Behind Closed Doors
What happens behind closed doors? When the lights fade and the crowd disbands, what happens? Do we retreat to the comforts of entertainment, food, or even depression? Or do we run into His arms?
So often as artists, ministers of the Gospel and even just as people we give much of our time to the work that we are assigned to that we do not give ample time to the One who assigned the work. What are we doing? Where are we mentally, physically and emotionally? How are we existing? Most humans spend the majority of their time living in front of and for others whether in the work context or in the personal relationship context. Most of us skip around from one event, one outing, one relationship to the next looking for satisfaction from that thing. Many of us rarely find ourselves at home resting and taking time to recoup. We always, always have to be on the go. Do we really though?
Rest is something that God invites us all into, but it is not just rest as in sleeping but resting in Him.
God is living and active and desires relationships, do we at all steal away to Jesus? Do we talk with Him about our lives that we have so beautifully crafted to daily go as planned? Do we find solace in His arms? Is He all?
Jesus I believe in You is a song by Hillsong. It was copy written in 2003. I love late 90’s and early 2000’s worship. I am corny, I know! Anyway, one part of the song says “I will walk with you wherever you go through tears and joy I will follow You.” This part strikes me every time. God never promises that life will go as planned. It often does not go as planned. In this walk we will have moments of tears and moments of joy, but what do we do in those moments? Have we settled in our hearts to run into Him?
God wants to experience every moment with you as if He was right there next to you in the varied situations of life. The truth is, is that He is there. He is every where at all times. God is in the breeze. He is in the flowers that bloom. He is in the movement of the curtain on a warm yet windy day. He is even in the spider who is just living as God created Him to (yuck and yikes). God is all around and everywhere. God is wanting us to find Him in everything. We must become utterly consumed with Him. Through frustrations, anger, disappointments and victories! He wants us to have on our lips “God is good” all the time. He doesn’t just want the declaration of faith, but the unwavering conviction that this true.
To perfect this type of confession in us He allows us to go through test, trials and temptations that will prove Him to be good. He tries us in the fire because He knows what will bring forth the best version of us in any situation. He knows the world is not perfect and He knows how we will be tested in life, so He allows us to be strengthen through trials. They will make us strong in our declarations and convictions.
For sometime I have been talking about how we need to “settle the issue”. We need to settle the issue on whatever causes our faith to waiver in God. The issue needs to be settled, He is good all the time. He will never change. He is good.
The way we become solidified in this truth is based on what happens Behind Closed Doors. Our flesh does not want us to run to Jesus in the Secret Place. It would much rather desire to see us watch an entertaining movie that brings us momentary hapiness then to let us find solace in the King of Kings. It is so hard with all the distractions that come to focus on the Lord and Him only.
It’s true that in some ways it was easier in days past because there was not so much vying for our attention, but here in this day we have to fall in Love with Him again and again so we must find Him in every moment and worship and encounter Him in that place. You were born for such a time as this. You were born for this time with all of its challenges because you were born to be an overcomer.
God is near. He is near to the broken of heart. He is near to the sinner. He is near to the saint. He is near to us always. We have to be resilient enough to reach out and touch Him as He passes by both in the open and in the secret.
How are you cultivating your Secret Place? It is the place where you meet face to face with God. Find Him there and you will shine even the more brightly and be more of an overcomer when step out from behind the Secret Place.
Dear Lord, help us to love you Behind Closed Doors.
Blessings!