Tag: 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

Presence and Purpose -Always with God

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How are you about seeing things through to the very end? In today’s promise God promises He will always see us to the end and be with us. He has a mission and purpose for us to fulfill as we walk with Him towards the end.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Promise: God promises to be always with us until the very end as we go about His work.

Have you ever started a project and then lost heart or got side tracked or laid aside your goal for what you thought was a better one? All those actions and feelings are products of our sinful nature and provided by Satan. He wants us defeated, unfinished, losing heart and getting sidetracked. All those are not from God as He promises success if we walk with Him. We can trust HIm to do as He says and keep His promises. Does it give you hope and encouragement that God is always with you and has important work for you to do in telling others about Jesus? He gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit to help us accomplish His tasks and assurance of His presence with us 24/7. For me, knowing God is always with me allows me to meet each day with optimism and look for God given opportunities to speak about Him with others. Maybe it will a full conversation or maybe a simple smile or hello, but showing God’s love to others by reflecting the character of Jesus is our work and purpose.

What we can know from these verses: God commands us to tell others about Jesus, God empowers us to witness for Him through His Holy Spirit, God is with me 24/7, God’s plans are eternal, God will see us through life, God desires that I teach and tell others, our time for telling others is limited and will end.

Lenten Reflections: Are you looking for opportunities in your day to reflect Jesus? Who could you teach about Jesus?

Feel God’s presence today and be encouraged. He has work for you, a purpose for your life. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have purpose and His presence assuring and encouraging me to speak to others about Him.

Linda

Related Verses: Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 66:16, Psalm 139:7-10, Romans 8:16, 2 Timothy 2:2.

Joseph’s Example

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In today’s portion of the Christmas story we transition to Joseph. As we see in this passage, he was an upright Jew who followed the law. He shows compassion and caring for Mary as he does not want her disgraced and plans to divorce her quietly. Their betrothals were more binding than our ‘engagements’ as to end them they actually had to seek a divorce.

Matthew 1:18-25 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus”.

From this passage we can tell that Joseph is open to listening to the angel and takes what he says as truth. He does not question the angel as to how this could even be possible, but accepts the circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy as fact and acts in faith by taking Mary home to be his wife. He did not object to the possible ridicule they would face or the difficult times ahead for them both but trusted the Lord to see them through as he knew it was God’s plan. I admire Joseph’s faith and trust in God and his compassion and love for Mary.

From this passage we can also tell things about God. God knew Joseph’s inner most thoughts. He did not have to hear them aloud as the angel came and addressed Joseph’s concerns and future plans as He had prior knowledge of his thoughts. God is Omniscient and knows all that happens and will happen in our world. God knows our inner most thoughts and there is nothing we can hide from Him. God had a plan to save all mankind through His Son Jesus and used a miraculous plan that only God could conceive and execute. God is Sovereign over all actions in our world and can make things happen that defy our natural world though his Omnipotent power. By using the Holy Spirit to indwell Mary so that she would conceive a child showed God’s ability to be present within us, His Omnipresence.

Which of these attributes of God is most meaningful to you today? Do you forget that God is Omniscient and try to ‘get away’ with sin? Do you rationalize it by thinking it is a little sin and God won’t care? What about His Sovereignty and Omnipotent power? Do you trust God to be in control of all things in your life? Do you pray like you believe that He is and can do all things? Forgetting or ignoring the fact that God is Omnipresent denies the truth that He is with us always. Jesus’ parting words in Matthew 28:19-20 say otherwise, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus promises to be with us, Omnipresent with each believer always. Do you live life like Jesus is right there with you in the problems and in the celebrations?

There is much to ponder in this portion of the Christmas story that can lead us to greater faith and trust in Almighty God. Will you follow in Joseph’s path and walk with humility, faith and trust in God today? Will you trust God to walk before you and with you to face the problems and challenges each day brings? Use your faith and see the miracles only God can do in your life!

Linda

I AM ….the LORD

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YHWHMultiple times in scripture God refers to himself as LORD.  When the name Lord is written all in capital letters, it refers to the name ‘Yahweh’,  YHWH which was so revered that it did not even say it aloud or write it completely as they left out the vowels.  Another translation of this is Jehovah.  In Exodus 3:14-15, Moses is called by God to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh and lead the people.  Moses voices several concerns to God and asks, What do I say when the people ask who sent me?  “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”  God refers to himself as I AM and also The LORD.   God repeated His name in Exodus 6:2-3 “God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.”    The people did not have the full revelation of God yet and did not fully know Him.  The full revelation of God came with Jesus Christ.

David often refers to God as LORD in the Psalms.  Psalm 91 has several verses that point out the complete trustworthiness of the LORD and how He loves and cares for those who love Him.  Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.                               
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”                                                  God is my refuge.

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;                         God is my protector.
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,                          God’s presence dispels fear.
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you        God cares for me.
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;      God desires our love.
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;              God is omnipresent.
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”                       God has salvation plans for me.


psalm 91Today meditate on the completeness of your LORD and how HE reaches down and touches you.

Linda

 

I AM… the Alpha and the Omega

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Revelation 1 8Jesus used this phrase to identify himself three times in the New Testament book of Revelation.  As John opens his revelation about Jesus Christ,  Jesus appears returning in the clouds and says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8  Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and would signify the beginning of all things and the end of all things.  The designation of ‘who is and who was and who is to come’ tells us Jesus was with God in the beginning of creation and will be with us in the future.  He is the Almighty God.  He is all knowing (omniscient), ever present (omnipresent) and all powerful (omnipotent).  Only God is all these and He began all creation and will be there at the end.

revelation 21 6At then end of Revelation, these words appear again in John’s vision.  After the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:6 “He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.”    Jesus, himself, will see to the creation of heaven and the new city of Jerusalem.  In that city the water of life will be given freely to all who dwell there.   What a glorious promise for us about our future home.

revelation 22 13Lastly, Jesus reveals to John that He will be returning soon in Revelation 22:12-13 ““Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”   Here Jesus specifically says He was there at the  the of beginning of creation and He will be there at the end of times.

What a powerful God we serve that from the beginning of time and creation to the end He will be unchanging and faithful.  Hebrews 13:8 tell us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”   He created all things and will see them through to the end of all time. He is unchanging in His character and purposes so we can rely upon Hebrews 10 23Him.   I love Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”  We can cling to the promises in God’s Word that He is unchanging and faithful.  He will see to us in the future just as He has done in the past.  Praise God!

Linda