A Call to Remember Our First Encounter with Him
I love first encounters.
Over the years, I have learned that no two first encounters with the Holy One
are ever exactly alike.
Each one is unique.
Each one is precious.
Each one is a masterpiece of Divine Creativity.
No two people will ever experience the exact same thing when they first meet Him.
Even when thousands gather and encounter Him at the same moment,
each story will still be different.
Why?
Because the Holy One wants you to have your own love story to tell.
He wants you to have your own love song to sing.
He wants you to have your own description of His Indescribable Beauty.
Ya’akov’s First Encounter
Ya’akov was just a frightened young man on the run.
Things had gotten out of hand at home.
His mother sent him away.
His brother wanted him dead.
And his very first night alone,
he had a dream—
his first encounter with the Holy One.
The King choreographed it all.
- He met Ya’akov on the stairway.
- Angels were ascending and descending.
- But it was not the angels that captured Ya’akov’s heart.
It was the Glorious One standing at the top.
And in that moment,
Ya’akov’s life changed forever.
Prayer for the Journey
O Glorious King of the Staircase of Life!
I, like Ya’akov, look up at You in awestruck wonder.
I remember with tender affection
the day You first met me on the Stairs.
And I so long to feel that passion again.
Awestruck Heart Challenge #16
Take time to meditate on and appreciate:
- The unique way in which the Holy One orchestrated your first encounter with Him.
- The choreography of your life that led to that moment.
- Every time He has met you again since then.
And from the bottom of your heart,
thank Him for giving you your own love story
and your own love song to share with the world.
Awestruck Heart Exercise #16
-
Read:
- Psalm 40:2-4, 9-10, 16-17
-
Remember:
- Go back to the day the Holy One first called you.
- What were the circumstances leading up to that moment?
- Marvel at His intricate orchestration in bringing you to Himself.
-
Reflect on Ya’akov’s Dream:
- Note that the Holy One directed the traffic between earth and heaven.
- Consider the wonder that He placed the staircase right where Ya’akov happened to be.
-
Read & Meditate:
- Revelation 4:1-11
- Isaiah 6:1-8
-
Tell the King:
BEAUTIFUL KING!
CREATIVE GENIUS OF EVERY STAIRCASE ENCOUNTER!
CHOREOGRAPH ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH ME IN THIS SEASON OF MY LIFE.
WRITE A FRESH NEW VERSE FOR OUR UNIQUE LOVE SONG
AND A FRESH NEW CHAPTER IN OUR UNIQUE LOVE STORY.MAKE MY TESTIMONY OF YOUR GLORIOUS LOVE BURST TO LIFE AGAIN—
WITH PASSION, WITH TEARS, AND WITH REVERENCE AND AWE.
Final Reflection
The Holy One meets us where we are.
Whether in a dream, a whisper, or a great shaking,
He always comes at just the right time.
He met Ya’akov that night.
And He will meet you again.
Are you ready?