Unaware

" 'I am with you and will watch over you

wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.

I will not leave you until I have done 

what I have promised you.'

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought,

'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.' "

Genesis 28:15-16

How many times is God with me and I'm not even aware of His presence?  When I'm worried about the future,  angry at my loved one, grieving over a loss, or brokenhearted at the thought of past sins. . . He is there with me.

After Jesus gave what we call "The Great Commission" as recorded in Matthew 28, he ended with the declaration that, ". . . surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  (v 20)

God is with me, even when I don't realize it, but if I don't acknowledge Him in all my ways, I will not recognize His presence.

In His Word

There are many people who read the Bible as a book of wisdom and guidance.  It is chock-full of good advice and helpful hints on how to live a good life.  But the Bible is so much more than a self-help book or a manual of guidance!

The Bible is God's Word.  Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  

God is present in His Word!  Once I accept Jesus as my Savior, His Spirit dwells within me.  As I read God's Word, His indwelling Spirit teaches, rebukes, corrects and trains in righteousness.   

It is important to be steeped in the Truth that is found in God's Word so that I will recognize the lies that our culture constantly puts forth.  As poet Ralph Waldo Emerson penned, "Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies."  I am so easily deceived and led astray!

If I will take the time to study God's Word, His Spirit will painfully point out the deceptive beliefs I have taken in as gospel and will convict me to purge my thoughts of those deceiving teachings.  

In order to recognize God's presence in His Word, I must take the time to study it as His living Word, giving Him access to my spirit so He can use it to sever ungodly thoughts and attitudes.

Directing My Footsteps  

I remember an old proverb that goes, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail."  While it is good for me to think about my future and plan wisely, I must realize that God is the one in control.  As Proverbs 16:9 reminds me, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps." (NLT)

I am easily frustrated when things don't go my way because I forget this truth.  Like when my car won't start, causing me to be late for an appointment.  As I fume in aggravation, God is patiently protecting me from an accident I would have encountered if I had left on my schedule. 

Or when my pregnancy is not going as planned, keeping me on bed rest instead of giving me a chance to continue working as I had intended.  While I sit like a giant incubator, God is teaching me lessons about trusting Him that I could not have learned any other way.

Or when I wanted to eat my favorite dish for lunch, but it didn't work out like I had planned.  As I pout in disappointment, God is working to shield me from food poisoning.  

Plans are good, but trusting God is better.  He is the One that knows the directions for my life so if I follow Him, I won't get lost!

Patiently Waiting

God does not force His way into my life.  Instead, He waits to be invited.  Revelation 3:20 quotes Jesus as saying, "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with Him, and He with me." 

The picture is of Jesus standing on the threshold of my everyday life, waiting to be invited in among the ordinary things.  He wants to be part of my meals, my conversations, my work, my home, my vacations, my thoughts.  But He won't enter in unless asked.

God is not just a God of the big stuff; weddings, graduations, deaths, births, crises.  He is also a God of the little things: scraped knees, hurt feelings, lost kitties, loneliness, dead batteries.  God cares about me and He wants to be a part of every piece of my life!

God loves me and is with me in so many ways, but I don't even realize it.  In order to become more conscious of His loving presence, I must make an intentional effort to acknowledge Him.  He is present in the reading of His Word, in the direction of my footsteps, and as He waits patiently to be invited into the everyday parts of my life.

Fifteenth Century Catholic theologian Teresa of Avila recorded her thoughts about the concept of God's presence in our lives.  She wrote, "The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too."  

Yes, He's there . . . even when I'm unaware.  

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will learn to open my life freely to the God who loves me.

How do I unknowingly block God from certain parts of my life?

How do I knowingly block God from certain parts of my life?