Is God present in your daily life?
Life is made up of memorable moments. We do not consciously remember every second of every day. We remember those things that standout or make an impact. Making the effort to include God in each of these moments is not always an easy act. Some of us are daily grinders, moving from one task to another. Others are reactionary to the environmental conditions around ourselves. While God has created us, the environment, and set all things in motion, it is more of our own awareness that He is in our lives, than Him making His presence known. As Christians we have read that He goes before us to prepare the way. He is with us always. Our acknowledgment and realization of this is what changes the impact for our own personal life.
Our Focal passage today is Acts 2:25-28.
I have here a very simple item in the form of a pack of chewing gum. Once you take off the protective covering and look inside, there is a simple message. “15 sticks of gum, 15 opportunities to connect.” There is even a Hash-tag to “Share How You Give Extra Get Extra.” This is a nice little box that gives a lot of information. It’s contents, what it is made up of, and how to share it. One thing that I did not notice, was that it is sugar free. What’s the point, right?
This is no different than the Bible. It gives a lot of information, history of people and places. It’s contents tells us what we are and where we’re from. It greatly develops how we can share it. It does not say however, that we are sin free, only the opportunity to be forgiven.
So how can we live with God, daily moment by moment?
Acts 2:25-28.
Here David was being given a view of the resurrected Messiah, years in the future. He could see that Jesus wants a personal relationship with each one of us. “Always before my face.” He is there beside us, “at my right hand.” Not only during life, but afterward also. He will make known the ways of life. Interesting, we think the more knowledge we obtain, the wiser that we are. However, wisdom comes from God and His guidance for us each day, or even each moment. David topped it all off here by stating how his heart rejoiced, his tongue was glad, and he was full of joy in the presence of God (Messiah). This is reiterated throughout the Bible of how God will grant us the words to say, when we have nothing to say at all. How he can fill our hearts with joy, unknown to us. How he can show us a life worth living, that we have no way of knowing without him. These are the goals. So what are the steps to get there? Reading Gods word, going to a Church, these are definitely helpful, but they are not the only steps. These are knowledge seeking and community enrichment.
We further read in God’s word of prayer. There are prescribed prayers that some follow, description of praying on your knees in your closet, or praying certain times of the day. Each of these have a purpose. Luke 18:1, simply states to “pray and not lose heart.”
If we look at prayer daily a way of speaking to God, how much more effective will we be at it. How much effective will it be at shaping our day, and our life. Treat it, as you would speaking to your coworker, spouse, or friends. While we do need our alone time with God, how often do we ask Him into each interaction or exchange that we have throughout the day. Do we speak and act like He is there with us throughout each moment, each minute. After Jesus had shared with many others, He often had to withdraw for personal time with God. We often think of that as our personal time. However, how much do we focus on our public time with God at our side? We may have the morning prayer, the giving of thanks, and the requesting of safety throughout the day, but do we carry the though and understanding that God does not leave our side, when we simply stop talking to Him or acknowledging His presence with us?
If our walk is to be Christ-like, then we need to walk with God not on our own. Was it not said that Enoch walked with God. In Genesis 5, the lineage of Adam is discussed over many generations, all the way down to Noah children at his age of 500. Throughout this lineage it states that each lived, then died. Only Enoch walked with God, until he walked no more. God had taken him. The point here is that it seems that Enoch included God in all of his thoughts and actions. This is not to say that the others were not faithful, however, there had to be a distinction in the way Enoch went about his daily activities. We need to invite God to be with us throughout the day, ask His guidance, and follow it. This doesn’t mean finding a closet several times a day to get on your knees and pray. Prayer may be silent, God knows our thoughts. That is the key, think with God in mind as we act.
While this is a concept that we can all study and theorize that we can do, as humans we often encounter situations that us and throw us off of our plans. When you are tested, whether great or small, remember that Jesus was tested quite often. Luke 20:25-26. This was a simple test that the Pharisees failed to direct Jesus through. They wanted Jesus to exalt God’s power over that of those that ruled them. He simply stated give to those what is already there’s. We are obligated to give time and effort to our employer, our family, and any that we offer service to. However, this does not define how we use our talents and blessings. That would be our Christ-like action as we complete normal tasks.
Back to the Extra gum. It is a simple share, it sparks a moment for both the giver and the receiver. What can God do with that moment. Moments in the past, He has parted waters to reveal an unseen path. He flooded a previous failure to flourish a new life. He brought life to where there was death.
You are not alone, there is even a hymn about that. God created you, Jesus died for you, and the holy Spirit walks before you and with you. Psalms 16:11, 17:5.
Christ will lead to a path of joy and fulfillment. A path not seen by you previously. Remember that our own knowledge and sight is limited. We do not have to be the expert at anything. God will use the least to meet the greatest task. David went from the lowly shepherd to be the king. Saul was given authority to kill Christians, he was changed to Paul who led many to be saved by Christ.
No matter how introverted we can be we at some point crave interaction of some kind. Why not make it a memorable moment and invite God. Remember Moses, a child that should have been murdered, was raised in luxury, to only defend his people and then live in the wilderness for may years. He had no leadership experience, he even stuttered. God used him to lead his people out of slavery. Exodus 33:12-14. He became one of the most notable leaders in history. Simply by seeking God’s direction, His presence throughout his day. Don’t God does not call everyone to lead millions of people through the desert and wilderness, or even speak in front of crowds. Most often it is one person at a time. Like our ministry and missions direction has been, “Who’s your one?” Keep in mind, when you speak to others about Christ, you are not alone.
Matthew 5:13-16. As Christians we have access to the fulfillment of life through God’s plan. You often here chefs say that the dish needs a touch of salt in order to meet expectations. Life needs God to exceed expectations. His love should shine through us as often as we can be seen. Luke 8:16. If we are full of joy, would we hide it. When good news comes to you in your daily life, do you suppress it? The love of God should not be any different. Rest assured that God has a plan and purpose for you. You may not know what part you have in another life, whether you are the seed planter, growth nourish-er, or present for the salvation harvesting. But God has work and blessings in-store for each of us. We need only to walk with Him, not on our own.
If you’ll think of that box of gum, it comes with all the directions it needs. You have to read them to now the content. It also comes with a protective layer. God’s word is a greater source with greater content and protection.