This morning I woke up from dreaming with the phrase "Touch God and Live" impressed upon my mind. I want to put something inspirational on the living room wall under a painting of Christ that I have and this seems a likely candidate.
How does one touch God? Certainly not in the physical sense, but our lives can touch His as we seek to develop Godly characteristics of love, service, obedience, kindness, humility, meekness, grace, patience etc.
By allowing God to touch us, we touch Him. The Lord touches our lives daily if we let Him. We receive sometimes imperceptible promptings, encouragement, enlightenment, joy and happiness. As we embrace these moments, and allow them to settle deeply within our hearts we are able to touch God back in the simple act of acceptance.
We can also 'touch' God by recognizing His hand in our lives. We can look for opportunities to serve others and be willing to recognize and treasure the tender mercies that are ours every day. Service helps up to assist The Lord in His work of securing for His children eternal life. As we willingly put aside our own will and desires we are more able to feel God touching our lives and the lives of those around us, for to be His hands even for a moment is to touch Him.
Touching God is a daily part of the life of an individual who takes time to ponder on the words of The Lord through daily scripture study and prayer. As we make these things a priority our lives take on a greater purpose and meaning. We receive insights and are taught by the Holy Spirit helping us, encouraging us, uplifting us and strengthening us in our various needs and through the righteous desires of our heart.
There is yet another way to touch God. It is in the indescribable joy of repentance. True repentance brings us closer to God and we can feel Him smiling down upon us. To please God is joy indeed. True repentance brings us closer to God, helps us develop those Godly characteristics aforementioned. Experiencing the joy of repentance cultivates within our hearts a firm, quiet conviction that God is there for us, and that He will never leave us. It strengthens our faith and trust in Him. Truly repentance brings us closer to God as we extend our hand heavenward in acceptance of the Divine gift of His Son.
We also touch God by our choice to forgive others. To forgive another is to be merciful, to desire goodness for them, and to offer them the gift of the Atonement to be effective in their lives - not that you can take that gift from them for denying another the ability to use the Atonement actually leaves you less able to use it yourself - but denying forgiveness to another, even one who does not seem to deserve it or who does not desire to change their own life, is sin that takes us from God. We touch God by mercifully allowing others to extend their hand upward in their own desires to touch God, for He will turn away none. We touch God by emulating His example of mercy and forgiveness.
Simply put, to Touch God, is to come to know Him, to seek to follow Him, to love all mankind, and to be the best we can be. To Touch God is to submit our will to His, even in times of hardship and challenge, and to seek always to do what He would do. It is trusting in the depth of His love so much that we cheerfully submit and seek to grow stronger even when our burdens seem more than we can bear. To Touch god is all of this and more, but as we truly desire to Touch God, He will bless and magnify our efforts even unto Eternal Life.
Four simple words, yet they say so much: Touch God and Live!!!
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