Do you want to experience God? Would you like to encounter God; to have a God moment? Let me share a story with you about one unforgettable God moment in my life. Through this story, I will build your faith to have your own God encounter. At the end, I will give you a five-step process to having your own God moment.
I remember at the time feeling small in this vast universe, but loved by an awesome God. A deeply spiritual moment at Lake Tahoe that grew from my awe of the surrounding splendor. It was an event that marked me; changing and expanding my perception of the Lord God Almighty forever.
Lake Tahoe
For those who may not know, Lake Tahoe straddles the California and Nevada borders. It is the largest alpine lake in the United States and the sixth largest of all our lakes. Only the Great Lakes are bigger. It is also the second deepest lake after Crater Lake in Oregon.
For me, Lake Tahoe is our country’s prettiest lake. It sits just over a mile high at 6200 feet. The water is almost 99% pure. It is so pure that water bottlers that draw from deep in the lake are not required to filter their water before shipping it to consumers.
Sierra Nevada Mountains
The highest peak around the lake is Freel Peak, which rises to 10,891 feet. It is because of the rugged granite peaks surrounding the lake that caused my feeling of smallness. Standing on a rock with those great majestic mountains surrounding me brings the awesomeness of God into greater clarity, amplifying how small I am.
Each year, over 15 million tourists flock to Lake Tahoe. Many to enjoy the casinos and nightlife, but even more wanting to enjoy the grandeur of the outdoors. With 23 ski resorts in the area, Lake Tahoe is a great place to enjoy winter sports.
(Do you want to know more about Lake Tahoe? Here is a link to their official visitor’s page -> LAKE TAHOE This is not an affiliate link.)
Vacation Time
The particular time I am speaking of took place during a family vacation. My wife, both sons, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and I were staying in a rented vacation home at South Lake Tahoe.
It truly is a beautiful area of the country. Tall majestic mountains, clear streams, and vast tracts of forests containing jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, white fir, and up high, the quaking aspen.
I love the jeffrey pine, which is the most common tree in the Tahoe basin. If you think you are looking at a jeffrey pine, just get up close and take a sniff of the bark. The strong resin gives the bark a distinctive vanilla or pineapple scent.
Feeling Small
Being amid the tall trees and craggy granite peaks had me feeling small before an awesome God. Not insignificant; just small. On this trip, I thought about how awesome is a God who can create such vast beauty.
I also realized this was only one small corner of beauty in this wonderful world called earth. God created the universe, earth and all that is on the earth. It all works together like a finely tuned Swiss watch, never missing a single tick.
What an exceptional God we have. As I gaze upon His handiwork and how intimately it fits together and I know there is a Creator. This didn’t happen by accident. It would be like pointing to a new pickup truck and trying to convince me it was created by accident through some evolutionary process. You could never convince me of such foolishness.
“The Lord merely spoke, and I created the heavens. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.” (Psalm 33:6-9 NLT)
Big in the Heart of God
Yet, the depth of what I was feeling remained in me. Driving back to our rented vacation home, I meditated on all that I felt and heard. What God told me while sitting on that overhang is personal and I may never share those words.
As I write this, I am experiencing those same feelings and hearing those same words again. My unique experience with God is a one-time event. I could never duplicate it again.
In saying that, I will share with you I have had other unique experiences with God. Each one was special, and each one revealed more deeply another facet of our complex God. I treasure each one.
What about you? Have you ever experienced a unique experience with your Heavenly Father? If you have, please share it in the comments or email me. I would like to hear about your experience.
“Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is its most essential part.” Andrew Murray
How to Experience God
If you have never had an unique experience with our God, let me share how you can.
- First, Jesus must be Lord of your life. That is easy. All you have to do is declare it with your mouth. Romans 10:9-10 tells you exactly what to do. “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame.” (CSB)
- Make time each day to read your Bible.
- Find a quiet place to spend time alone with God. It is your daily quiet time that will create opportunities for those unique times with God. (see: War Room)
- Learn what His voice inside of you sounds like. Then make your prayer time a two-way conversation.
- Allow God to lead you into your God moment. Just enjoy your daily time with Him and He will take you to your own unique situation.
Challenge
I challenge you to create the opportunity for your own unique experience with God. If you have experienced them, I challenge you to seek more opportunities. They are life-changing experiences you will never forget.
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