Month: December 2021

Everywhere Incognito

Scripture

I love this quote by C.S. Lewis: “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.”

God is everywhere. This is one of His attributes. He is omnipresent. Although you can’t find the word “omnipresent” in the Bible, you can find how God’s Word conveys His “everywhereness.”

Jeremiah 23:23-24 (ESV) says, “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” Psalm 139:8 says, “If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!”

What does this mean to me? Especially as a God-worshipper? With God’s power being everywhere at one time, I realize that the power of God’s supreme enemy surely cannot be everywhere at one time. I take comfort in the limitations God has placed on the power and the presence of Satan. In James 4:7 we are told, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” My resistance ensures that God’s enemy will be away from me. Not present with me. Not capable of “everywhereness.” Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of my presence.

But, not God. When Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven after His resurrection, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to believers. Believers were sealed in this promise and this reality. There is nowhere we can be without His presence. Admittedly, we may ignore His presence or suppress His presence, but He is nevertheless near us because of His “everywhereness.” It is a promise and a seal.

The experience of God’s enduring presence extends to the eternal soul that lives on following bodily death. We may wonder about the mystery of this, but God’s Word gives us pointers. In Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, he indicates that our souls will not sleep even after death (sleep) of the body. We will celebrate the continuing condition of being “with” Him. Luke 23:43 says “today you will be [with] Me in paradise;” 2 Corinthians 5:8 says “away from the body… at home [with] the Lord;” and Philippians 1:21-23 says “to live is Christ, to die is gain… and be [with] Christ.”

By faith, we know that God is everywhere as His Word surely indicates. And, there are great comforts found in God’s “everywhereness.” Here are a few that I’ll end with. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “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.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him…” Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.’ “

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God.” He keeps watch. He goes with us. He does not leave us. He gives strong support. He dwells with us. He is everywhere. He is the God Who is at hand. Omnipresent.

Many Are The Wonders

Scripture

When I look out of my front window of 35 years, at my favorite time of the year (around Thanksgiving), when color is still on the trees, I think of Psalm 40:5 – “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders You have done, the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare.”

All in God’s plan. This piece of property, hidden in the depths of a wooded community. The manner in which this location for our family was revealed to my husband many years ago. The way our family became completed in this spot. The refuge it has been while keeping us near to work and school and church commitments.

Many are the wonders! Quirky flamingo ornamentations. Prolific wildlife of the good, bad, and ugly variations. Plenty of shade and privacy. Even a creek view in the winter. And yes, technically it is a swamp somehow survived by past generations I guess without bug repellent, chain saws, and severe allergies (but how? is the question). Still, it is our peaceful place, swamp or not. Home.

Nothing can compare to God’s grace in this homeplace. There are too many stories to tell which would declare God’s mercy here. Three children and six grandchildren later, we marvel at our heritage of faith and unconcealed love for God, but acknowledge that His work is never finished, even after 35 years.

As older means wiser, we more often count our blessings, knowing it started with a Savior born in a stable and a Lord Who would wrestle us all down and teach us humility, a thing He had planned for us in this wonderful place. Many, Lord my God, are the wonder You have done…

Later in Psalm 40, verse 10 says, “I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and Your saving help. I do not conceal Your love and Your faithfulness from the great assembly.” Not unexpectedly, our faith has been challenged, tested and measured in 35 years. We are a household of admitted control freaks, authority haters, easily given to stress and perfectionism, short on patience, and big on independence. But God has been faithful to take His gracious sandpaper and file us down. Of course, there are scars… His work continues…

Still, when I look out of my front window of 35 years, the sunrise of God’s love and faithfulness, new every morning, is blinding and pure. And, of course the beauty of this place is a physical wonder because the chief landscaper is meticulous (and it is not me). However, the spiritual wonder is like the Christmas tree lights! They sparkle, they cast away the darkness, and they whisper miracles. Many are the wonders!

I am grateful that Christmas becomes the pathway to Easter in my heart, now and forever. It starts with a Savior born in a stable and ends with the Lord Himself Who gave us the gift of faith and life, and even specifically placed us in this certain location, in this certain home, with these certain family members, for such a time as this. Many are the wonders!