3 Invitations to a Deeper Connection with God

Blog by Gem Fadling

Many years ago, a friend of mine (Gem) was going through a very uncertain and difficult time. Life was pressing in and she was losing hope. As she shared her story with me, an image of a long, dark train tunnel emerged in my mind. In the distance was a pinhole of light.

I shared this image with her, and in that moment, it gave her hope in God. Even though the tunnel was long and dark, the light was a small ray of hope in an otherwise heavy time.

The truth of Psalm 27:1 came bursting forth from that tiny light: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” That is the power of the reality of God’s love and care.

Many years later I briefly reconnected with my friend. I had long forgotten this conversation, but she reminded me and mentioned how much it meant to her. She still carried the memory of God meeting her in that tunnel and journeying with her along the way.

This is our God. And this is how I know a connection with the Holy Spirit was made: The sacred imprint lasted.

We may not know the whole path ahead, but God’s presence illuminates enough for us to take the next step in faith. It’s a comforting reminder that, while we may not have all the answers, God walks with us in the dark.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 27:4: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

That pinhole of light in the tunnel is like the “one thing” the psalmist speaks of here. The tunnel’s darkness blocks out…and guides our view in a single important direction. The darkness blocks out all other situations and distractions and guides our view in one important direction.

I still remember the first time I read that verse and was struck by the singular focus of God only. This is such a welcome example and invitation when I am so often distracted.

I also think it’s a bit funny when David says “one thing I ask” and then goes on to list three things. Though I suppose they do combine into one thought, as tucked inside one thing are some really important verbs: dwell, gaze, and seek.

Let’s spend some time with each of these invitations.

DWELL

Psalm 139:7-10 says:

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

Dwelling isn’t so much a choice as it is a realizing and remembering my location. Like a fish dwells in water, we dwell in God. There is no place we can go that is separate from God. God is not elsewhere.

The dictionary definition of the verb dwell is “to live as a resident.” So dwelling in God means we are making our home in him. Even just a few moments of remembering this reality can bring a bit of peace to an otherwise stressful day.

Acts 17:28 says, “In him we live and move and have our being.”  You live in God. And even more amazingly, God lives in you.

What would it look like to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of your life? Ponder this and see what ideas emerge.

GAZE

Marina Abramović is a Serbian artist whose living art piece, The Artist Is Present, deeply affected me many years ago.

The following description is from the Museum of Modern Art website:

“Day after day, Marina Abramović sat motionless for eight hours in the Museum’s central atrium as members of the public took turns sitting across from her and gazing silently into her eyes. Could a simpler performance be imagined? It entailed nothing other than the artist’s presence, without action or words—and yet it was nothing short of a spectacle. Visitors laughed, cried, and attested to spiritual experiences. Thousands waited in line for their moment with Abramović, and thousands more watched the live stream online. The most mundane act of human contact had been turned, as if by magic, into an irresistible catalyst for emotion.”

You can see the power of Marina’s gaze in this brief clip.

Gazing is a lost art because it relies on a quietness of spirit and a determination to sink into an unhurried moment. Like a sharp knife, the act of gazing can penetrate into the heart of a person. No words are needed. The loving, present gaze is enough.

What would it look like to pause for a moment and “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord”? What might emerge from such an encounter? Try it and see…

SEEK

When I think of the word seek, the childhood game of hide and seek immediately jumps to mind. I picture the expectancy and joy of a little one seeking her parent as she races through the house or around the back yard.

It can be easy to think of seeking as some kind of assignment or drudgery. It takes energy to go on a search, to intentionally try to find something or someone. But inviting the vitality of delight into your search just might change everything.

What would it look like to seek God in his temple? How might a childlike inner stance help guide you into this seeking?

Dwell, gaze, and seek all combine into the one thing our true self desires most—God himself. When might you give yourself the gift of a little time spent experimenting with this one, most important invitation?

For Reflection: 

• What would it look like to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of your life? Ponder this and see what ideas emerge.
• What would it look like to pause for a moment and “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord”? What might emerge from such an encounter? Try it and see…
• What would it look like to seek God in his temple? How might a childlike inner stance help guide you in this seeking?