The Train of God's Glory
October 2006
For God speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices it. - Job 33:14
I expected to get a good night sleep in the comfortable Memphis hotel in which I was staying. I fell asleep only to be awakened several times throughout the night by a train that roared past every few hours. Each time the screeching metal sounded outside of my window, I was jarred awake into a half conscious stupor. As the night progress, I was more bewildered as to why anyone in their right mind would put a hotel that close to a train track.
When morning finally came, I was grateful. I dressed and went downstairs to await my ride to the event at which I was speaking. I knew that the woman coming to pick me up lived very near to the hotel so
I couldn't wait to talk to her about how she handled the noise throughout the night. When she arrived, I immediately asked about the train. She looked at me with a perplexed expression and said, "You could hear that?" To which I replied, "You couldn't?" She expressed her apologies for the noise and then explained that those living in the surrounding neighborhoods had grown so used to the sound of the train that they rarely even took notice anymore. They were so accustomed to the noise that they no long recognized when the train was passing. The train rushed through every night, yet their ears had been dulled and their awareness desensitized.
Loud yet unheard. Present yet unnoticed. Tangible yet unfelt. Could this describe our relationship to God? Is He roaring by, clearly revealing Himself to us, yet no one notices. Is it possible that He is among us; speaking, knocking, visiting, penetrating, alerting, warning, encouraging, comforting yet we have become some accustomed to Him that we don't see Him anymore.
America is the most "religious" country in the world. In His Sovereignty, God has chosen to allow those that live in this part of the world to exercise freedoms that others can only dream of. We have grown used to the churches perched on every street corner, Bible bookstores in every major city and radio and television stations committed to the proclamation of God's word. We attend conferences, workshops and seminars without fear of being arrested by our government for our bold faith in the One True God. We are spoiled by the many books and Bible translations that are just an internet order away. We have grown accustomed to good theology, good exposition and good singing. This is the neighborhood we live it. It's our norm. . . . . and the train rushes by and no one notices.
These luxuries have been our biggest blessing and our biggest curse. While we are more "churched" than any other civilization and more than any other generation preceding us, we are the ones who don't see God. A quick review of American history shows that every 50 years this country has experienced some sort of revival. Yet, this record has been broken as the fifty year mark has come and gone.
1 Samuel 3:1 reads, ". . . word from the Lord was rare and visions were infrequent." In a book written about the children of Israel, the chosen people of God, we find that it was a rarity for someone to experience God. These precious ones who had been uniquely set apart by God for Himself, were unable to hear when the train of His glory sounded. They had been showered with the miraculous blessings of the Father yet their senses had been dulled to hearing Him speak and seeing Him move.
Friend, don't allow God's graciousness to you to be the very thing that keeps you from recognizing a special visitation from Him. When He comes to whisper in your ear in the cool of the morning, hear His voice. When He sets out to orchestrate the events of your day to adjust them to His will, don't ignore His promptings. When the fire of His Spirit falls on the natural and remakes it into the supernatural, recognize it and respond to it. Each day the prayer in our hearts and on our lips should be, "Lord, may I never become so accustomed to you that I no longer see you. Never allow my comfort level with you to be so cozy that the thunder of your presence does not shake me awake from my spiritual slumber. Lord, send the train of your glory and help me not to miss it when it comes."
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