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The Five Words You Need to Hear, that You Must Hear at Church!
A devotional thought for your day:
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NLT)
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
659 If you had presence of God you would remedy many things that have apparently “no remedy”.
You need to hear these words.
They are critical for you to hear, not just with your ears, but with your heart, your mind, and into the depth of your soul. They make the difference in your life….
“The Lord is with You”
If you’ve ever attended a Lutheran liturgical serve, or a Catholic Mass, or even some Anglican or Orthodox services you will hear these words repeated several times throughout the service.
Do you ever wonder why? Are we just saying this as a form of greeting, or in order to mark a transition in the service?
Or is this what church is supposed to be doing, helping you realize you dwell completely in the presence of God! That the Holy Spirit has brought you to that place, in that moment to realize you aren’t alone, That God wants you there, and will do anything to make it possible for you to be there in His presence.
It might be that it is a time to be still and know God is your God.Maybe it is time to celebrate the freedom of Jubilee, when God erases every debt you incurred by your sin and unrighteousness, maybe it is time to offer a cup of water to someone who is physically or spiritually thirsty and dehydrated. Maybe it is to receive that cup of water.
As St Josemaria notes, it is this presence of God that remedies that without remedy, that heals relationships to shattered to be healed. It is the fulfillment of the greatest of prophecies, the very name attached to Jesus, Immanuel – God with us. It is the promise of the last words He tells the apostles as he ascends to heaven.
It makes the difference in our lives, and incomparable difference, for the peace that comes realizing and depending upon it is beyond anything we can express.
A peace that is there and starts to impact you, as you realize their truth.
The Lord is with You!
(and yes – and also with m)
Lord, have mercy upon us, reveal to us the presence of your Spirit, cleanse us of sin, and help us dwell in your peace! AMEN!
Escriva, Josemaria. Furrow (Kindle Locations 2767-2768). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
