Contemplation

Contemplation

Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God”
Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly (spirit).”

Contemplation (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)
Concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion, a state of awareness of God’s Being, the act of consideration with attention, regarding steadily

The word “contemplation” itself intimates a spiritual surrender of focus that must be rendered in totality.  As human beings we have the intellectual ability to divide our attention and focus in many different directions.  It is this characteristic that must be harnessed when we enter contemplation.  Through contemplation the Holy Spirit of God leads us to a place where God desires us to occupy.  The purpose of this leading is to guide us to a place of firmness in our faith.  Contemplation also guides us to a place of awareness of the Father’s continual presence in our lives.  Contemplation is a natural progression of the Christian faith.

Contemplation is the spiritual bedrock of intimacy with God.  It is the act of being still for the purpose of knowing God.  It can be entered into by simply finding the quiet time to “be” with the Father.   Our human spirit is the candle of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27), simply meaning that when God wants to talk and commune with us, He speaks primarily to our human spirit. The physical area of our bodies in which our spirit lodges is the “belly” or stomach area.  It is here, deep in our being where the Holy Spirit stirs us to commune with the Father and Jesus Christ.

We can approach His awareness, His presence, His abiding, and His will by simply entering into   “quiet time” with Him.  This time has no set agenda.  It is away from others and distracting elements.  It is not a prayer request session, nor is it a time away from busyness.  It is rather an “entering into” the presence of the Father to fasten attention upon Him.  It is also to regard or to attend to Him steadily, consistently, and unwavering.  It is entered into in silence.  Every thought is “taken captive” (2nd  Corinthians 10:5) and focused on God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is an exit from fleshly attentions to spiritual focus.  The agenda becomes His.

Contemplation is a plateau that naturally progresses as you grow in your walk with God.  You will literally be summoned by God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit into this place of fellowship.  It is growth.  It is a place that dissipates fear, chaos, self–obsession, and disobedience.  It brings the Oneness of the God-head front and center in you.  You experience the overwhelming power of His love imparted to you.

Contemplation ends up being an opportunity to allow God to ignite our spirit with His presence, His love, His compassion for us, His thoughts toward us, His heart for His creation, and the list goes on and on.  It also builds our relationship with the Father.  It employs and fulfills the purpose for which He created man in His likeness and image (Genesis 1:26).  That purpose was for fellowship with Him.  God wants to rest and abide in us. John 14:23 says. “If a man loves Me, he will keep My words:  and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

Contemplation gives birth to a hunger to be in the presence of God for the purpose of knowing and fellowshipping with Him.  It also allows the peace imparted to the human spirit to enter the soul and body.  It ultimately brings us to the same relationship (1st John 4:17) with the Father that Jesus had when He was here on the earth.  We enter into the “Sabbath- Rest” spoken of in the fourth chapter of Hebrews.

Contemplation is initiated by the Holy Spirit as we faithfully walk with God in this life.  It is a natural progression of the Believer who is growing in their faith and intimacy with God.  It brings peace in all circumstances.  It brings an exceedingly growing faith as you see the repeated faithfulness of God.  Because you visit Him only to be with Him, it brings you to a place that God can call you, “friend”.


Enter into Contemplation…for Eternity.

Why "Hepzibah in Training?"

More than twenty five years ago I stood in a powerful praise and worship service. As I entered into worship weeping in the presence of the King, I heard the voice of Jesus in my spirit. He called me two names. The first name was Hephzibah and the second was Beulah. I was stunned and immediately sat down on the bench to ponder these two names. Neither of these names appeared flattering to me.



I left church and called my sister, a mighty warrior of God, and told her that God had called me two names. Her reply was “If God called me names; I needed to find out what they meant.” I searched scripture and found that the name Hephzibah means, “The Lord delights in her” and that Beulah meant, “Thy land is married (committed, spoken for, etc). Needless to say, I was delighted in the significance of these two names that my Savior has bestowed upon me. My goal and treasure in life is to fulfill the plan for my life on this side of Eternity and to train for the other side of Eternity.



I offer you the revelations, thoughts, and meditations that God imparts to me in this blog “Hepzibah In Training”.



I thank you for your comments.

Followers