One of the movies that fascinated many of us in the late 70’s was called Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The film took us to a place called Devils Tower and gave us a chance to encounter aliens. If you remember the movie, you might also have spent some time trying to figure out why your mashed potatoes reminded you of something tower like. The main characters in the movie struggled to trust their instincts about what they imagined could be real, the idea that aliens could indeed communicate with people on earth. They needed to see for themselves to really appreciate the truth.
Some of us find ourselves in a similar place as we struggle to recognize the clues, the stories, and the encounters we have with the living God. We brush it off as simply something we imagined. We aren’t sure we should tell anybody we suspect the whole God thing could be real. After all, they might think we were off our proverbial rockers. The problem is that God isn’t quiet. God is a communicator, and He continues to look for ways to give us more experience with Him. He walks in front of us and sometimes we trip over Him, but we’re still not quite sure what to do. We catch a glimpse of Him as someone helps us clean up a mess or gives us a word of encouragement. We witness miracles, but we can’t quite believe our eyes.
Richard Dreyfuss, playing Roy Neary, caught a glimpse of something that seemed alien to him, and he couldn’t let it go. He had to pursue it so he could discover whether it was real or simply his imagination. He had to experience this phenomenal thing for himself. That’s our story too. We can experience close encounters of the divine kind only if we pursue them, seek them out, and ask for help discovering them. We have to want that experience more than anything we’ve ever wanted before.
Sure, we can gain experience by studying books, or watching movies, but we won’t ever really understand the ways that heavenly communication happens if we don’t seek to encounter it. We need to have close encounters of the divine kind. When you’re ready to experience more of God, then study about Him, learn all you can about Him. Go to Him in prayer and talk to Him, and don’t stop searching until your experience of Him lights up your life, amazes your spirit, and helps you see Him in ways you never thought possible.
You too can have a close encounter of the Divine kind today.