Tag: God is omnipresent

Where is God? Look around…

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I love the portion of the story we read today as it shows the Omnipresence of God throughout the world. The visiting magi- priests, scribes, experts from Persia, knew of the birth of a king. They were probably familiar with the Old Testament, as God had the Jews exiled to Babylon hundreds of years before and when they returned not all of the Jews returned to Jerusalem. Wisemen like Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah had a profound impact on their culture. Now wise men arrive in Jerusalem after about an 800 mile journey from Babylon which would have taken months.

Matthew 2:1-8 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

These wise men undoubtedly knew of King Herod’s reputation and knew he could be very cruel and brutal. I am sure they were cautious after King Herod told them in secret to find out where the child was so he could worship him too. God was present in this entire journey and each interaction. Being Omnipresent God is present everywhere. There is no where one can go either physically or spiritually that God cannot be. God is with his children no matter where they are. Thankfully, Satan can only be in one place at a time but God is present everywhere at all times. God was with the wise men as they searched for the star and the truths behind it. He was with them on the journey and brought them to the right place at the right time. God was with them in spirit too as he gave them discernment so they were not deceived by Herod.

When I consider God’s omnipresence, I am comforted. One of my favorite verses in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” We are assured that God is with us continually. Hagar met God in the wilderness after she had run away. Genesis 16:14 “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” God sees us wherever we are and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. David was aware of God’s presence and acknowledged his omnipresence in his life. Psalm 139: 3 “You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” Verses 7-10 “Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.” I love David’s conclusion- God will hold me fast as He knows where I am and what I need.

Do you trust the omnipresence of God in your life? Do you think there are times God has forgotten you or is not aware of your circumstances? If so, reread Psalm 139 and catch the fervor of David’s conviction that God is with us and aware of us at all times. Claim Deuteronomy 31:6 over your life and stand on its truth.

Linda

The Blessedness of Waiting

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There are many Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah. One that leads directly into our story is that of John the Baptist. He was born just prior to Jesus to the aged parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth. His coming was foretold in Isaiah 40:3-4. His was to be a voice proclaiming the Messiah to come.

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain. The poetic words of Isaiah tell of one that will be proclaiming and preparing the Israelites that were willing and ready to listen for the coming of Jesus.

John’s lineage was from the line of Aaron as his father was a priest. The story of John’s conception and birth was a miracle to this older couple. Luke 1:5-7 gives the beginning of their history.

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

These 2 servants of God did everything right. They followed God with their hearts and souls and they were observant doing what God commanded in their daily lives. In those days, being childless or barren was considered a curse from God. They might have felt that they were not doing as God desired for their lives, were sinning or perhaps they felt their ancestors had sinned. I’m sure they felt forgotten by God. However, it did not dampen their ardor or love for God. God knew their true hearts and their devotion to Him. Scripture sets the story straight that they had not sinned against God and were being punished by not having children but it was His timing for them to have a child in their old age. This sets them apart from others and makes the appearance of John, God’s messenger, all the more marvelous.

How often have you felt God is forgetting about you and your needs? Have you prayed fervently for your hearts desire and yet God seems not to hear. Perhaps, in your case as in that of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the timing is not yet right. God has a plan and His timing for events is always perfect. We do not see all the circumstances that surround our requests. We do not know all the people and things that are involved. Elizabeth and Zechariah prayed for a child and left the timing and the happening to God. They were blessed either way.

Take heart from the story of this godly couple and present your requests to God and then continue serving with all your heart and soul. God sees and God knows and God listens. Today’s truth about God’s is that His timing and ways are not our own and that requires us to TRUST Him with the details. God declared in Isaiah 55:8-9. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.“

As the story unfolds we will see the great blessing that came to Zechariah and Elizabeth because of their willingness to wait upon the Lord.

Linda