Patches of Godlight

We – or at least I – shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. At best, our faith and reason will tell us that He is adorable, but we shall not have found Him so, not have “tasted and seen.” Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun, which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are “patches of godlight” in the woods of experience. (C.S. Lewis)

It is so vitally important that we “taste and see that the Lord is good,” for ourselves. This quote reminds us that we must have our own personal experience of God’s goodness, closeness, and presence.

A few weeks ago I experienced a “godlight” moment of my own. I’d been struggling through a somewhat troubling situation that seemed to have no answer. Although I had been praying for sometime regarding this issue, I’d felt no real answers or breakthrough. So, one night after tossing and turning and fretting over my trouble I decided to get out of my comfy bed and really seek God. I quietly padded out to the living room about midnight and sat down on the couch with my Bible and journal. About ten minutes into my prayer time I felt the most wonderful peace come over me. One scripture after another came to mind and when I turned to them, such understanding came! I wrote as fast as I could and it was as if a dam broke releasing God’s wisdom regarding my problem. I sat out there for over an hour just lost in the joy of the moment. Things that had been baffling only an hour before now made perfect sense. I went back to sleep that night assured of God’s goodness and direction regarding my trouble. And even though I hadn’t seen the answers manifested in my life yet—I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was in control and working it all out.

I am convinced that all of us must have our own personal “patches of godlight” experiences or we’ll find ourselves bankrupt when trials come our way. For me, it’s the memory of those times when God came through for me that so often get me through my present troubles. I literally rehearse all the times that the Lord has made himself known to me. I often remind myself of how he has supernaturally revealed His presence and His will to me many times in the past.

We must be willing to worship and seek God for ourselves—thereby guaranteeing that we’ll have our own “godlight” experiences with him. Those patches of godlight will become markers on the road of our lives, and a constant reminder of the Lord’s beauty and faithfulness.

True intimacy with Christ is found when we make the choice to worship and adore him in the midst of our sorrows and troubles. …we shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. Our relationship with God will deepen and flourish when we place our focus on His greatness. Even as we face pain, sickness, rejection or death, our greatest peace can be found when we make a determined effort to worship God in spite of our pain.

I encourage you to test God in this, and invite him into any trouble you may be facing today. There is nothing to difficult for Him!

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About the Author: Paula Friedrichsen is a conference speaker and the author of The Man You Always Wanted is The One You Already Have (Multnomah 2007). She lives with her husband and daughter in Northern California. www.PFMinistries.com.