Blog

by Charlie Wolcott

Jehovah Shammah: The Lord is present

When I wrote about the attributes of God, one of the ones I addressed is omnipresence. God is everywhere, at all places, and all at once. He is not limited nor can be defined by a physical location. He is right with me as I type this post and is at the same time right with you as you read this post, even though weeks are separating these moments. That should both comfort us and scare us.

Many of us live our lives as though God is not around us. We say things we should not say, think things that are not wholesome, and participate in activities that do not edify, and for some reason we think that God doesn’t know about it. Many of us know intellectually that God is with us, but I would suggest few of us live like it. Many speakers and preachers have asked: “If you knew the President was going to be in your house in ten minutes, what would you do differently?” Many of us would clean up quickly and prepare our best clothes and appearance. Yet God is always with us, seeing us in our glamour and in our anything but.

Many people don’t like the idea of God being around everywhere because then they can’t do what they want to do and get away with it. The real reason many of us do not sin so horrifically that Hitler would look angelic is because God is right there with us, actually protecting us. I have recognized to some degree what the grace of God has protected me from, but I don’t always thank Him enough for it.

But I don’t want this post to be a judgment post on God always being there when we sin. God is also always there to get us out of trouble and to save us. The child in trouble on the streets with no help in sight is always relieved to see dad show up, even if it means he is about to get a whopping. God is our very present help in time of need. He is there to rescue us if we call for it. But God’s presence means much more than that.

Jesus told his disciples at the Great Commission, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This promise is in conjunction with “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” God is ever-present with us as we go about to fulfill our commission. He guides and directs us at our different turns. Sometimes He’ll let us wander off a little bit, but He’s always there to make the corrections when we are ready to listen. Before we make that wrong choice, though, He is there to warn us and caution us against making that choice.

But it is much more than that. God goes before us, coves our flanks, and follows behind us. He is our shield and strength. He protects us, never allowing us to be tempted beyond what we could bear, yet always providing a means of escape from it. He never promises to not give us more than we can bear in general; He promised no temptation would be too strong for us without an escape being offered. Sometimes that escape means to lay down your life or your job or your friends. We have to be ready to know how to answer at those moments before we get there, because if we don’t, we’ll cave. But God is with us. He is present with us. God did not protect Stephen from being stoned, yet He was with him the whole time. Stephen looked up and got a standing ovation from God for being the first born again Christian to die at the hands of those who hate God.

God is present. While God allowed Stephen to be stoned, that was because it was Stephen’s time. When it is not our time, and we are obedient to the will of God, we will be invincible. Look at Paul. He was stoned twice, brutally whipped 5 times, shipwrecked, left in the cold, left hungry, imprisoned multiple times, and even bitten by a viper. In all that, he could not be fazed because he still had a job to do. Paul never even flinched when the lethal viper bit him.

God did not change His character when the New Testament was completed. He protected His saints throughout their ministry lives until He needed to them to take a hit. He still does today. Just read Christian biographies. I’ve got quite a collection and I keep seeing story after story after story of God coming through and being with those who love and serve Him. If we don’t see that today, is it because God left us, or because we don’t believe He is actually with us and will protect us?

The Lord is present. Why should we fear? What’s the worst that can happen to us? Loss of jobs? We’ll lose those in a few short years anyway due to moving, quitting, or retiring anyway. Loss of friends? If they leave us for following God, can we really say they were our friends to begin with? Loss of family? While the pressure is real, they too will die at some point as well as you. Your own life? What’s ultimately the difference between dying now when your life is being asked for in standing for Christ and dying 20, 30, or 50 years from now knowing you renounced the name of Christ? The difference is how you stand before God on Judgment Day. The Lord is present. If He needs you to lose something, it’s not to steal your joy. It’s actually to replace it with something far better: Himself.

Jehovah Shammah: the Lord is present. He is there when we sin; He is there when we follow Him. Let us continually run to Him and let Him be everything we need and beyond.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.