Recognizing the Presence of God

My family and I have rarely been on a vacation.  My kids don’t know what the word means.  Yes, we’ve spent weekends away from home, usually as a guest speaker at a church, or visiting a preacher friend, etc.  We have only once (that I can recall) left home on what I would consider a vacation.  It was a week with my in-laws in Florida around Christmas and a half day stop to see Downtown Disney.  But one of the most memorable times that I have had was a RARE weekend when my wife and I were able to slip away without the kids.  We drove a few hours to the mountains of NC and went gem mining together.  We found amethyst, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and all sorts of gems.  We were wet.  We were dirty.  But we had fun together.  It was a great time – not because of the activities or the excitement of finding “the mother load.”  It was a great time because of the company that we shared.  I could have had the very same weekend minus one person, my wife, and that weekend would have paled in comparison.

The same is true in the life of faith.  We are on a journey, a great pilgrimage.  The pilgrimage is not great due to its destination.  The pilgrimage is not great because of the “adventures” that lie along the way.  The pilgrimage is great because of the Company we keep.  But many times along this pilgrimage we call life, the adventures or misadventures tend to cloud our vision and we fail to recognize the presence of God in our lives.

In Genesis 42:36, Jacob, like many of us,  failed to recognize the presence of God in his life.

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me

Sometimes the misadventures of life overwhelm us and we cry as Jacob – “ALL these things are against me.”  In times like these, be swift to look for the presence of God, to discern His Spirit in the matter.  Such discernment only comes from practice.

Later in Jacobs life, when he blesses the sons of Joseph (as mentioned in Hebrews 11:21), he reflects

And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. – Genesis 48:14-16

Note, “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil.”  It was no longer “All these things are against me,” but rather he recognized the presence of God in his life and says “The Angel which redeemed me.”  Jacob could look back in reflection and see the presence of God.  With these reflections of the past, he had learned to recognize God’s presence in the present.  He was able to discern the presence of God in the matter of blessing his grandchildren.

When we fail to have faith in God, it is because we fail to see the presence of God. Therefore, we must be diligent in to view the presence of God in our lives.  Often times we must learn by reflecting on the past, seeing how God has worked in order to be sensitive to how He is working.  Then, take the time to practice the presence of God in the little things of life – finding that close parking spot when it’s pouring down rain, finding that special birthday gift that everyone seems to be sold out of, avoiding that accident that happened 5 minutes earlier because the lady in front of you at the grocery store took “forever” paying the cashier with her pennies – and praise Him when you see Him.

Reflect and praise Him for what He has done.  Look for His presence in the little things. Read His Word which tells us how He works and praise Him we see Him working accordingly.  Spend time talking with Him.  And as you begin to see His presence in the little things and to trust Him with the little things, the “big” things won’t seem so “big.”   You’ll find His presence in the “big” things as well. Your trust and faith in Him will grow and you will be able to trust Him with greater and greater things.

It’s true, the journey is only as great as the company you keep.  Do you recognize the greatness of the Company you keep?

Practice His presence.