The following is taken from the book, Whatever happened to worship.
A young man talked to me about his spiritual life. He had been a Christian for several years, but he was concerned that he might not be fulfilling the will of God for his life. He spoke of coldness of heart and lack of spiritual power. I could tell that he was discouraged - and afraid of hardness of heart.
I gave him a helpful expression which has come from the writings of Bernard of Clairvaux: "My brother, only the heart is hard that does not know it is hard. Only he is hardened who does not know he is hardened. When we are concerned for our coldness, it is because of the yearning God has put there. God has not rejected us."
God puts the yearning and desire in our hearts, and He does not turn away and thus mock us. God asks us to seek His face in repentance and love and we then find all of His gracious fullness awaiting. In God`s grace, that is a promise for the whole wide world.
You have read of Blaise Pascal, the famous 17th century French scientist often classed as one of the six great thinkers of all time. He was considered a genius in mathematics, and his scientific inquiry was broad. He was a philosopher and a writer. But best of all, he experienced a personal, overwhelming encounter with God one night that changed his life.
Pascal wrote on a piece of paper a brief account of his experience, folded the paper and kept it in a pocket close to his heart, apparently as a reminder of what he had felt. Those who attended him at his death found the worn, creased paper. In Pascal`s own hand it read:
From about half-past ten at night to about half-past midnight-fire! O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob-not the God of the philosophers and the wise.The God of Jesus Christ who can be known only in the ways of the Gospel. Security-feeling-peace-joy-tears of joy. Amen.
Were these the expressions of a fanatic, an extremist?
No. Pascal`s mind was one of the greatest. But the living God had broken through and beyond all that was human and intellectual and philosophies. The astonished Pascal could only describe in one word the visitation in his spirit: "Fire!"
Understand that this was not a statement in sentences for others to read. It was the ecstatic utterance of a yielded man during two awesome hours in the presence of his God.
There was no human engineering or manipulation there. There was only wonder and awe and adoration wrought by the presence of the Holy Spirit of God as Pascal worshiped.
What we need among us is a genuine visitation of the Spirit. We need a sudden bestowment of the spirit of worship among God`s people.
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Maybe my brothers and sisters when I was reading some of that, the tears I cried were for those who have yet to experience the power of Gods love in their lives. I can never give up praying that they will open their hearts to this awesome grace, rather at dawn than sunset. Even though if they leave it until midnight they will see God the Father waiting for them with open arms. Maybe some tears cried were for my joy at welcoming God into my everything.
I give joy and love to all, knowing that the gift of life is not to me alone.
I share my good.
I accept life completely, without reservation, having the conviction that good is the eternal Reality, that God is the everlasting presence, that Christ within me is the eternal Guide, that my life is complete today.
Find peace. Be peace. Go in peace.
Brother Peter
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