The Lord has not left his people to wonder where he may be found. Through the ordinary means – the preaching of the Word, the ordinances, the prayers of the gathered church, and the fellowship of believers – God is pleased to meet with his people. I was once given a book called More Than Notion by J. H. Alexander. It is a wonderful testimony of true experiential Christianity. The title is taken from a hymn by Joseph Hart, of which one of the verses reads:
Vain is all our best devotion,
If on false foundations built;
True religion’s more than notion,
Something must be known and felt.
That is the balance we should desire: to know the truth of the gospel of grace and to have it grip our hearts. In true religion, the intellectual and the experiential are inseparable.
Sadly, instead of trusting God’s simple channels of grace, we are often drawn away by noise and novelty. Yet our longing for ‘something more’ is really a longing for God himself. God is always present, but in his appointed means we may know deeper measures of his presence. Something must be both known and felt. When the Word is faithfully expounded, God speaks to his people. Are we listening for the Shepherd’s voice with expectancy? The Spirit can take what seem like plain words and press them into our hearts so that Christ becomes real to us. Sometimes the Word convicts like fire; sometimes it comforts like balm; often it works quietly, reshaping our thoughts and warming our affections.
Many of us have come to church weary and cold of heart, only to be stirred by the Word. At times it has its effect gently, like dew falling on the grass. At other times it comes in great power as God breaks in. Sometimes individuals are touched; at other times the whole gathering is affected. The ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper present vivid pictures of new life in Christ and pledges of covenant love. Regular participation brings precious truths before us, and at times we are given a deepening sense of the presence of Christ.
The same can happen in times of corporate prayer. Sometimes, in the most unlikely moments, God suddenly makes himself known. William Williams (Pantycelyn), the Welsh hymn-writer and preacher of the 18th century, tells of one assembly that had resolved to close their doors and met for a final time of prayer.
Yet Williams records, ‘When man reaches the lowest depths of unbelief… God Himself entered into our midst, and the light of day from on high dawned upon us.’ The quietest brother was stirred by the Spirit to pray with great earnestness. Soon, all who were gathered were moved to lay hold on the Lord. Cold hearts were thawed, faith revived, and the meeting ended in joy. What had seemed barren became a fountain of life. Such is the power of Christ when his people seek him together.
Similarly, we can know that sense of the Lord dealing with us in the fellowship of believers. We do not gather as scattered individuals but as members of one body, joined to Christ and to one another. When we join our brethren in a local church, we have the privilege of sharing joys, bearing burdens, speaking truth, and offering encouragement. Through that regular walk with each other we experience Christ’s own care through his people.
Perhaps we are convinced of the importance of these means, yet we may grow disheartened when there seems to be little movement. Take courage. God will honour his Word and the means he has ordained. Whether he comes in great power or not remains his sovereign prerogative. But let us ask ourselves: Do we come with expectancy? Do we prepare our hearts to meet with God in these things? Do we pray for his presence to be known? Thomas Watson urged, ‘He that would have the dew of a blessing must prepare the ground.’ Do we cry out with Isaiah (64:1), ‘Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down!’ Right now, we do not need novelties – we need him. The presence and power of God, known and felt.
