Sunday Lessons: There has to be an encounter before God becomes real to us.

"Unless we experience that encounter with God, our relationship with Him will always be hypocritical."

I picked this among today's lessons because I can testify to it with utmost certainty.

We can force ourselves to get up every Sunday morning for church. We can guilt ourselves to open the Bible and finally start reading. We can do this everyday for years, for decades, and never really feel and experience the realness of God and His love.

Maybe you're expecting an Aha! moment, or a proverbial light bulb moment, but to be honest, I don't remember when. I don't remember how. I don't remember exactly what happened, what I had done or what God has done, but suddenly He was in everything I see. I found Him--or I guess He found me--and the rest, as they say, is history.

Until our hearts are ready to see Him, meet Him, know Him, our relationship with God will always be fragile. I guess my heart was finally, finally ready to be filled by Him that summer of 2012. And when you're ready, trust me, all things become beautiful. He makes all things beautiful.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

                                      - Hebrews 3:15