Have you ever seen God? Well… I saw Him yesterday. For months I have been praying for a divine encounter. Yes, I have been fasting, reading the Bible on a consistent basis, thirsty for a face-to-face meeting with my First Love. I had heard and read stories of people like Moses, who spoke to God face to face, Abraham who heard God’s voice leading him to the promised land, and Mary who had an angelic visitation. I wanted my own experience with God. This is how I began my spiritual journey in search of a divine encounter. So I prayed, “God, reveal yourself to me…please…I want to see you…I want to know that you are real.”
Yesterday I had my daily agenda set: 1) work, 2) grocery shopping, then go home at 7 p.m. for my intimate time with God. I usually try to spend personal time with God twice a day. First when I wake up in the morning and finally around 7 p.m. after work. So, after doing my morning prayer and devotion, I got ready for work. I went to work that morning and it was so busy. I couldn't sit down. One of my patients was very ill, vomiting profusely, and needed anti-nausea medication to stabilize him. My work day was busy. Then, finally finished my work, heading to the grocery store. As I was walking into the grocery store, a homeless lady stopped me and asked for money or food. I didn't have any cash on me but I gave her some food and water on the way out of the grocery store. Man… yesterday was busy. I wasn’t even sure I could find time for my evening with God. I was beaten! I was tired… But I was determined to see God, I wanted to hear Him and experience Him in a new way. So, I dragged myself home, left my grocery bags in the kitchen and my work bag in the bedroom. I barely put the groceries away. I felt guilty for not wanting to do my evening devotion and prayer. But I gathered all the strength I had and went to my prayer room.
Sitting and tired, in my prayer room, I cried out to God. “Father, I want to see you. Please make yourself real to me.” I opened my Bible at random. It fell on Matthew 25:36-40: “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or need clothing and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The king will answer: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
After reading the Bible passage, I was perplexed. I said, “Holy Spirit, please make me understand what I’m reading.” Do you want me to do more of these things? Are you asking me to visit those in prison? Then I heard God whisper to me, “Have you not seen me today?” And I was exhausted and scared, did I miss you Lord? I've wanted to see you for a long time. Can you please reveal yourself to me again in an extraordinary way so that I can cherish this experience? Then the Lord reminded me of the scripture I had just finished reading… “Every time you do things to people, you are doing it to me… I was with the patient you were caring for this morning, while you stabilized him and made sure he was okay. I was that homeless woman who you provided food and water for when you were at the grocery store. Every human being is made in my image. Every time you see anyone, regardless of their social status, gender, ethnicity, spiritual maturity, or knowledge, you see me. Then I realized. The special encounter I sought with God didn’t matter as much as how I treated others around me. God is love. Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments into two commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. There is no greater commandment than these. Mark 12:30-31.
We often seek a supernatural encounter with God when He is closer to us than we think. So, my question for you. Have you ever seen God? I'll let you pause and ponder because every person you have met, every hand you have held, every hug you have given, every help you provided to others, was an act of love towards God. The more you grow in love for others, the more God is seen in you and the more others experience God through you. We often proclaim our love and devotion for God by the performance of religious activities. But the Bible says in 1 John 4:20, "If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." I'm still believing God for a supernatural encounter as He had with Moses, Elijah, Paul. But in the meantime, let me see Him through everyone I encounter, knowing that loving every person I meet is loving Him. God is in us and around us. The invisible God makes Himself visible through men, made in His image and likeness. As you reflect, when was the last time you saw God?
~ Nessa Esh
@PrayerStillWorks
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God is in each person we encounter every day, we must learn to treat them with honor💜
Amen Maman
It is so easy to say we love a God who is not physically present, he doesn’t talk about us behind our back, he doesn’t treat us with contempt, he doesn’t hurt/disappoint us everyday with his actions, character or words, he doesn’t push our buttons and yet he made it clear that loving our neighbor is the greatest commandment - this profond piece explains why. By doing so, we are indeed demonstrating our love for him. The challenge for me sometimes is the practical application of this love in a fallen world, may God give us wisdom.
Thank you Sis for such a powerful exposition. It is not easy to love those who hurt or have hurt us in their actions, their words, or behavior. Yet, God says to owe man nothing but love. May He truly fill us with His compassion and His wisdom as we navigate the perilous ways of our fallen world. Thank you for your feedback.