My reawakening occurred slightly before the dawning of spring. Many things in my spiritual walk have converged within the past month and served as a powerful reminder of the role God plays in our daily life. First, my devotions and Bible study class have centered around being aware of God in everything we do. Rick Warren’s devotional, We Know God’s Truth through Creation was particularly helpful. Please take a moment to read it and then click back to this blog entry. Wasn’t this devotional awesome? Have you really stopped to consider the 60,000 varieties of beetles designed by God or many of the other points mentioned by Rick?
In this particular devotion, Rick Warren uses the following scripture to underscore how God’s presence is everywhere.
But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! Romans 1:19
What a simplistic truth. However, how often do we really stop and do this?
We know of individuals mentioned in the Bible who struggled with this important truth. Job readily comes to mind, so let’s take a moment to consider Job’s plight. Unfortunately, as we may remember, Job was very unhappy with his life and endured much hardship before developing a fully connected relationship with God. Job was unable to sense, feel and understand God’s presence and suffered miserably because of his inability to do so. In Job, Chapters 37 - 39, Biblegateway.com. God directly speaks to Job, in an attempt to to put Job’s life into proper perspective and proportion. We, too, can benefit from reviewing the material found throughout Job. In particular, the poetic and powerful retort by God, in the selected chapters mentioned, reminds us of our place with God.
About one month ago, in my Bible study class, Dr. Bill Creasy, from Logos, preesnted the book of Job. I sat in awe, as he expounded on what appears in these two chapters. I suddenly found myself musing on God’s omnipotence and presence in everything around us. As you reread the passages in Chapters 38 and 39, you, too, will be reminded of God’s power and enormity.
Two weeks ago, I was at Borders Bookstore and purchased The Sacrament of the Present Moment authored by Jean-Pierre De Caussade. The book was initially written in French and later translated into English. Father Caussade, an obscure priest who lived in the 18th century, wrote the book for the Visitation nuns of Nancy, France, in an attempt to assist them with their unique spiritual journey.
The premise of this book is to help the nuns understand the necessity of surrendering to God’s love so that they will become obedient to His will. Although I am a lay Christian, I gleaned invaluable information from the book, and I will refer to it periodically. It will serve as a perfect tool to help me keep focused on my relationship with God.
We understand that God has designed each of us for a specific purpose. Unfortunately, sometimes we fail to allow Jesus to work through us to accomplish His will. We rebel with the foolish notion that we are in complete control of every situation that life presents to us. When we attempt to divert from the path that He has chosen for us, we feel spiritually disconnected and vapid. This struggle continues throughout our lives and greatly interferes with the progress that we were designed to make.
Jesus wants us to know that He is always with us. Even in times of great sorrow and stress, He is there. We are never alone, for he never abandons us. In fact, as we mature spiritually, we are able to see God in the moments of our daily life. We may not always be able to understand the timing of certain events nor the outcome, but we can trust that God is in control and that His determination of the outcome of everything in our lives will be perfect.
About two weeks ago, a Christian friend of mine informed me that her oldest daughter was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. During our initial telephone conversation, she asked for prayer and promised to provide me with updates. Two days ago, we spoke again, and the slight trepidation that was apparent during our initial conversation had all but disappeared. Instead, I was greeted with a robust, upbeat voice that was brimming with hope.
She enthusiastically informed me that her daughter had received her first round of chemotherapy and was doing quite well. in fact, she was able to attend a Bible study class during the same week. My friend’s other daughter had composed a well written, awe inspiring account of how friends were rallying around and offering support to her sister. In the letter, she remarked of many blessings, including the superb treatment given by the medical team, exquisite timing of certain events and her sister's positive, almost bubbling enthusiasm in spite of having to traverse this difficult path. The letter was written by a Christian, read aloud by another Christian to yet a third fellow Christian. I could immediately see Christ’s footprints in the life of this Christian indelibly written throughout the letter. Because I have been concentrating on seeing God's presence everywhere, I could truly appreciate the full impact of Christ’s blessings in this situation.
Throughout the Season of Lent, we are continually called to examine our relationship with God, and consider what changes need to be made. On Ash Wednesday, I went to an especially meaningful Presbyterian Ash Wednesday service. First, the minister carefully outlined a cross on my forward with ashes. Then, he gently reminded me of how I came from dust and would have returned to dust, but because of Christ’s sacrifice, I will have eternal life with Him. Since that evening, I found myself beginning to reflect again on Christ’s last days and my desire to immensely please my Savior.
I have a long road ahead of me, as I continually fall short in my walk with Jesus. I am thankful for the Season of Lent and the opportunity to see ways in which I can do more and ways in which I need to sacrifice. Most importantly, I am thankful for the lessons presented to me throughout this month which will help me see God’s blessings and presence in my life, moment by moment.
Discovering God's Preseence
Peruse through the following Bible lesson planning material found at the links below to discover some exciting
material that can adapted for school and home classrooms..
Sunday School lessons for Preschool - In the Beginning
Spring Activities and Resources - Elementary
Lent Sunday School Resources - Elementary
Ash Wednesday and Lent Sunday School Lessons - Elementary
Great Ideas for Children’s Ministry PreK - Elementary
Job Bible Study Commentary - Teens
God is in Control
Logos - Ash Wednesday and Lent - Teens & Adults
Job, a Servant of God - Elementary
Biblos Cross References and Parallel Translations Upper Elementary and Teen
Job’s Argument Study Questions - Teens
