Embracing God's Presence

The Bible truly is the story of all things. It tells us how the earth was created, what was here before then, what life will be like after the world's end. It holds for us ultimate wisdom and power. What I want to talk about today is something that many of us forget God is always with us—not just in church or when we read the Bible or pray. God is in ALL things. He is there when we are watching TV. He is there when we are eating breakfast. He is with us on our drive to school or work. He is with us in ALL things. I have talked about this very thing before, but we need to be reminded of this repeatedly. With God we are never alone. God makes this very clear to us in the Bible when He says over and over again that He will never leave us or forsake us! (Deut. 3:6,8; Heb. 13:5; Josh. 1:5; Gen. 28:15; 1 Chron. 28:20; Deut. 4:31). Does God sometimes push and shove His way into our lives? Yes, but He has also given us free will. If we choose not to have God in our life, we won't. He respects our choices regardless of how wrong they are. But when we embrace the faith God has given us and choose to add God to every aspect of our lives, we will see God more and more. We will hear His wisdom in still small voices in our heads, through the Bible, through our friends, through church on Sunday morning, even on social media. And that wisdom that He gives us will spread into all things in our lives, friendships, jobs, and hobbies. God is truly in all things. He may not be in all things in your life because you have pushed Him away. But God wants to be a part of all things in your life because He loves you. He loves you so much He died for you on the cross! If He did that, why wouldn't He want to be with you at all times? He paid the ultimate price for you to go to heaven, yet we still doubt He can protect us from the minor skirmishes in our lives? God cares for all things in your life. He is with you in all things, good or bad. Embrace the protection God gives you and make Him a part of all things in your life! Maybe you are wondering, how do I do this? How do I make God more involved in my life? Isn't He always with me? When we spend more time with God, we see Him more in our lives. It's not about us feeling God's presence. It’s about embracing God's presence. How do you ask? Do you have a designated time to spend with God in prayer, reading scripture, meditating on His words? If not, that is the first step. And when I say designated, I don't mean a time you say you are going to do it, but also are watching your kids, cooking supper, and you're on your phone. I mean a time when someone is watching your kids (or maybe they're sleeping) when you don't have to multitask, and your phone is put away. God is a mighty God; He deserves His own designated time. I have found the Psalms are a great place to start. Read one psalm a day, meditate on what it means, and pray to God for whatever is on your mind. Then spend a minute or two in silence, awaiting the thoughts God might want to put on your heart. Will you always have a revelation about what you just read? No. But when we embrace God, it changes our whole day. We start to see similarities between our lives and what we have heard from Him in scripture.

Psalms 27:8

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”