Looking over my shoulder

A popular television character made famous the line, “God will get you for that.” It suggests that God is keeping an eye on every infraction of every principle for godliness and will punish everyone who is guilty. This notion may have come from this verse:

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)

Rather than using this to judge others, or even to scare myself into good behavior, I believe that using it that way misses the point. The verse is about the fact of His omnipresence. God is everywhere and God knows everything. While it is true that He sees all my sin and at times I feel like hiding from Him like Adam did, I’m comforted to realize He knows all about me and about everyone else. Perhaps this is what the writer of Proverbs intended!

Tozer brings out two things about the presence of God. One is that there is no escaping it. Sinners want to. Some, like Peter, might shrink from Him saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). However, He is “in every place” and sees all things.

The other reality is having a sense of His presence, a subjective awareness of Him. He is always there, yet I do not always feel as if He is. This is difficult to describe, something like the sense of going into a place and ‘just knowing’ that someone is there, or ‘just knowing’ that the place is empty. Depending on the situation, this can be eerie or comforting.

It is a bit like that when I sense the Lord’s presence, not the eerie part but the comforting part. Because I know that my sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus, I don’t want to hide like Adam did, or want God to depart from me like Peter did. If I have messed up, I might hang my head, but His presence usually brings His voice, repeating truth that I need to hear for that moment. It might be, “You are My child” or “I will never leave you or forsake you” or “I am taking care of you.”

Tozer says that, “the life of man upon the earth is a life away from the Presence, wrenched loose from that ‘blissful center’ which is our right and proper dwelling place, our first estate which we kept not, the loss of which is the cause of our unceasing restlessness.” This may be true for those who do not know Christ and His gracious forgiveness, but as the NT says, there is a rest for the people of God (see Hebrews 3:11-4:10). That rest includes the enjoyment of knowing He is here and knowing that I am resting in Him.

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Lord Jesus, I love those days when Your presence is so real that I can almost see You, feel Your touch, enjoy Your smile. I’m glad that You are watching over me, not to scare me into living the way You want me to live, but to be my loving Savior who guards me against temptation, picks me up when I fall, and chuckles when I finally figure out my ‘lesson’ for that day. Your presence is precious, not fearful, and a great gift, the best part of my life.

NOTE: Tomorrow morning at 6:30 I’ll be at the heart clinic to have a pacemaker inserted. The procedure takes about an hour, and then the medical staff will keep an eye on me for several hours and send me home. This is a local freezing and I should be reasonably alert later in the day, however have no idea what I will feel like or if I will be posting anything here. I’ll try but don’t be dismayed if I skip a day or two.

God is always near – one way or another!

My kettle boils and steam comes out the spout. I put water in my glass and an ice cube. All three, the steam, the water and the ice are H₂O. I can distinguish them, but they are the same compound. For me, this is the best analogy for God. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.

We might use their names and job descriptions somewhat loosely at times, yet when they do differing tasks, all three are usually somewhat involved. One example is creation:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1–3)

God created (is that the Father?) and the Spirit was there, and when God spoke, His Word made all things. His Word is Jesus Christ . . .

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

These verses are explicit yet throughout Scripture, the implication is the same; the three in one godhead actively works to bless the people of God.

The saving and keeping power of God is continually associated with the Holy Spirit. As Tozer says, He subsists in a form that can impart itself to our consciousness. He reveals the Father and the Son to us. He enables us to understand the Word of God and the will of God. He gives us love, peace, and joy and guides us through life.

This week I watched an expose on a particular cult. When asked about the Holy Spirit, they say ‘it’ is an influence, an idea, but they missed it. In their belief system, there is an absence of the main item on the Spirit’s to-do list: illumination. They are unaware of the depth of sin, the nature of who Jesus Christ is, the power of God to change lives, and that salvation is by grace through faith, not a result of works. They believe Jesus died to give us the right to earn salvation, and that He did not physically rise from the dead. Without the personal illuminating power of the Holy Spirit, these cult members are unaware of the main truths of the Gospel.

While I was once like that, after being a follower of Jesus Christ for many years it seems as if the Spirit is showing me truth all that time, that He is everywhere I go, involved in everything I do. The psalmist said:

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, 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.” (Psalm 139:7–10)

He lives in me. He puts thoughts and ideas into my head. He enables me to do things far beyond my capabilities and personal ambitions. He comforts me in trials, reminds me of who I am and what God’s Word says when I stray. He guides me in decision-making and gives me light in the dark times, and humility when needed (which is most of the time). He knows me better than I know myself.

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Jesus, Your Spirit is a blessing, a wonderful gift from You, the very Friend and companion I need all the time. Thank You for sending this special and amazing Comforter!