Every now and then I not only treasure but also sense a real need to get away from the zone of my life’s circumstances into the restorative surrounds of the countryside where the beauty of God’s creation is that much more evident to me. These times are normally my extended ‘quiet time’ – more time to read and feed on the word of God, to think through the truths of God, to seek the Lord more deeply and bring prayer in its different forms before the Lord from a deeper place within.
Not long ago, I was at one of my favourite locations and enabled by the grace of God to enjoy a lovely walk around the grounds and a restful time sitting beside the lake. Making my way back to my room, I was listening to some worship songs, singing along a little, praying for forgiveness and cleansing as I became conscious and convicted of sins in the wonder of the awesomeness of Almighty God. I came across Brother M, a Franciscan monk professing faith in Lord Yeshua, who often comes there, prays and ministers in a very quiet way as led and also for personal reflection. I have come across him a few times over the years and exchanged a few words of pleasantries before. Over the years with the sea of faces that he must come across it would be very unlikely that he would have recognised me in particular. He was slightly ahead in my pathway, having pulled up and parked his car and it seemed he was quite slow in getting his things out of the car in readiness to lock up. He was stood beside it with the driver door still opened as I reached it and greeted him by name, intending to continue walking on but held back as he began continued to talk beyond acknowledging my greeting. It was only afterwards I realised he was probably waiting to speak with me.
We exchanged the usual pleasantries and mutual appreciation of the place and the blessing it has been in times past and just then. And then it came. Brother M. asked me unexpectedly what was particularly on my heart. There were several things but the two which most easily came to mind that I felt able to share was the fear of drifting away, in my heart, from Lord Yeshua and the struggles to feel the joy of the Lord as much and as often as I would wish. I worry at times that you can be doing “all the right things” but your heart can drift even while doing – even while in church fellowship gatherings such as Sunday services. He spoke kindly to me in his gentle way of the importance of remembering the love of God and His keeping power – how important it is that we know the Lord but greater than that is the importance of us being known by the Lord! Here he referenced the Scripture at Matthew 7:22-23:‘“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
He shared how he is often asked if he knows the Lord [Yeshua]! His reply is that its more important that he is known by the Lord. And then he said he just sensed that the Lord [Yeshua] would have me to,
“stop wrestling and start nestling”.
It unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes and as we finished our exchanged as gently as it had begun, I continued on my way so thankful for timely encouragement in the truth of God. The Holy Scripture records the truth of this in words of Lord Yeshua at John 14:4a where He says,
“Abide in Me and I in you.”
May you be encouraged too. God bless you.
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