THE GOD WHO IS THERE

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalms‬ ‭139:7-10‬)

We try to be everywhere through technology.  When I first came to Pole Creek Baptist Church, almost a quarter of a century ago, I had a pager.  If the church office needed to reach me, they dialed my pager, and I knew to find a phone to call in.  That seems such an antiquated method. Now I can connect worldwide with a click.  Most everywhere I go, I can be reached on my cellphone or call someone by taking it out of my pocket and hitting a button. I don’t even have to do that. My iPhone can be in the cup holder of my car and I say, “Siri, call so and so...” and almost instantly I am connected with someone as I drive down the road.

This Sunday afternoon, I plan for our mission team to Albania to talk with the Wagners—our missionaries there—about our upcoming trip. We will see and speak with someone halfway around the world on the FaceTime app. Then, there is Zoom, and other apps, that allow for meetings of people not even in the same room. It has been said that, “We project a presence everywhere but aren’t present anywhere!”

That is never true of God!  He is ever present. He is always there.  If you are a lost lamb, God comes seeking you!  You are never too far for Him to reach you. If you are a hurting child, He comes to you.  A sparrow, hit by a semi-truck, flutters to the ground, and as it weakly takes in its last breaths, the Creator comes and comforts it. Jesus said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke‬ ‭12:6-7‬). As the old Gospel song affirms, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

He is the God who is there!