God's Presence, Our Oxygen
Our children grew up in the late 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. That meant we nearly always had a video recorder on our shoulder or, as cameras got progressively smaller, in our hand. What a blessing to be able to go back and revisit old memories!
But there is now a drawback to having all our memories captured and held captive by old technology.
Years ago, as I began the long process of dubbing our VHS videos onto DVDs (now also somewhat obsolete), I thoroughly relished meandering through hours of recorded decades of my littles growing and then beginning to have littles of their own.
One of the more difficult times to relive was our granddaughter’s stay in the newborn ICU after she was born. Though we are so intensely grateful that our precious little Princess shows no signs of her early birth and subsequent difficulties with her little lungs, it is still painful to see the videos of her all hooked up to IVs and breathing tubes and oxygen tents.
I relish meandering through hours of recorded decades of my littles growing and then having littles of their own. A more difficult time to relive was our granddaughter’s stay in the NICU after birth. We are grateful that our little Princess shows no signs of her early difficulties with her lungs, but it is painful to see the videos of her hooked up to Ivs, breathing tubes and oxygen tents. Read about this journey and what it taught me about receiving healing from the Presence of the Lord! #blog
In Psalm 27:4 in the Amplified Bible, David says he will “seek after, inquire for and [insistently] require” the Presence of the Lord. In verse 8 of the same chapter, he says, “You have said, Seek you my face—inquire for and require My presence [as your vital necessity]…” The word “vital” is from a Latin word, vitalis, meaning life. “Vital” means a necessity for life, a source of life. God’s Presence is David’s vital necessity. He needs it like oxygen, like water. It is his foundation; it is what gives him life.
God’s Presence is like oxygen to our lungs. It is a building block of our existence. Truly, God’s Presence is the very essence of life and our place of belonging. His Presence is our Secret Place where we commune with the Lord, giving us joy, roots and a purpose to life that is unattainable in any other place. His Presence is our oxygen.
Nevertheless, some of us have had a rough time of it. Whether it was a rough beginning or a rough time along the way, we may find ourselves unable to absorb the oxygen from the Presence of God the way everyone else seems to be able to. Just like my sweet grandbaby, we may need to receive special concentrated forms of that oxygen for a time so that we are able to heal.
I relish meandering through hours of recorded decades of my littles growing and then having littles of their own. A more difficult time to relive was our granddaughter’s stay in the NICU after birth. We are grateful that our little Princess shows no signs of her early difficulties with her lungs, but it is painful to see the videos of her hooked up to Ivs, breathing tubes and oxygen tents. Read about this journey and what it taught me about receiving healing from the Presence of the Lord! #blog
We all need consistent doses of His Presence. The continual need to take natural breaths is a reminder of our need for continually breathing in the oxygen of God. Yet, there are times when we’ve had the wind knocked out of us and the healing, concentrated oxygen will be the only thing that gets us through and brings healing.
We often run to other things that say they can heal. We hear that time can heal, but it can only offer temporary relief that evaporates when we re-encounter and relive the injury. We hear that substances may relieve the pain, though abuse of substances only numbs for a time and adds another area to be healed. We hear that counseling will help, but unless that counsel brings you into a realization of God’s truth about you, counseling can only become a means of coping—not healing.
Though we can acquire a measure of healing from different areas, there is only One true Healer. The Presence of God—that is where the healing will come. If you are hurting, find a place in His Presence where He can minister to your heart and breathe life back into you. He is the oasis amid all the promising mirages. Let the oxygen of God’s love ease the burning of your lungs that are fighting for breath. Find your healing in His Presence.
“… then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7).
To help you in your journey of healing, make sure you get the FREE Printable Resource, “God’s Love Is….” You will be empowered by the wealth of Scriptures that detailed God’s love for you! Click HERE!
And check out the blog titled, “5 Reasons You May Be Having Trouble Hearing from God” by clicking HERE!