Brother Lawrence practiced the presence of God continually. I find it difficult to keep God continually in mind and His presence constantly at the forefront of my thinking. I have to force myself to think of Him and to turn my thoughts to Him. Thankfully, Brother Lawrence had the same problem.
I guess it’s like becoming acquainted with a person for the first time and then building a friendship with them. At first it requires some effort. For some people, it requires a lot of effort. We have to remind ourself to call them or talk to them. But as we begin to know them it becomes much easier. We want to have communion with them. We want to be in their presence.
I guess it’s a sign of the superficiality of our relationship with God if we are still at the stage of having to push ourselves to think of Him. It means, does it not, that we don’t really know Him. Because if we did, we would continually seek to spend time with Him and to be in His presence.
It’s not like He doesn’t try to draw us to Himself. He fills the worlds with glimpses of His glory: the beauty of nature, the innocent love of a child, the awesome power of a storm. Yet we think of these things individually and separately from the Creator they are meant to point us to.
I need to allow his reminders to Himself that He has planted in my world, serve their purpose and draw me to Him. Let us resolve to concentrate on our God, to learn of Him, knowing that the more we learn, the more we will want to know and the greater will be our blessing.
Nick
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