Recognizing the Recognizable

Have you ever caught yourself forgetting the name of someone you’ve previously spent a lot of time with, or who has helped you in the past? If you have, you’ve probably questioned how you could forget someone who had such influence in your life. Recently, I went back to the ranch to help with a Christmas event. When I was assigning children to horses for pony rides, I accidentally caught myself calling one of the horses by a wrong name. I didn’t recognize her at all.

I haven’t had any time to spend at the ranch, or with the horses, in weeks. And even though I’ve known these horses for almost a year, I didn’t recognize Mercy, the very horse I rode first at this ranch. I called her Poco, who is a gelding! How could I have gotten those two mixed up?! They are not even the same gender!

Is it possible that we don’t recognize God because we don’t spend time with Him? Is it possible that when we get so caught up in the busyness of life, and we don’t intentionally position ourselves in His presence, we don’t see Him when He’s right in front of our face? Is it true that we can forget what we know to be true because we haven’t spent time exercising it?

Some of us complain so much because “God is not speaking to me”, “I can’t hear God”, “God isn’t doing as much for me as He is for you”, or “I don’t understand what He’s doing”. But, are we stopping to quiet ourselves and pray while expecting to visit with Jesus? Are we seeing with eternal eyes the little things God does for us on a daily basis? Are we truly recognizing Him? God is always speaking; are we LISTENING?

Unless you are spending enough time with Him to learn how He likes to surprise YOU, how He tends to teach YOU, how He answers YOUR prayers, and His methods for revealing your sin to YOU, you will never recognize His wondrous, miraculous and provisional ways, or the ways He reveals His presence to you in difficult times. It is very possible that God is telling you the answer to that prayer you’ve been praying is right in front of your face. Do yourself a favor: squash your unbelief, doubt and insecurity. Listen for His voice, recognize it, and obey it!

I believe that you are as close to God as you choose to be. You can’t let a wall of “stuff” block your view of Him or you will never experience Him in the capacity you were created to. I’m convinced you will miss a lot of what God does for you and how He provides for you if you don’t make time for Him, and if your eyes are fixed on something or someONE other than Him. Are you trusting Him wholeheartedly, and praying with expectation, or are you too distracted to experience intimacy with Him EVERY DAY? 90% of the time, you and I are the reason we can’t see or hear God. And you and I are the reason we don’t recognize Him like He wants us to. The problem isn’t God or His timing; it’s us and our distracted, stubborn hearts.

How much you recognize God in your life is rooted in your relationship with him. You can’t expect to know the Lord of Heaven, encounter Him supernaturally, and hear His voice daily if you don’t spend time with him. This is as practical as any human relationship. You’re in a heavenly marriage with your Creator—an intimate relationship that requires both parties to be actively and consistently involved. Don’t be stubborn like Pharaoh; pursue God radically like He pursues you. Maybe then you will recognize Him in His already recognizable self. Journey on!