Encountering God -Part 2
Pope Shenouda III speaks about encountering Christ, explaining that a person may search for God without knowing where or how to meet Him. He emphasizes that we can encounter Christ everywhere, but the way of the Cross and times of tribulation are among the areas where God’s presence is experienced deeply. He gives the examples of the three young men in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the lions’ den, and Jacob in his tribulations, explaining that many people experienced God’s presence in the midst of suffering and trials. He also explains that a person may move away from God when he becomes occupied with comfort, pleasure, and the world, while tribulation reveals his need for God and drives him to seek Him.
Spiritual Message
Encountering God requires a heart that longs for Him, desires to see Him, and wishes to feel His presence. Pope Shenouda emphasizes that God may initiate the encounter even when a person is not seeking Him, and therefore a person should pray that God reveal Himself to him and open his eyes to recognize His presence. The Lord is present with the person and in his life, but the problem is sometimes that his spiritual senses are not trained to see Him and hear His voice. Therefore, a person should learn to see God’s hand in the events of his life, recognize His voice, and feel His presence in everything he experiences.
Educational Lesson
Pope Shenouda explains that simply knowing the Bible, serving, or being occupied with spiritual matters is not enough if the goal is not God Himself. A person may read the Bible and gain much information, yet fail to see God in what he reads. Likewise, many activities can prevent a person from giving time to God; a person can even become occupied with ministry itself and have no time to sit with God. Therefore, God must be the primary goal, and a person should become occupied with Him and think about Him frequently.
Practical Application
Pope Shenouda calls us to give our hearts to God, because encountering God is not merely a matter of slogans or outward practices, but of genuine love for God and being occupied with Him. He emphasizes that other loves filling the heart may prevent a person from giving God His complete place within it. Therefore, a person needs detachment and a renewed evaluation of things, so that God becomes the “all in all” in his life. He encourages prayer, love for the Word of God, being occupied with the Lord’s name, and seeing His hand in blessings, help, and every event of life. The ultimate goal is not merely a passing encounter with Christ, but abiding in Him and God dwelling in the heart, so that the person becomes united with Him in love and life.
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