Experiencing God's Presence #171

Experiencing God's Presence #171

In him we live and move and exist.

Acts 17:28

We don’t really notice air. It’s the environment we live in. It’s always all around us, and we can feel it when it moves as a swift breeze. If we were suddenly deprived of it, we would certainly notice its absence. But other than that, we give it little attention. If we want to be conscious of it, we have to intentionally choose to think about it.

God is like that. He’s always around us, and we can often detect Him when He moves. And if we were suddenly deprived of Him . . . well, we would certainly notice His absence. But we often have to choose to be aware of Him.

Many passages of Scripture suggest that God is nearer to us at some times than at others—that He’s near to the brokenhearted or the humble, for example, or that He will draw near to us if we draw near to Him. But verses like Acts 17:28 remind us that He is always near, as pervasive as the air we breathe. Though much of our experience of His Presence depends on His drawing near, much of it depends on our increasing our awareness of Him. We need to become noticers who, like Brother Lawrence long ago, “practice the Presence of God.”

In our quest for a deeper sense of God’s Presence, we need to remember that much of what we seek is already all around us. We live and move and exist in God. He is present in every atom of creation, and if we’re observant, we can see not only His past handiwork as Creator but His current activity as Lord, Guide, Shield, Provider, Comforter, and Healer. Even when it seems like He is far away, He never is. Whether we sense His Presence or not, He is near.

Lord, I know You’re sitting next to me right now. You’re watching me, protecting me, even sharing Your heart with me. Help me become a noticer of Your Presence and acknowledge You in every situation.