TRUE PERSONAL RELIGION
COMES FROM GOD

If you could talk to God face to face, as did Moses (Exodus 33:11), for just five minutes, it would be of far greater religious value to you than reading all the millions of philosophy books ever written.

True religion must come from God -- by definition -- no matter how well-intentioned the philosophies of men.

Certainly we benefit greatly by reading the words God has given to his prophets -- if we can determine which prophets are his. But my own true religion and yours must be personal -- it must be a personal relationship with the Lord.

We must be willing to pursue him into the mountains and into the forests. We must pursue him into the deserts and across the ocean. We must pursue him into our gardens and into our secret hiding places.

We must pursue God "religiously" until we find him. And while we may never speak to him face to face, we can hear him in our minds as he pours out his light and his understanding. And we can feel him in our hearts as our bosom burns with his confirming presence.

We should seek God every day. We should rise early while our minds are fresh and uncluttered by the cares of the world, and we should report back to him at night and discuss with him our needs and concerns.

We should keep our daily appointments with God more diligently than our appointments with dentists and doctors. And we should heed his counsel with far more care and concern than we do that of our lawyers or accountants.

Jesus told his disciples during the Last Supper before his great atoning sacrifice: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21).

Indeed, when the Judgment Day comes, I am convinced this will be of prime concern: Did we love God enough -- with all of our heart, might, mind and soul -- so that we pursued a personal relationship with him? And when we communicated with him, did we do what he prompted us to do?

If we will do this, God will hear our prayers. He will be as close to us as we will allow him to be.

I had my own Mt. Sinai as a youth. It was the 300-foot-high hill that ran along the length of our family farm.

When at about age 12 I prayed earnestly to know if God really heard my prayers, I was prompted to climb the hill that night.

I normally would have been too frightened to climb that snake-infested hillside in the dark without flashlight or adult companion. But that night I did so with only my younger brother in tow.

As we neared the top, the darkness of the night suddenly gave way to light so bright that we could see clearly, miles across the valley below.

Instinctively my brother and I fell to our knees. Shortly thereafter the light was gone, but God had made an indelible mark on my soul.

The next day the newspaper assured us that all we saw was the light of a huge meteor shower covered by a thin veil of clouds. I didn't really doubt the scientific explanation, but I also didn't doubt that only God's promptings would have taken me up that hillside that night under those circumstances.

I did not receive any profound revelation that night except the knowledge that God does truly hear our prayers. My prayers were not just bouncing off the ceiling, as I had feared.

Over the years, however, I pursued God onto that hillside on numerous occasions (although never again at night). And it was there that I received several important personal revelations -- my personal life-changing epiphanies.

I can tell you without a doubt that God hears our prayers. He waits for us to prepare our minds and our hearts so we can communicate with him.

God is constant and faithful. He waits on us day and night. He waits for us now.