Our senses tell us about the physical world around us. We take in information through sight, sound and touch. It’s how we learn. Smell may evoke happiness when the bread is in the oven or warn us as a fire nears. It is also through our senses that we interact with each other. We recognize a loved one’s voice, communicate through a look and are soothed with a touch. There are even senses like balance and proprioception that tell us about ourselves - giving our position and movement within our surroundings. All of these together beautifully coordinate to let us interact in a physical world.
We know that when one of the senses is deficient, the others can become more acute. To take advantage of this, our environment can be tampered with to emphasize an experience. Lighting is dimmed in a concert – decreasing visual distraction to heighten auditory stimulation. Conversely, a museum or art gallery is kept quiet and serene to heighten the visual stimulation.
Just as God gave us an ability to interact in the physical world, He also gave us a way to interact with Him. We use familiar language to express this - recognizing His voice and feeling His presence. He reveals Himself through the Holy Spirit and shows us the truth about the world and our place in it. It is how our soul learns. And the more acutely we perceive Him, the better we understand our own position in the world.
I want to make time to quiet my other senses so as to heighten my awareness of Him. I want to relearn the disciplines of silence and fasting to know Him better - and feast in the overwhelming glory of His presence.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8
