Living An Exhilarating Life
It happened again this morning while I was driving to work. I wasn't listening to the radio as I usually do. I was just thanking God for everything and praying about anything that came to my mind. I'm not exactly sure why but I started to weep. Usually when this happens I am touched by the words of a song, but today it was different. My heart was so full and I felt an intense emotion come over me that I can't explain. I wasn't sad, I was worshipping on a very different level. I realized that it was God's presence taking me by surprise because it was coming from a place so deep in my heart.
Then my mother's favorite Bible verse came to mind, "The Joy of the Lord is my strength." No kidding! I don't think a truer verse was ever written. For that moment I was filled with joy overflowing and I felt like nothing could bother me. It was as if I was floating along on the wind. I had this picture of that Red Bull commercial. You know the one, "Red Bull Gives You Wings." I started giggling and thinking, Red Bull has NOTHING on the Holy Spirit.
Being the person that I am, this then turned into a quest for the perfect catch phrase for what I was feeling.
The Holy Spirit Gives You Wings. No it was more than that, and that was plagerizing.
The Holy Spirit Gives You Overflowing Joy. True, but not catchy enough.
The Holy Spirit Gives You Rocket Boosters! Oh yeah, that was it. I do, after all, live in Houston.
What a perfect way to explain what I was feeling at that moment. My heart was boosted and nothing could bring me down. Imagine Jesus being there for the count down. You are just praying and offering up praise and petitions before God. Jesus is standing there counting down... T-Minus 5, T-Minus 4, 3, 2, 1 and then the Holy Spirit sets a fire ablaze inside of you that makes you want to scream Yippeee and just take off flying. It is exhilarating and a gift of such great magnitude. Imagine Jesus laughing and crying with you because He knows how close you are at that moment to eternity. That exhilarating life forever awaits all Christians. We get to sample it once in a while down here. It's a sneak peak into what eternal joy and overflowing love will be like.
There are people I know who live every day like this. They are the ones who have grown so much in their faith that every day is an exhilarating life with God. It gives them boldness to preach the word and to stand in the face of each and every adverse thing this world can throw at them. Growing spiritually closer to God always seemed unatainable for me. Why would God want that closeness with someone as uninteresting or insignificant. I can see why He would want to spend time with someone like Billy Graham, Greg Laurie or even my grandfather. But me?
This gift was provided by the Holy Spirit to remind me that no matter what I've done as long as my faith is in God and I remember to give Him praise that He will always be there and desire that relationship with me. He heard me and I heard Him loud and clear. Houston, we do NOT have a problem!
We live in a world that beats us down daily. There are so many things to worry about, and if you dwell on them can cause depression and hopelessness. I see it in the faces of the homeless on the streets. I hear it in the conversations I have with my neighbor. The fear that some people live with is enormous and daunting. I used to live that way. I remember hearing sermons in church about learning to praise God daily and thank God for everything. I always just thought, "yeah, whatever. I thank God for stuff and I still feel like He isn't listening." But He was. I think He was waiting for it to be sincere and from a grateful heart. He brought me to a place where I needed to rely on Him, so He could show Himself to me. I have seen the Love of God and the caring attentiveness of a heavenly Father so rich in mercy and grace for me. I am truly grateful for even the tiniest things.
When I imagined heaven as a child and up until a few years ago, it never really seemed like it was going to be that great. Things changed when I learned how close God is and the purpose of praise. I never want to be without God's presence in my life. I don't want to lose that euphoric feeling that I had this morning. To live in that state constantly will make eternity something worth living for. I want you to be there praising God with me. I want the homeless person to be there finally at home and free of the cares of this world, living in the joy of the Lord. I want my neighbor to be without fear and have the love of God wrap her in a big hug like He has done for me over and over again.
Remember when Stephen was stoned? He was filled with the Holy Spirit and he looked up into heaven where God showed Him Jesus standing at His right hand. Can you even imagine what that was like? What a gift at a time when there was so much oppression all around him. He was blasting off with such power that no matter what, he was NOT going to deny Jesus. He knew they were going to kill him, but God gave him joy and strength and a glimpse of what lay before him - eternity. Glimpses of heaven are all around us, but we have to open our spiritual eyes to see them.
We are all travelers in this world. Imagine Jesus traveling with us and longing to teach us how to be propelled by the Holy Spirit to exhilaration in our souls. The Holy Spirit does indeed give us rocket boosters, but we have to ignite them with humble praise and adoration.
Just Imagine! Every day is a count down to another blast off! Start praising God from that place deep inside. Praise Him for everything you can think of. There isn't enough time in the day or words in the dictionary to encompass all He has done for us, but when it is sincere it sets you ablaze and turns you into a shooting star which cannot be extinguished. Fasten your seatbelts its time to BLAST OFF!
Nehemiah 8:10b "This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Acts 7:55-56 "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
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