for me. It was through many ups and downs, and me thinking that I could do it better alone. I told God I didn’t need Him, and He gave me the space to live that out. I failed in so many ways. God rescued me from the mess I made and showed me grace and mercy that I could never comprehend before this moment. He opened my eyes to who He really is and helped my heart to heal in ways I didn’t think possible.
Before this time, I was stuck living in a childlike state. I expected God to answer every prayer I spoke with the answer that I wanted. I wanted Him to be at my beck and call. I wanted Him to be more of a vending machine than a God who sees and knows all. My view of Him was very different from the God He really is. I didn't really know Him and therefore, I struggled to rest in Him. Friends, if you are walking a path of uncertainty or confusion to the role that God plays in your life, I want to share how He taught me to abide in Him and truly get to know Him. I encourage you to take the time each day to read, pray, and rest in His goodness.
Read the Word of God from the beginning to the end. Find a chronological Bible or resource that has a plan. Find a resource that helps explain the difficult parts of the Bible or just helps you understand everything better based on the culture and time, etc. Commentary, summarization, and word studies can be a huge help. Carve out quiet time each day to spend time reading your Bible - make this a priority. I didn’t always do this. I would often spend my quiet time reading a devotional, skip the Scripture because it took too long, and move on. I wasn’t being fed by the source! Until I personally saw Him woven from the beginning to the end of Scripture, I couldn’t fully grasp the scope of who He was.
Pray and share with Him all that's on your heart. Praise Him for all that He is, all that He’s done, and all that He’s created. Then speak what’s on your heart. Share all that burdens you and all that brings you joy. Share your life with Him, even the ugly and gross. He knows it all, anyway. Lay it at His feet, ask forgiveness, and take in His grace. Rest in knowing that you are loved more by God than anyone or anything else in this world.
Finally, rest in Him. Rest in the promises of who He says you are. The world will tell you all kinds of things and will often leave you feeling like you are not good enough, worthy enough, or just plain not enough, but God says you are more than enough. You are loved! You are forgiven! You are His creation! You are bought with a price! You are treasured! You are, you are, you are….when you can rest in these truths, the world becomes quieter. God wants to be the loudest voice you hear; allow Him that!!
These are just ways that He revealed Himself and became more real to me. It has allowed me to see God for who He truly is. Just like I desire to spend intentional time with my own children, God desires that with us, too, because He loves us more than we can ever comprehend. He calls us His children and He loves us because we are His.
