August 14, 2014
Chair Time
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).
Friend to Friend
We live crowded lives. It is easy to forget what is really important. We tend to relinquish control of our lives to unworthy demands dictated by a world that operates in “urgent” gear. The important rarely barges in while the urgent is always an offensive intruder. The important waits patiently while the urgent demands its own way, creating bedlam and imbalance. Certainly, there are times when the important is also urgent – but we must learn to discern between the two. We wrongly conclude that a busy life is automatically a productive life and think that a full schedule will surely produce a full heart. It won’t.
It’s easy to relegate our spirituality to religious activity when all God really wants is to spend time with us. When the tears fall, He wants to wipe them away, collecting each one so that He can pour them back into our lives as a refreshing rain of restoration. God longs for us to forever run into His arms, sharing every hurt and rejoicing in every victory. The Father yearns to wrap His strong arms around us, bringing the peace and balance we so desperately need. We just need to stop … be still … and listen for His voice.
We need to embrace and understand the truth that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God … and so are we! My husband recently wrote an E-Book that beautifully explains the powerful truth in Ephesians 2:6 that says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus.”
Who is the “us” in this verse? The “us” in Ephesians 2:6 refers to all believers. All who have bowed the knee in surrender to Christ. All who are Christ followers. Past, present and future – everyone that has ever and will ever follow Jesus is included.
What does the verse say we (all the believers) are doing? We are sitting. Sitting! What do you have to possess to be sitting? A chair! You got it! Every believer has a chair.
Now let’s get practical. Where are all these believers? The verse says that we are seated with Christ in heaven. Hmmm, if I am still here on earth, serving Jesus on this side of heaven, how can I also be seated with Christ in heaven?
Now it gets fun. Picture this. Picture heaven as having an enormous throne. Picture that throne as 100 miles wide by 100 miles deep by 100 miles high. God the Father sits on that throne, and He faces out in every direction from that throne. Jesus the Son stands beside the throne, praying and interceding for us. Got the picture? Stop reading for a moment, close your eyes, and try to picture this enormous throne in the center of heaven.
Now add an element to the picture. Around that huge throne, start adding a row of chairs. There is one row around that throne. Then add a row above it and below it – but still just one row deep around the throne. Now step back and picture that throne with all of those chairs from a short distance away. Wow! What a picture - this huge throne of God, with a front row chair for every believer that has ever lived.
Now let’s get personal. Center your focus on one chair. Zoom in to that one chair. Notice anything? Look on the back of the chair. Yep – you got it! Your name is on that chair. There is a chair in heaven in the front row at the throne of God. It is your chair. It has your name on it. It fits you. No one can sit in that chair except you. And you can go to that chair any time you want.
Why would you go to that chair? To talk to God? No! I may not know much, but I can guarantee you this. When you are seated in the front row before the throne of God, you will not be talking! You may fall on your knees! You may gasp in amazement! You may raise your hands in worship! But you won’t be talking! You will be listening to what God has to say to you.
Is your mind running ahead of me? Are you getting the picture? Does that phrase “chair time” now make sense?
The premise is simple. The God of this universe wants to talk with you so much that He has reserved a front row seat for you at His throne in Heaven. You can go there anytime you want. You can sit at His feet, feel His embrace, and hear His voice any time you want. All you need to do is sit in the chair. Wow!
I have great news, girlfriend! He loves who you are more than He loves what you do. Seek Him today. Make room for Him. He is waiting.
Let’s Pray
Thank You, Lord, for arranging the circumstances of my life so that I must stop and rest and sit at Your feet in quiet solitude. Thank You for the healing I find there. Thank You for the new truth and redefined purpose for my life. Help me apply the truths I find when sitting at Your feet.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Do you long for times of silence or avoid them whenever possible? Why? I encourage you to find a few minutes each day this week to spend in silence before God. Establish the habit of a silent retreat when possible. Read the Psalms daily and keep your gaze on God.
More from the Girlfriends
If you want to learn how to hear from God, I encourage you to get Dan’s book, Chair Time.Chair Timeis the story of learning to listen to God. It is a simple story of a simple man learning a life changing truth. God wants to speak to us! He will, if we get in the chair!
Be sure to check out Mary’s weekly Online Bible Study, A Glimpse of Heaven. Enroll now and have access to all 2014 lessons. Connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.
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Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
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Originally published Thursday, 14 August 2014.
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