God is There

Here's a little something I wrote while I was managing a Christian bookstore. Enjoy!

I like to think of myself as some kind of writer, a scholar or academic of sorts, yet I never seem to have the words to say what is really in my heart. Of course, God is in my heart, and that is enough. Even if words fail me and my ability to explain clearly the thoughts and intents of my heart disappears, nonetheless Christ remains faithful and stalwart. Will God fail? More likely the sun will cease to shine, the stars will blink out, the universe will cave in, and the earth will stop rotating on its axis! Will God be there? How silly we can be! How can God not be there? For God not to be there amounts to nothing short of hell! That is the only place where God is not. Oh, we try to exclude him, to push him out of our lives as though we somehow have power or authority over the one who holds the cosmos in the palm of his hand!

Sure, we try to rid ourselves of God, but it never works. He is there, still loving us, still caring, still taking care of us, still pouring grace into our graceless lives. Oh, we may not acknowledge him, we may not “notice” the subtle coincidences as the hand of God, but they are there. Everyday, in hundreds of ways, God is watching out for us. Amazing thought, huh? The Psalmist said that “such knowledge is to wonderful for me,” and I think he was right.

Consider this—God was in that little hole with Saddam Hussein, loving him, trying to get him on the right track. That same merciful God is with you, in whatever rabbit hole you find yourself, he is there to comfort, to help, and most importantly, to love on you like nobody’s business. Do you think God doesn’t care? Look around you. Do the trees worry about their next drink of water? Do the flowers worry about the sun? Do the birds worry about food? God doesn’t care? How utterly foolish we can be! If God didn’t care, none of life would be good, none of this would matter, none of us would be alive.

I don’t know how to say it—we are caught up in God moments everyday. We may not recognize them, but there they are! Jesus shows up at work as the odd person who can’t pronounce Jean Guyon’s name, or as the young preacher looking for encouragement concerning something “disturbing” he has found in Scripture, or as the mother with three young Veggie Tales fans who is taking great pleasure in her latte and in browsing for books. He shows up as the person who tips or compliments you, as the person who “accidentally” gives you a word of encouragement. He smiles, he says, “well done.” He is There with YOU! In the flood, in the fire, in the sweet times, in the good times, he stands with you and applauds you. He kisses your face and thinks to himself, “What a delightful child! How proud I am to be here!” Thank you, Father, that you are here, and you will be there. Create moments for us that remind us of your subtle and eternal watch of care for us. Energize us by that knowledge and create the character of your Son Jesus in us. For Christ’s sake, do these things we pray.

Thanks for reading!