Have you ever been at a store and it starts raining? I live in Florida so, sudden torrential downpours for 5, 10, 30 minutes are common. When you go outside, you see evidence of the rain, there are puddles, your car is wet, it might still be sprinkling, if you’re wearing pants the bottom of your pants is probably wet (ew)… there’s evidence. Now, you start driving, you make a few turns, see more puddles, then you get to the interstate. You start going faster, pick up your speed, you see the raindrops on your car starting to blow back because your speed has increased. After a few minutes, you and the other cars around you no longer have any evidence of rain, your car is dry, the sun is shining, and it’s as if nothing happened.
This was a situation I observed the other day and as I thought about it, the Holy Spirit pointed something out to me. (Yes, I’m one of those who have spiritual realizations from the common daily life situations.)
When we are in the presence of the Lord, when we are at home, reading the Bible, singing songs of praise and worship to our God and King or when we are in the presence of the Lord corporately and worshipping Jesus at our church, receiving a word of knowledge, hearing what the Lord is speaking through our pastor for that day specifically, it’s as if the presence of the Lord has “rained down” on us.
Is there evidence?
When we are at church in service, or when we walk in the building and are greeted by smiling faces, when we hug the elderly man who always sits in the back, greet the sweet babies in the nursery, serve in whatever ministry position we’re privileged to serve in, the presence of the Lord is obvious. Why? Because of the building? Because of the pastor? No!
“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT
You! You are the reason, you are the temple of the Lord and YOU carry His Spirit.
Corporate worship is crucial and Biblical, gathering together in church is Biblical, but who are you outside of the building? As you get further from the physical building that is the church, that evidence, those raindrops, should continue to be evident in your life. Is that the case, or do we conform to the atmosphere around us (Romans 12:2)?
Do we put on a mask at church and then act another way once we leave? Are there even raindrops on our car?
It’s time that we stop being lukewarm, or closet lukewarm, Christians, and start being, drenched in His presence, filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, Jesus followers! How can we do that if we’re not in His word daily?
My challenge to you today is, be still. Sit in His presence, talk to Him, sing and worship Him, sit and listen, then let Him guide you through His Word. Don’t let pride slip in and say, “ugh, I have my own time with the Lord and I’m fine, I don’t need her telling me what to do.” Welp..! No, you definitely don’t! And you may, in fact, be just fine! That’s fantastic! Pray with me for those who aren’t… pray for those reading this who don’t know where to begin in their relationship with God.
We haven’t, and won’t, “arrive”, friends. Not until Jesus comes back. There’s always more, there’s always more and I want to be first in line!