March 9, 1999
Electronic mail has revolutionized business and personal communication. With a computer and modem, anyone can send messages around the world in minutes, even make and cultivate friendships in cyberspace.
However, e-mail has the same annoyances as regular mail. Total strangers somehow get my address and send me Spam or unwanted advertising — electronic junk mail. Occasionally, I get chain letters too. “If you make ten copies of this and send it on to ten friends...”
Yikes, I have enough to do. I use this technology when I want to say a few words without feeling guilty that I didn’t have time to write fourteen pages.
Carnegie Melton University in Pittsburgh researched people who spend far more time in cyberspace than I do. According to their data, the more that people use e-mail, chat rooms and discussion groups, the more depressed, stressed and lonely they feel. They also add that being on-line replaces time people should spend building deeper relationships with family and friends.
In my limited experience, electronic discussions, no matter how intimate they seem, do not reach true intimacy. Impressions easily created in mere words fall flat in face-to-face relationships. With e-mail, it is easy to fake who you are and how you feel. Even regular mail and the telephone fail the intimacy test. To pass, we need to look into each other’s eyes.
The Bible says the eye is the lamp of the body. Philosophers say it is the window to the soul. Ordinary people know that the look in someone’s eye can tell them a great deal about that person’s heart and mind.
At least that is true for human relationships. It simply does not apply to the ultimate cyberspace communication — prayer. We do not have to look into the eyes of God to get close to Him. We just talk or even think and God knows exactly what we are trying to communicate. He speaks back through the Bible or sometimes without words into our minds — and we hear Him. We know who is speaking and we grow deeper in our relationship with Him.
I am amazed how we can fool each other with the best of technology yet our hearts are open to God using none whatsoever. It is as the psalmist wrote, “O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. . . . Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.”
Spoken or written prayers help us express ourselves to Him but His understanding goes deeper than what we say. He knows what we really mean and how we really feel before we even tell Him. Not even our closest friends can do that with the same accuracy.
Actually, prayer is not really cyberspace communication. The Bible says if we put our faith in Christ, He comes to live in our hearts. We are “a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in us, whom we received from God.” Our messages do not have to go from ‘server to server’ around the universe searching for His address because He is right here with us. Nothing could be quicker.
Further, going on-line with God doesn’t require a modem or computer. Anyone can do it anywhere and anytime, without any costs and in any language. No one has to learn how to type on a keyboard or open any software. Nothing could be easier.
If spending too much time online makes people lonely, prayer has the opposite effect. Consider evangelist Billy Graham’s definition of loneliness. He says it is the way we feel when God is calling us to spend time with Him. When we do that, we are filled not emptied.
These days, I’m beginning to wish I could get paid to read and respond to e-mail but when I pray, there is no sense of lost or wasted time. God never sends Spam or junk mail, only peace and a sense of being with Him.
Showing posts with label God is present. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God is present. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
What is the spirit of Christmas? .......... Parables 622
December 22, 1998
What is the “spirit of Christmas”? After a survey, here are some opinions.
Some say it is family being together, eating and giving gifts. It is a pervading sense of good will. Even strangers go out of their way to say ‘Merry Christmas’ (at least they used to!)
Others call it an anticipation, like that of a child filled with wonder and excitement. Many claim it is a spirit of generosity, an open-heartedness that thinks benevolent thoughts and gives gifts. Others say it is remembering the reason for the season yet they do not define it.
Some respond by saying they put up a tree, put lights on their house, and play their Christmas CD’s to get into the spirit of Christmas. For them, you don’t have it until you unpack the decorations or play the music or open the gifts. Others counter by saying no, the Christmas spirit is in your heart, a warm, glowing feeling that you cannot buy in a store.
But many still think the spirit of Christmas is out dazzling your neighbors with more—more ornaments, a bigger tree, more presents, more flashing lights, more moving figurines, more parties, more of everything.
Today’s celebrations are foreign to the first Christmas. That day there were no parties, lights, turkey dinners, brightly wrapped gifts or Christmas carols. The people who took part in the event may have had a song in their hearts, but they were not at all as we imagine them today.
For instance, our Christmas cards picture clean, gentle shepherds, but the genuine tenders of sheep were rough and unkept. Their bodies and clothes both needed a bath and they had little or no education. Shepherds were considered the lowest on the social scale.
Yet the shepherds were joyful. They returned from seeing the newborn Christ “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” They had the spirit of Christmas.
After Jesus was born, few recognized His significance. One who did, a devout Jew named Simeon, “took Jesus in his arms and praised God.” He had the spirit of Christmas.
Mary and Joseph seemed amazed at their baby. The Bible says they “marveled at what was said about him.” They had the spirit of Christmas too.
The “spirit of Christmas” as indicated by the story in God’s Word, is partly an incredible awe, an awe that fills the air and touches even those who have no idea where their joy comes from. It is the awe of response to a great message: God became a baby and entered our world as one of us. It is the awe of hearing angels saying this is “good news of great joy for all people.” It is an awe that touches those who haven’t even heard that good news because the spirit of Christmas fuels the joy and the music, and touches people with a warmth from outside themselves, a sweet delight from the heart of God.
Would it be the same without the birth of the child? One man complained about carols ruining his Christmas because “those religious people have to get into everything.” He and others like him fail to make the connection between the celebration and the reason for the season. They are like people who go to a baby shower, eat the food, laugh, enjoy themselves and pass around the gifts, but never bother themselves to admire and praise the baby.
They miss the point but they also miss that ancient and original spirit of Christmas. The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people.” That is, if we throw a Christmas party filled with the praises of our lips, the goodness He puts in our lives and the carols that honor His birth, then He is the guest of honor. For those at the party, the spirit of Christmas becomes a deeper and richer awareness of His presence.
What is the “spirit of Christmas”? After a survey, here are some opinions.
Some say it is family being together, eating and giving gifts. It is a pervading sense of good will. Even strangers go out of their way to say ‘Merry Christmas’ (at least they used to!)
Others call it an anticipation, like that of a child filled with wonder and excitement. Many claim it is a spirit of generosity, an open-heartedness that thinks benevolent thoughts and gives gifts. Others say it is remembering the reason for the season yet they do not define it.
Some respond by saying they put up a tree, put lights on their house, and play their Christmas CD’s to get into the spirit of Christmas. For them, you don’t have it until you unpack the decorations or play the music or open the gifts. Others counter by saying no, the Christmas spirit is in your heart, a warm, glowing feeling that you cannot buy in a store.
But many still think the spirit of Christmas is out dazzling your neighbors with more—more ornaments, a bigger tree, more presents, more flashing lights, more moving figurines, more parties, more of everything.
Today’s celebrations are foreign to the first Christmas. That day there were no parties, lights, turkey dinners, brightly wrapped gifts or Christmas carols. The people who took part in the event may have had a song in their hearts, but they were not at all as we imagine them today.
For instance, our Christmas cards picture clean, gentle shepherds, but the genuine tenders of sheep were rough and unkept. Their bodies and clothes both needed a bath and they had little or no education. Shepherds were considered the lowest on the social scale.
Yet the shepherds were joyful. They returned from seeing the newborn Christ “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” They had the spirit of Christmas.
After Jesus was born, few recognized His significance. One who did, a devout Jew named Simeon, “took Jesus in his arms and praised God.” He had the spirit of Christmas.
Mary and Joseph seemed amazed at their baby. The Bible says they “marveled at what was said about him.” They had the spirit of Christmas too.
The “spirit of Christmas” as indicated by the story in God’s Word, is partly an incredible awe, an awe that fills the air and touches even those who have no idea where their joy comes from. It is the awe of response to a great message: God became a baby and entered our world as one of us. It is the awe of hearing angels saying this is “good news of great joy for all people.” It is an awe that touches those who haven’t even heard that good news because the spirit of Christmas fuels the joy and the music, and touches people with a warmth from outside themselves, a sweet delight from the heart of God.
Would it be the same without the birth of the child? One man complained about carols ruining his Christmas because “those religious people have to get into everything.” He and others like him fail to make the connection between the celebration and the reason for the season. They are like people who go to a baby shower, eat the food, laugh, enjoy themselves and pass around the gifts, but never bother themselves to admire and praise the baby.
They miss the point but they also miss that ancient and original spirit of Christmas. The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people.” That is, if we throw a Christmas party filled with the praises of our lips, the goodness He puts in our lives and the carols that honor His birth, then He is the guest of honor. For those at the party, the spirit of Christmas becomes a deeper and richer awareness of His presence.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Never Alone ................ Parables 559
June 17, 1997
“I’m working alone today.”
“But you are never alone.”
“That’s right. I am by myself, but I am never alone!”
A friend and I say this many times to each other because loneliness is a universal experience. No one enjoys it but we all experience it. We reassure each other because we know that, even if there is not another human being for miles, we are still in the presence of the Lord.
Being with others has obvious benefits. For example, Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because . . . if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
Aside from being without friends or being in situations where we are all alone, a person does not have to be friendless or by themselves to feel lonely. Loneliness is such an odd condition; we can feel it in a large crowd or even with our family or closest friends near us and caring for us.
What causes this strange longing in our hearts? I’ve heard three similar explanations. One was from evangelist Billy Graham. He says that whenever we feel lonely in a crowd, we need to consider that as God’s way of beckoning us to come and spend time with Him. He says we feel lonely in a crowd because we all need and yearn for a deeper relationship with our Creator.
The second explanation came from a writer from England. He says we feel lonely because we are designed to live in a different world than the one we are in. He says we long for God and for heaven’s perfection. For that reason, there is really nothing that can fully satisfy us here on earth. We can enjoy a measure of contentment but it will never last. We call that sense of longing “loneliness” because we fail to recognize its deeper significance. It is a reflection that God has “placed eternity in our hearts.”
The third explanation is much the same. It is from a college professor who says we should never try to cure our loneliness because it is our longing for God and for our eternal home. We simply need to learn to live with it and with the reality that this world is not permanent or perfect.
These three slightly different views have much in common. They agree that loneliness has more to do with wanting to be near God than it does with wanting to be close to people. If that is the case, then it is vital to do what some Christians call “practicing the presence of God.”
In my experience, that sense of being in the Lord’s presence is sometimes very vivid. During those times, it is of little concern whether or not people are around to keep me company. Yet there are times when the sense of His presence is heightened when His people are together. In either case, it seems to depend on my own relationship with God and attitude toward Him.
At other times, that sense of His nearness has faded. He seems absent. During those occasions, I have to remind myself of His promises. God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Just because it seems to me that He is not with me, He is. I cannot rely on my feelings.
It is possible to practice His presence though. By that, I mean we can heighten our sense of God being with us. To do that effectively, we need to do what Jesus did. He often retreated from His hectic life-work, and from people, to talk with His Father. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Secondly, Jesus continually affirmed that God was with him. He said, “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me . . . The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone . . . .”
We need to remember that He has not left us alone either.
“I’m working alone today.”
“But you are never alone.”
“That’s right. I am by myself, but I am never alone!”
A friend and I say this many times to each other because loneliness is a universal experience. No one enjoys it but we all experience it. We reassure each other because we know that, even if there is not another human being for miles, we are still in the presence of the Lord.
Being with others has obvious benefits. For example, Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because . . . if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
Aside from being without friends or being in situations where we are all alone, a person does not have to be friendless or by themselves to feel lonely. Loneliness is such an odd condition; we can feel it in a large crowd or even with our family or closest friends near us and caring for us.
What causes this strange longing in our hearts? I’ve heard three similar explanations. One was from evangelist Billy Graham. He says that whenever we feel lonely in a crowd, we need to consider that as God’s way of beckoning us to come and spend time with Him. He says we feel lonely in a crowd because we all need and yearn for a deeper relationship with our Creator.
The second explanation came from a writer from England. He says we feel lonely because we are designed to live in a different world than the one we are in. He says we long for God and for heaven’s perfection. For that reason, there is really nothing that can fully satisfy us here on earth. We can enjoy a measure of contentment but it will never last. We call that sense of longing “loneliness” because we fail to recognize its deeper significance. It is a reflection that God has “placed eternity in our hearts.”
The third explanation is much the same. It is from a college professor who says we should never try to cure our loneliness because it is our longing for God and for our eternal home. We simply need to learn to live with it and with the reality that this world is not permanent or perfect.
These three slightly different views have much in common. They agree that loneliness has more to do with wanting to be near God than it does with wanting to be close to people. If that is the case, then it is vital to do what some Christians call “practicing the presence of God.”
In my experience, that sense of being in the Lord’s presence is sometimes very vivid. During those times, it is of little concern whether or not people are around to keep me company. Yet there are times when the sense of His presence is heightened when His people are together. In either case, it seems to depend on my own relationship with God and attitude toward Him.
At other times, that sense of His nearness has faded. He seems absent. During those occasions, I have to remind myself of His promises. God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Just because it seems to me that He is not with me, He is. I cannot rely on my feelings.
It is possible to practice His presence though. By that, I mean we can heighten our sense of God being with us. To do that effectively, we need to do what Jesus did. He often retreated from His hectic life-work, and from people, to talk with His Father. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Secondly, Jesus continually affirmed that God was with him. He said, “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me . . . The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone . . . .”
We need to remember that He has not left us alone either.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Security assured ................ Parables 338
October 6, 1992
“When I was a young boy, my dad gave me a silver dollar. He told me to keep it because if I did, I would never be broke.”
Smart dad. While the value of a dollar has diminished, the fact of having something in one’s pocket during tough times is comforting. There is a story about an orphanage where each child was given a crust of bread at night. None of them ate the crust though. Instead, it went under their pillow where it gave them a sense of security against hunger for the next day.
These small things illustrates how God’s present blessings are tokens of assurance for the future. His spiritual versions of “a silver dollar” ensure we will never be spiritual impoverished. His spiritual “crusts of bread” are deposits to give us assurance about a great coming feast we will share with Him someday in heaven.
While not every promise in the Bible is guaranteed in the life of every believer all the time, here are some universal “tokens” in the Christian experience.
PEACE WITH GOD: Jesus Christ secured our forgiveness to the extent that those who believe in Him for eternal life are “no longer condemned.” While this is a reality that is not visible, it is made real by faith since faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” This peace is a token of what one aspect of eternity will be like — a great and deep peace with our Creator and Judge.
PRESENCE OF GOD: God does not promise that life here will be always rosy and trouble-free, but He does promise to be with those who truth Christ. Even though we sometimes fail to sense His presence, our feelings do not change the reality. When we do sense Him near, we often yearn for the fullness of seeing Him someday face to face. This is a wonderful token of a future blessing.
INDWELLING OF HIS SPIRIT: The presence of God is related to the Third Person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit who lives within Christians. He enables us to “partake in His divine nature” so we have all that is needed to believe and obey Him. This is so important that the Bible says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
In Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is also called “the guarantee of our inheritance” until the redemption of our bodies. He has saved us and given us Himself as a “deposit” or down payment which is assurance that the full transaction will be made later on. In the meantime, we are able to enjoy the ministry of the Spirit as He teaches, comforts, assures, enables, and equips us to serve God.
ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD: Jesus, as the High Priest who intercedes for us, also opens our access to God. Sinful creatures cannot approach the Holy One but His blood covers our sin and we can “therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). While God has the wisdom and prerogative to deny our selfish and foolish requests, He still hears what we say and considers our needs. He knows whether we need money, more food, a new job, a friend, to get married, to stay single, or good weather. Every thing that we pray about is heard, evaluated, and answered according to His will and His wisdom — because He loves us and is attentive to us.
EVERLASTING LOVE: No one is able to consistently meet the love-needs of another person, no one except God. His love is unconditional and eternal. He has demonstrated it in sending Christ to die for us.
Paul exclaims, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” These are the tokens — imagine the yet-to-come heavenly inheritance!
“When I was a young boy, my dad gave me a silver dollar. He told me to keep it because if I did, I would never be broke.”
Smart dad. While the value of a dollar has diminished, the fact of having something in one’s pocket during tough times is comforting. There is a story about an orphanage where each child was given a crust of bread at night. None of them ate the crust though. Instead, it went under their pillow where it gave them a sense of security against hunger for the next day.
These small things illustrates how God’s present blessings are tokens of assurance for the future. His spiritual versions of “a silver dollar” ensure we will never be spiritual impoverished. His spiritual “crusts of bread” are deposits to give us assurance about a great coming feast we will share with Him someday in heaven.
While not every promise in the Bible is guaranteed in the life of every believer all the time, here are some universal “tokens” in the Christian experience.
PEACE WITH GOD: Jesus Christ secured our forgiveness to the extent that those who believe in Him for eternal life are “no longer condemned.” While this is a reality that is not visible, it is made real by faith since faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” This peace is a token of what one aspect of eternity will be like — a great and deep peace with our Creator and Judge.
PRESENCE OF GOD: God does not promise that life here will be always rosy and trouble-free, but He does promise to be with those who truth Christ. Even though we sometimes fail to sense His presence, our feelings do not change the reality. When we do sense Him near, we often yearn for the fullness of seeing Him someday face to face. This is a wonderful token of a future blessing.
INDWELLING OF HIS SPIRIT: The presence of God is related to the Third Person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit who lives within Christians. He enables us to “partake in His divine nature” so we have all that is needed to believe and obey Him. This is so important that the Bible says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
In Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is also called “the guarantee of our inheritance” until the redemption of our bodies. He has saved us and given us Himself as a “deposit” or down payment which is assurance that the full transaction will be made later on. In the meantime, we are able to enjoy the ministry of the Spirit as He teaches, comforts, assures, enables, and equips us to serve God.
ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD: Jesus, as the High Priest who intercedes for us, also opens our access to God. Sinful creatures cannot approach the Holy One but His blood covers our sin and we can “therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). While God has the wisdom and prerogative to deny our selfish and foolish requests, He still hears what we say and considers our needs. He knows whether we need money, more food, a new job, a friend, to get married, to stay single, or good weather. Every thing that we pray about is heard, evaluated, and answered according to His will and His wisdom — because He loves us and is attentive to us.
EVERLASTING LOVE: No one is able to consistently meet the love-needs of another person, no one except God. His love is unconditional and eternal. He has demonstrated it in sending Christ to die for us.
Paul exclaims, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” These are the tokens — imagine the yet-to-come heavenly inheritance!
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Entertaining Angels and the God who is Here ................ Parables 330
August 11, 1992
Remember the first time you tried backing up a trailer? Remember how it twists every direction but the way you want it to go? So no wonder my biggest fear during last month’s camping trip was parking our large tent trailer in a heavily-treed site that does not have a pull-through approach. My husband always does the engineering in our family. I had no experience with that rig and my confidence level was zilch.
But I was willing to try; my daughter and her two girls were depending on me. So we registered at the camping centre and found our site. I pulled past the narrow, tree-lined opening, put the van in reverse and turned the wheel in what I hoped was the right direction.
Suddenly a stranger appeared at my window. “Would you like me to do that for you?” Without hesitation, I jumped out and watched him park our holiday vehicle. We said thank you and he was gone. We giggled for hours about this “angel.”
The next day, Karen struggled with a small propane barbecue. Neither of us could get it burning. Suddenly another stranger appeared, “Would you like me to do that for you?” He lit it, then was gone. Just like the other man, he appeared out of nowhere and disappeared the same way. We never saw either of them again.
Later on we talked about these strangers who answered our prayers for a safe and enjoyable camping trip. Were they really angels? And we wondered if they also intervened in some unknown way so we did not encounter the bear and her cub that reportedly were in the campsite. Maybe they protected us from other hidden and unknown dangers as well.
Even if our speculations had no foundation, we are sure that the big thing I feared the most (parking that rig) and the little annoyance that Karen struggled with were neither too big or too small for the loving notice of our God. He cares, and whatever and however He managed it, two people were in the right place at the right time to help us. Thank you, Lord.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is God’s promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Even though there have been times when I have felt deserted and alone without a friend, or just plain lonely in a crowd, God has continually reminded me that He is with me. Sometimes He causes a subtle sense of His presence, sometimes a spectacular emotional awareness, but His promise does not include either. Nor does He say He will always supply handy helpers when we struggle or do not know how to carry on. He simply says He is there — what a comforting thought to grab hold of and believe.
Of course the Bible says God is everywhere, but if our concept of God is that He is our heavenly Father (with all its images of personality), it is difficult to understand how He can be everywhere. But if we think of God as an entity like wind or atmosphere, the idea of Him being personally with us has no meaning. This combination of an omnipresent God that personally walks beside us with great care and compassion boggles our minds. And that is the way it should be — God is far more than we can comprehend.
Yet in our inability to fully understand Him, He does make Himself known. Jesus promised to all those who believe in Him that we would experience the reality of God with us — He makes Him known. Furthermore, we often see Him in the lives of others who follow Him, in the joys and the trials of life, and certainly in the people who appear out of nowhere to help us.
Were they really angels? Maybe not. But God used them to make us aware that He cares for us — and aware that He is not limited by snaky trailers, women drivers, and two people who can’t find the right end to light on a gas barbecue!
Remember the first time you tried backing up a trailer? Remember how it twists every direction but the way you want it to go? So no wonder my biggest fear during last month’s camping trip was parking our large tent trailer in a heavily-treed site that does not have a pull-through approach. My husband always does the engineering in our family. I had no experience with that rig and my confidence level was zilch.
But I was willing to try; my daughter and her two girls were depending on me. So we registered at the camping centre and found our site. I pulled past the narrow, tree-lined opening, put the van in reverse and turned the wheel in what I hoped was the right direction.
Suddenly a stranger appeared at my window. “Would you like me to do that for you?” Without hesitation, I jumped out and watched him park our holiday vehicle. We said thank you and he was gone. We giggled for hours about this “angel.”
The next day, Karen struggled with a small propane barbecue. Neither of us could get it burning. Suddenly another stranger appeared, “Would you like me to do that for you?” He lit it, then was gone. Just like the other man, he appeared out of nowhere and disappeared the same way. We never saw either of them again.
Later on we talked about these strangers who answered our prayers for a safe and enjoyable camping trip. Were they really angels? And we wondered if they also intervened in some unknown way so we did not encounter the bear and her cub that reportedly were in the campsite. Maybe they protected us from other hidden and unknown dangers as well.
Even if our speculations had no foundation, we are sure that the big thing I feared the most (parking that rig) and the little annoyance that Karen struggled with were neither too big or too small for the loving notice of our God. He cares, and whatever and however He managed it, two people were in the right place at the right time to help us. Thank you, Lord.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is God’s promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Even though there have been times when I have felt deserted and alone without a friend, or just plain lonely in a crowd, God has continually reminded me that He is with me. Sometimes He causes a subtle sense of His presence, sometimes a spectacular emotional awareness, but His promise does not include either. Nor does He say He will always supply handy helpers when we struggle or do not know how to carry on. He simply says He is there — what a comforting thought to grab hold of and believe.
Of course the Bible says God is everywhere, but if our concept of God is that He is our heavenly Father (with all its images of personality), it is difficult to understand how He can be everywhere. But if we think of God as an entity like wind or atmosphere, the idea of Him being personally with us has no meaning. This combination of an omnipresent God that personally walks beside us with great care and compassion boggles our minds. And that is the way it should be — God is far more than we can comprehend.
Yet in our inability to fully understand Him, He does make Himself known. Jesus promised to all those who believe in Him that we would experience the reality of God with us — He makes Him known. Furthermore, we often see Him in the lives of others who follow Him, in the joys and the trials of life, and certainly in the people who appear out of nowhere to help us.
Were they really angels? Maybe not. But God used them to make us aware that He cares for us — and aware that He is not limited by snaky trailers, women drivers, and two people who can’t find the right end to light on a gas barbecue!
Monday, December 15, 2014
Just because I cannot see God . . . ................. Parables 209
(March 21, 1990)
At least fourteen cars didn’t make it. Some stopped. Others piled into them. Still others missed the space between the lines. That fog a couple of weekends ago was so unbelievably thick.
Even driving in town required a measure of faith. It looked as if there was nothing left to drive on; the streets all but disappeared. The white “soup” didn’t just cover them, it completely swallowed the pavement and buildings.
I felt the same way about God that Sunday morning. Tired from doing all the usual chores plus hospital visits, plus traveling 500 miles in two days, plus cleaning someone else’s house besides my own, there was no physical energy left for my Bible class. Not only that, God seemed far away. How could I teach about Him if He was not there?
However, on the way to church, I noticed only by going on would we know for sure if the next block still existed, if asphalt would still firmly rise up beneath our tires and if neighbors still lived alongside the boulevards. Each meter we traveled brought another meter into view, until finally we reached our destination. If we had relied only on the visible, surely we would have stayed home. Obviously, not everything we see is “real.” Fog can make streets “disappear” and create a false sense of reality. However, just because we can’t see two hundred yards in front of us didn’t mean there is nothing beyond.
That reminded me of Scripture that encourages Christians to “...walk by faith, not by sight.” We are to concentrate on eternal things that are invisible and let those govern our actions, rather than let temporary things confuse us, even though they are easier to see. (2 Cor.4:18).
That morning, my fatigue was making the reality of Christ in my life “disappear” and creating a tremendous sense of emptiness. But, as with the fog, God wanted me to go on in faith, not depend on sight or feelings but believe He is always with me -- because He said so, so I determined to move on in obedience. Yet even with God’s promise to be with me and my determination, walking into class was like walking into a fog. I still felt weak and inadequate.
The Lord met that need too. When the apostle Paul had some kind of infirmity that slowed him down, he asked God three times to remove it. God told Him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul said he had learned to glory in his weaknesses because when he was weak, the power of God rested on him, whether he felt like it or not. That verse (2 Corinthians 12:9) was repeated three times in our study material.
After the study time was over, I was still exhausted and didn’t “feel” much different physically, yet each of us recognized the Lord had brought our spirits through the “fog” and into the Son light. His strength is sufficient. Faith can depend on Him.
Not every day with God is foggy. Often the course ahead is clear and His strength, tired or not, is fully felt. But when our vision of Him socks in, that doesn’t mean He’s gone. His promises are just as reliable when we can’t see the end from the beginning, as they are when the sun is shining. We can safely put one foot ahead of the other, trusting He will be there, clearing the pathway ahead of us.
At least fourteen cars didn’t make it. Some stopped. Others piled into them. Still others missed the space between the lines. That fog a couple of weekends ago was so unbelievably thick.
Even driving in town required a measure of faith. It looked as if there was nothing left to drive on; the streets all but disappeared. The white “soup” didn’t just cover them, it completely swallowed the pavement and buildings.
I felt the same way about God that Sunday morning. Tired from doing all the usual chores plus hospital visits, plus traveling 500 miles in two days, plus cleaning someone else’s house besides my own, there was no physical energy left for my Bible class. Not only that, God seemed far away. How could I teach about Him if He was not there?
However, on the way to church, I noticed only by going on would we know for sure if the next block still existed, if asphalt would still firmly rise up beneath our tires and if neighbors still lived alongside the boulevards. Each meter we traveled brought another meter into view, until finally we reached our destination. If we had relied only on the visible, surely we would have stayed home. Obviously, not everything we see is “real.” Fog can make streets “disappear” and create a false sense of reality. However, just because we can’t see two hundred yards in front of us didn’t mean there is nothing beyond.
That reminded me of Scripture that encourages Christians to “...walk by faith, not by sight.” We are to concentrate on eternal things that are invisible and let those govern our actions, rather than let temporary things confuse us, even though they are easier to see. (2 Cor.4:18).
That morning, my fatigue was making the reality of Christ in my life “disappear” and creating a tremendous sense of emptiness. But, as with the fog, God wanted me to go on in faith, not depend on sight or feelings but believe He is always with me -- because He said so, so I determined to move on in obedience. Yet even with God’s promise to be with me and my determination, walking into class was like walking into a fog. I still felt weak and inadequate.
The Lord met that need too. When the apostle Paul had some kind of infirmity that slowed him down, he asked God three times to remove it. God told Him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul said he had learned to glory in his weaknesses because when he was weak, the power of God rested on him, whether he felt like it or not. That verse (2 Corinthians 12:9) was repeated three times in our study material.
After the study time was over, I was still exhausted and didn’t “feel” much different physically, yet each of us recognized the Lord had brought our spirits through the “fog” and into the Son light. His strength is sufficient. Faith can depend on Him.
Not every day with God is foggy. Often the course ahead is clear and His strength, tired or not, is fully felt. But when our vision of Him socks in, that doesn’t mean He’s gone. His promises are just as reliable when we can’t see the end from the beginning, as they are when the sun is shining. We can safely put one foot ahead of the other, trusting He will be there, clearing the pathway ahead of us.
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