To be on intimate terms with Him, to live in the atmosphere of His presence, to spend the day with Him–that is the true normal life.
Walking with God. Every day. He is there anyway. Talk with Him.
Praise His name continually. Bring Him into every conversation. This truly is the normal life.
To think that He somehow drops in on us occasionally just to check in is a lie. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Also, “Lo, I am with you alway.” (Matthew 28:20) His presence is ever near. We are so easily deceived when we feel we have some private place set apart from God. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Regarding the indwelling of Christ, a child asked his mother, “How am I to know He is come, mother?” Her reply, “When you are quite gentle, sweet, and happy, it is because Christ is within.” (C. Mason, Home Education) His presence alters you. When you allow yourself to be conscious of His presence, your life will take on a different shape; slowly and oft times painfully due to the powerful force of self, formed into the image of Christ. “And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)
There is within your breast a legion of voices calling out in distraction, filling your 
thoughts with hate and lies. Your thoughts are an access point where Satan can attack your inner core. Why do you think the verses relating to how we think are so prominent in the Bible? The fortification of our soul must have no weak points. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2) As we follow the command to, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” (Matthew 22:37) we will be very careful to allow only truth to dwell within, for it is a certain truth that He dwells within. And think, “Can two walk together accept they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) And how can darkness dwell with light? What confusion of soul and mind comes from two opposing kingdoms striving for mastery within! “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 1:4)
Christ came, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” (Acts 26:18) “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) Believe you not that He is ever present, even now, moving throughout you: weaving through the catacombs of your thoughts, deciphering your motives, coursing through your very being? And that, though He knows all of you He loves you with an everlasting love and with a desire to give you an abundant life; a divine life, a life spent with Him every moment of every day, the end of which will never come?
Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)
“Nothing less is required of every one who bears the Christian name…It speaks of a life of prayer and communion with the Eternal; each day begun with fresh self-dedication to Him, and ended in the serene consciousness of His love. Never be contented with a lower level. Never be tempted to imagine that even a life of honesty and benevolence will suffice. Never be satisfied to live a day without intercourse with Heaven.” (Thayer, Gaining Favor with God and Man)
Did you ever notice after having spent a great deal of time with someone who speaks with an accent that you find yourself mimicking their speech pattern, even using the same vocabulary? As you immerse yourself in conversation with God, drinking in the language of the Bible, seeking the mind of God in the pages of Scripture and expanding your vocabulary by taking the time to learn the meaning of those rich Old English words, you will find that not only your thought patterns will change, but your speech patterns as well. Truly, what we admire we emulate; what we love, we become.
As seasons of life change, Elizabeth happily remains desperately dependent upon her God. Three of her four children have now branched off to begin their own families. She is a homeschooling veteran and a faithful wife for over 30 years.
Read Elizabeth’s salvation testimony here and her articles here.
Comments 1
I just reread your article…there is so much to chew on here such as guarding my thoughts and evaluating my desires. Thanks for taking the time to write it!