I Shall Lack Nothing

>> Canada Files: Day 052

I'm definitely in "Phase 2" now. The novelty has worn off - the novelty of being in Canada, soaking in the new cultural experience, the novelty of doing exciting new things in creative worship, of meeting new people and so on.

My last post hinted that I was having to dig deeper. For the last couple of weeks it's been harder to find a tangible sense of God's presence anywhere - at home, at church, at GOHOP. So what then?

From the best bliss that earth imparts
We turn unfilled to Thee again

All of this has led to a renewed call to seek God again, not for his "benefits" but simply for his presence.

So on Tuesday, I went for a long walk, up the escarpment, along into town and down again - about 6 miles I think. The photo above is a panoramic view from the escarpment. And the prayer inside me was "Lord, I'm coming to find you." Nothing dramatic happened, but the next day, on my usual half hour walk to the prayer house, I felt an inner "thaw". I found the first verse of Psalm 23 playing round and round in my mind, over and over, getting richer all the time:

The Lord is my Shepherd
Therefore, I lack nothing.

And so this is Phase 2. I felt challenged that my spiritual food was not to be the buzz of doing creative worship sessions, but simply of seeking God persistently until I found him.

A Prayer O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire Thee with our whole heart, that so desiring, we may seek and find Thee; and so finding Thee we may love Thee; and loving Thee we may hate those sins from which Thou hast redeemed us; for the sake of Jesus Christ. St. Anselm