This weekend Jetaime and I have been at the November Retreat at the Regina Apostolic Church. It has been beautiful and incredible. Two nights ago Tyler Gray was leading worship and he said "Listen, I'm not all that much older than you guys. In all my years on this earth I can honestly say there is no more worthwhile thing than the presence of God. Nothing tastes sweeter, nothing satisfies more, nothing will quench the thirst in your heart like the presence of God." As he was saying that the hunger level in the room for the presence of God rose and God just met the desire of all our hearts. Wave after wave of God's presence poured out over us. So many felt their burdens lift off their shoulders and others just felt joy and peace more than they ever had before. I stood there with my hands raised remembering all that God has done in my life.
When I was fairly young we would go to bible quizzing meets with hundreds of other youths who were excited about God and memorizing his word. Some of those times in worship the presence of God was so sweet and it softened my heart and gave me so much peace. That was the first main time I ever tasted the goodness of God and I knew there was nothing I wanted more in my life. At that time I didn't know too much about God and so I didn't know how to enjoy God's presence day to day. But the times when I joined with other believers in worship I was able to get glimpses and amazing tastes of what it was like.
Years later I started reading a book by John Crowder called "Mystical Union" where he challenged all of my major beliefs and God changed my life through that book. The main idea is that when Jesus died on the cross and yelled out "It is finished" that he meant it. We no longer need to earn God's favour. We no longer need our efforts at righteousness to please God. He is already pleased with us! That means that Christ in us gives us the freedom to enjoy the goodness and presence of God every single day, every single moment. Christ saved us from the power of sin and death and now there is absolutely nothing stopping us from complete and full union with Christ every moment of every day. That truth is lifechanging.
I began to believe that Christ was already in me and I no longer need to enter into his presence. I am already there. I can enjoy him as much while running to work as I can in a boring conversation or a worship service. Location does not matter at all. I don't need to wait until I am surrounded by people hungry for His presence. I can enjoy God's presence everywhere because of the work Christ already accomplished. He removed every dividing wall between us. Praise God!!
Being a first year teacher can be draining sometimes. It can be frustrating, and there are times I have wanted to throw in the towel. But when the presence of God melts away my anxieties and frustrations I know that everything will be alright. Nothing can separate me from the love of God. It changes everything, and I can agree with Tyler that it is absolutely the most worthwhile thing in life.
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