Seek God's Presence

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

 “...and they shall name him Emmanuel”, which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 (NRSV)

Christmas Eve. In the stillness of that beautiful night, I found God's presence in a powerful way.  In the sanctuary, as I stared at my flickering candle, I was able to leave my worries outside the door and just BE.  As I focused on God and everything beautiful about that moment, I was moved to tears. The difference this year was that they were not “pity party” tears. You see, Christmas Eve has often been difficult for me because I don't like coming to church alone on this special night. I miss not having my family there. But this year, I recognized how beautiful it was to have God sitting in the pew beside me...and to have my Mom there in Spirit...singing along with the “heavenly hosts”.

There was more of God's beauty to be found on the drive home. The weather was nicer than usual, so I opened my sunroof. The sky was gently lit by the glow of the moon behind some clouds. It was very still and quiet, but for the occasional gentle breeze. I parked my car and gazed upwards, trying to soak it all in. I talked to God some, but mostly just sat quietly, watched and listened.  An interesting thought occurred to me.  Would I have noticed and appreciated God's presence in the same way had I been with others? Probably not. Maybe God had purposely sent me alone to church on this silent, beautiful night...to truly appreciate what his name means. Emmanuel. God with us.

Unfortunately, far too often we let the “stuff” of this world get in the way of noticing God's presence.  That's why it's so important to “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11). And our reassurance is, “If you seek him, he will be found by you”(1 Chronicles 28:9).  Always! He's “an EVER-PRESENT help” (Psalm 46:1). Sometimes He gives us obvious, beautiful reminders of his presence...like sunsets, rainbows, flower gardens and bird songs...but other times we have to stop, quiet our minds, and really pay attention to find (and appreciate) Him. And when we do, He can give us a whole new perspective. It's in those moments, He gives us hope, peace and strength to carry on.

Prayer: Ever-Faithful Emmanuel, forgive us for sometimes being too distracted to notice you right there beside us.  Help us remember to “seek” you “continually”, so our relationships with you can grow.  And thank you for the beautiful reminders you send us of your presence. Amen.

Sharon Irvin