Encountering God in Troubling Times
We’re not just called to read about God, we’re called to experience him. This is the idea which underpins all of Priscilla Shirer’s message, the linchpin of her speech at the She Rises Conference. This is the reason, Shirer explains, why Christ died on the cross for us. So that we might have a personal, continual encounter with Him.
At this point, you might be asking yourself how we can be sure that regular people like us are called to have such an encounter? The way we know, notes Shirer, is because the Bible is chock full of ordinary people who encountered God. Their stories teach us that regular people like us can encounter Him. After all, aren’t there times when we may have doubts like the apostle Thomas? Or question God’s promises like Abraham? Like Priscilla says, “If regular folks like that can encounter God, then so can we.” God dictated these stories so that we might be encouraged to encounter Christ.
The other point that Priscilla makes is that in order to encounter God, we must learn to recognize Him. Often, in the Bible, Jesus shows up in a different looking “package” than the one people are expecting -- and the people around him don’t really see Him.
And often this applies to our own lives: God shows up in seasons of our lives, but the season is wrapped in a “package” that isn’t what we wanted or isn’t what we expected, so we miss God in those seasons. His fingerprints are all over the situation but sometimes we miss Him completely.
So be encouraged friends. Read the Bible, and understand that it is there to help us learn about God. Then, realize that the knowledge helps us to encounter Him. And when troubling times come along, look for God and His plan in those times -- don’t miss Him, He is always there for you!