23rd Day of Lent – God's Presence within You

nnThroughout the Lenten Devotionals, I have spoken of the “God within us”---the top figure in the Illustration of our Divine Self. Elizabeth Claire Prophet, who designed this illustration, refers to the top figure as the I AM PRESENCE. This concept of I AM is important.nnIn Exodus 3:13-15, Moses asks God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”nnI AM is the name by which God asked to be called, thus the term I AM PRESENCE used regarding the Divine Self. Because we are accustomed to speaking of God as a being separate from us (not that it is true, but we have been taught to think in those terms), it might be helpful to refer henceforth to the top figure as our I AM PRESENCE.nnOur I AM PRESENCE is like a reservoir holding the treasures we build up in heaven in accordance with Jesus’ teaching: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven … for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) The colorful circles in the top figure represent the treasures we build up in heaven. The loving acts, words, thoughts, and emotions we have shared with others become a permanent part of our Divine Self----they are the treasures that “neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.” nnThis reservoir of treasures is available to us at anytime---to be used for the good of others. We experience them as a sudden ability to say or do the very thing needed in a particular situation. We have all been astonished when---without thinking---we do the very thing needed. Have we not been elated at times and said, “I didn’t know I could do that!” Or, in the case of an emergency, we have performed with perfection and later exclaimed, “How did I do that?” Some of us have been surprised when we discovered a hidden talent. It’s like a developed skill suddenly dropped into our head. nnIt did! nnLook at the Divine Self top figure … a channel of light runs from it >>> into your physical head, thus without thinking you knew what to do or what to say. And the more we attune to our I AM PRESENCE, the more frequently this will happen. We will come to know that we need not be concerned over anything … that all that we need is stored within the reservoir of our I AM PRESENCE … the Kingdom of Heaven within us. nnMEDITATION: Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Repeat to yourself … I AM … I AM … I AM …………………….. Can you feel an invisible presence expand around and within you? ……….. Can you sense the comforting power of unconditional love enfolding you? …………………….. Know that you continuously live within the loving power of your I AM PRESENCE …………………. Know that the loving power of your I AM PRESENCE continuously abides within you ……………… This is how Jesus could teach: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things … strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:32-33)nnAttuning to our I AM PRESENCE allows our physical body, emotions, thoughts, and actions to be resurrected into a higher level of consciousness.nnAn excellent affirmation or chant during meditation is I AM THAT I AM. Think in terms of Jesus’ prayer: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us.” (John 17:21) In this affirmation, we are remembering and fixing in our minds the Truth that we are ONE with I AM Repeat or chant ……………………. I AM THAT I AM. nnFeel your being lifted up into a higher awareness of who you are ……………………………nnGive thanks for all insights received during this meditation.