In the Oven of My Tent: The Heart of the Matter, Part 8 — Our Response

by | May 4, 2017 | The Heart of the Matter, Witnessing

Attending the Kingdom Bound Christian festival was a special treat for my boys and I. We sure love to worship the Lord through music and inspirational sermons, and we were anticipating the many conferences and music festivals that we would be attending.

However, God in His majestic ways, often has different plans for us. More than anything, He desires for us to spend time alone with Him. Even when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (Sorry no Celsius was available while we were in the States!).

Around noon this particular day, our tent trailer was literally an oven. I wasn’t planning on staying in it. I was planning on attending a conference. However I distinctively felt God’s Spirit’s urgings to remain in my un-air-conditioned trailer. All pressure of life became inconsequential. So now I was facing my laptop. Oh, and I also had a tiny fan running, despite the fact that what little breeze it blew could barely be felt!

All of a sudden I couldn’t help myself from typing a message that my Father had laid on my heart (See Next Door Please). Everything around me faded from my consciousness, the heat, the tent, the tiny, itty bitty fan. All I could feel was His presence and I found myself being loved beyond imagination. I was in utter peace. I was thrilled to the core by being in the presence of my Maker and Saviour.

My time with my Father was beyond expectation, far more delightful than any conferences, music or rides (I don’t like these anyway, as they tend to shake my brain a bit too much to my liking). I enjoyed the messages that day from Reggie Dabbs, as well as from Heart of the Saints, Downhere, Fireflight and Skillet (They are, somehow, really named after a frying pan!), but my time with my Father was the highlight of my day.

When I finished worshipping the One who makes a difference in my life, I found myself soaked in sweat from the intense heat. Somehow though, it hadn’t affected me like usual. I liked my experience so much that I couldn’t wait to experience Him again the next day (See The Weight of Waiting)!

Interestingly enough, the church was born out of intense worship.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)

The great commission was also given while worship was the focus, even though some doubted (Nothing has changed since then! We are no better!)

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:16-20 NIV)

In fact, any worthwhile mission in the New Testament times was also birthed out of passionate worship: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2-3 NIV)

Is it possible that we, who are scared to death to testify about God’s intense love towards each of us, a love so immeasurable that He willingly died on a cross so that we could spend eternity with Him, that we might be missing such opportunities because we do not know how to truly worship the One who not only made us, but also saved us? Do we even know the Lover of our soul personally? Do we long to spend time with our Father?

Or do we have more pressing matters…?

Who needs air-conditioning when we have God at our side? (See Daniel 3: 19-30)

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “The Heart of the Matter” devotional series, please click here.)

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In the Oven of My Tent: The Heart of the Matter, Part 8 — Our Response

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