"Surely God is in this place; and I know it not." Genesis 28:6
Where is God when we need him most? Does he even care about what we do in our day to day lives?
I believe that God is always present, that we need him, and that we are responsible for whether or not we see God in others or in situations.
It is us who either embraces the spirit of God or pushes Him away. Concisously or unconsciously we are the ones who move closer to or further away from God. He never changes!
I often enjoy reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Within it's power-packed pages I often glean something new, even though I have read the book several times. Here's how Tozer answers the question, where are you God?
"The presence and the manifestation of the presence are not the same. There can be one without the other. God is here when we are wholly unaware of it. He is manifest only when and as we are aware of His presence. Our part, then must be to surrender to the spirit of God, for His work is to show us the Father and the Son. If we cooperate with Him in loving obedience, God will manifest Himself to us, and that manifestation will be the difference between a nominal Christian life and a life radiant with the light of His face."
Manifestation means the indication of the existence, reality, or presence of something. Indication of. Not, if you don't believe it then it's not true! It is the revelation (sometimes that 'ah ha') that something is there that supports yours and my beliefs. And our beliefs will determine if we think God is with us or not. It won't change Him, only your relationship with Him!
Do you thank God in the midst of your happy, joyful situations? Do you also ask for his guidance in your times of trouble, disappointments, anxious living, and conflicts?
He is always there. Ask him to join you on your daily journey.
God is blessing you. Donna
I have posted before how I know I am the real beneficiary if I have been able to help in some small way, as it gives me HOPE and I feel happy as I can make someone feel happier!
ReplyDeleteSo yesterday at my local church I saw a new book to write "promises" and "prayers". I wrote how I will Help Other People Everyday (HOPE) in some way, a smile, a whatever! Then I wrote my prayer that God would help show me how I might best help each day.
As I wrote that but had not finished...I felt a tap on my shoulder and a fellow that welcomes people and does name tags each Sunday said, in his deep, foreign, somewhat staccato halting words and voice, "Jan-Michael, I wanted to ask you something... I am starting a basketball team for under privileged kids and our first game is in November...We need t-shirts and if you could maybe help us with a dollar or $2 and ...I will let you finish". As he walked away, I knew I had to call out, "Have you got an envelope"? He was surprised at my immediate commitment but I knew this was right and could only say, "Thanks for including me in the plan".
And after he left, I thanked God for showing me a good need!
Wow, God acts fast, but of course HE knows and is listening to our thoughts when we have kept the lines to Him open 24/7.
Jan-Michael