Surrounded by Your Glory

God uses all things, no matter how big or small.  For example, my freshman year of high school, I was involved in the FFA.  I learned useless facts about the organization, which have still yet to come in handy and competed in some public speaking contests.  After trying the prepared speaking, I decided it wasn't for me.  I didn't like sounding so prepared, because it was difficult to sound genuine.  Now, I'm laughing about that, because I try to prepare sermons for the kids when I preach at chapel.  Last night, I didn't have that opportunity.  Through a little miscommunication I learned I was sharing about 20 minutes before the service started.  So, as we sang some songs, I prayed for God to give me something to share.  This was God's response.

We sang the words to "I Can Only Imagine", and I was reminded that although this song is about imagining heaven and being in the presence of God, we are given the opportunity to spend every day walking side by side with our Lord and Savior.  We may not physically see the face of God, but we can see God's love in the faces of others whom God created.  I reminded the kids that they, themselves, can show people the face of God in the way they treat each other and their teachers as they start school.  The chorus is even more beautiful imagery:

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel 

Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still 

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall 

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all 

I can only imagine 

I told the kids to remember that we all experience God differently.  This is a lesson I have to remind myself of constantly when the kids ask about why people were falling on the ground in church on Sunday.  That's not the way I experience God, but I should praise the Lord that God is reaching that person and they are responding in their own personal fashion.  I asked the kids what they thought their hearts would feel surrounded by the glory of God.  And then, I told them that God is just waiting on them to answer the call.  

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."  -Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

What a glorious God!  How will you respond?  Will you dance, or be still?  Will you stand or fall to your knees?  Will you sing or be speechless?  I believe that we can do more than imagine the presence of God.  Open the door and let God in, so you can experience the presence of God firsthand.  Amen.