As you spend more and more time with Jesus, you will become more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). You become bolder and more courageous (Acts 4:13), confident that the Spirit of God is working within you, empowering you (Philippians 2:13). You will become more able to help those around you by sharing with them His love and goodness.
The inner chamber
In a recent post we looked at this quote from George MacDonald:
“In every man there is a loneliness, an inner chamber of peculiar life into which God only can enter.
There is a chamber also (O God, humble and accept my speech)— a chamber in God Himself, into which none can enter but the one, the individual, the peculiar man—out of which chamber that man has to bring revelation and strength for his brethren. This is that for which he was made—to reveal the secret things of the Father.”
When you spend time walking with Jesus – praying, reading His Word, being still, or just being together – you are learning what it means to enter this inner chamber, this special place God has reserved for just the two of you.
And in this place, alone with the Father, He begins to change you. He teaches you His ways, showing you what is important to Him, and places the things He loves deep within your heart. Paul tells us, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
Your relationship with Him deepens. The lessons you’ve learned about God move from your head to your heart. The stories about God’s goodness and love for you are no longer just the stories from the Bible, but they are also the stories from your own life.
You begin to see God’s love for you in your own stories, and your relationship with Him becomes a living thing. It becomes real. You have stories to tell about God that are no longer confined to the Bible. Now, your own life becomes a story of the goodness of God. And you will want to share your stories with people that need to hear them.
We are able to help those around us
Each of us has things in our lives we struggle with. We’ve experienced disappointment, pain, broken relationships. We all have stories that need healing and redeeming. That is what God does for us when we spend time with Him in the inner chamber. And when He has completed this work, we are able to help those around us in their struggles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
This is what MacDonald is talking about. It is in the inner chamber, walking with Jesus and allowing Him to redeem your stories, that He places within you His comfort, His revelation, and His strength, not only for your own sake, but for the comfort and building up of those around you.
Spending time with Jesus allows God to heal our own hearts and redeem our own stories. We are then able to share our healing with those who need that same healing, redeeming work to be accomplished in their lives.
Next steps
Are you learning how to meet with God in the inner chamber? Here are some steps you can take today to help:
- Plan time to be with Jesus and put it in your calendar. Start with 10-15 minutes if this is a new practice for you.
- Find a place where you can be alone and undisturbed. Go for a walk if you need to!
- Don’t worry about needing something to do during this time. Just be with Him and talk to Him.
Continue to be with Jesus daily. Allow this practice to become a normal part of your day. As you do, you will find yourself looking forward to this time with God. You’ll want to spend this time with Him. This will happen, so just stay faithful. God is changing you as you spend time together!