—You have no idea the battle I have fought to maintain intimacy and to fight distraction.— Intimacy–this is the battlefield. This is what the enemy desires to steal more than anything! If he can steal our intimacy with the Lord, he gets everything. Intimacy is the most important factor in our Christian experience, and when you understand the importance of something, you are willing to fight for it. The enemy will attempt to pull us from the posture that is the most critical to our life in God–the posture of abiding; the posture of intimacy. — Heidi Baker
As I read this the other day in the midst of nappies, emails from our travel agent, & phone calls, my spirit cried out for the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle, is simply the most beautiful space on earth. Beautiful for one reason & one reason alone. It is where the God of Israel is & he is beautiful. How can we know his beauty if we have not seen it? My spirit & mind agreed with Heidi’s words. It is a battle to maintain intimacy with the Lord. We must make space for it. This is the point. Something’s have to go. Space is not space if something is in it!
Just before finishing my career as a teacher in the Australian Education System, I began to be disturbed by the growing amount of programs & activities that were being stuffed into the life of my students. I felt for them & their parents as they seem to endlessly run around, driving from that pre-school or post school activity. There was no time to just sit & play for my students. No space. I begun to wonder why are we so afraid of space, of emptiness? This is even true in the physical. Try leaving a room empty! Yet space is critical to intimacy. Can’t have a relationship with anyone unless there is space.
It struck me that day & often since that to not be conformed to the pattern of this busy world, is going to be more & more costly. —Beware of the barrenness of a busy life—, said our Principal at Bible College. What we behold, we become. I want to behold intimacy with my Lord. I want to behold his beauty. Why? Because what happens in the presence of the Lord is the most important thing in our lives.