A Fresh Experience with God

Howell Harris had an experience with God. He became one of the most important preachers in the revivals that transformed Wales in the eighteenth century. The conviction expressed through his messages was said to be unforgettable.

One person commented that Harris “used to speak of hell as though he had been there himself.” Harris felt that God had given him “a commission to rend and break sinners.” This was his burden, and thousands felt conviction and gave their hearts to Christ under his ministry.

But Harris was not only concerned about reaching the Lost. He also had a burden for those who already were Christians. He became alarmed because so many Believers were not growing in their spiritual lives. Although they may have had real experiences with God in the past, this relationship had become stale and cold, no longer fresh and vital. It all seemed to be a distant memory, dominated by what they heard and read, and shaped by traditions and rituals.

One of his themes was reminding Christians about the importance of having “new wine.” This means having regular, personal encounters with Jesus Christ and an intimate relationship with God the Father. It involves receiving daily “manna” from Heaven. This was Harris’ passion right up until the day he died. In his “dying testimony,” he reminded fellow Believers “that we are not to speak of what we have had from the Lord, but what we have now afresh from Him.”

How about you? How vital is your relationship with God? Fresh and real? Intimate and personal? Or are you just drawing on distant past experiences? Remember: The Lord has something fresh for you each moment you spend with Him. Today, read His Word. Pray. Listen and learn. Seek to have a fresh experience with God and a more intimate daily relationship.