Stirred, Not Shaken

Psalm 16: 8


I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

That is a good feeling, to know that God Almighty is at your right hand.  King David, the author of this psalm, had practice walking with God.  He had experience with Him.  David was confident in God’s ability to take care of him.  David took the first step though.  He placed God at the center of his world.  The Lord was continually before his eyes because David put Him there.  David established the Lord in his life and he learned that by so doing he could walk through the world without being shaken.  Even when trouble came, David knew that God would see him through it.  What a sense of peace that must have given him.  We can attain to that same relationship with our Dad too and even greater because we are living in the New Covenant.

We can do the same thing.  Look at where you are sitting right now and imagine Jesus sitting to your right.  We know that he is with us all of the time so why don’t we have a more tangible appreciation of him with us?  Part of David’s confidence was his realization that God was with him at all times.  Let this revelation grow bigger in you and I believe that you too will not be not be shaken.

Help!

Matthew 28: 20

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

I have a friend who is very mannerly and unimposing, so much so in fact that she doesn’t like to impose on God. You have to admire her consideration. However, Jesus says, “Hey, I am here with you anyway.” Therefore, we can involve him in the smallest issues of life as well as in the big things.

To tell you the truth, there is no such thing as a big problem or a little problem to God. They are all the same to Him. When you consider the creation of the universe, the earth and even our own bodies with all the delicate balance throughout them all you begin to realize that even our “big” problems are miniscule to Him. He can weigh a star in His hands so balancing your checkbook is no big deal to Him. Neither is finding your car keys.

The other perspective, the one that Jesus wants us to understand, is that he is with us every minute of every day. Whatever challenge you are having, Jesus is right in the middle of it with you. Since he is there anyway, wouldn’t it just be reasonable to let him help you with it? Imagine riding in a car with some friends when the car breaks down and you need to push it off of the road. Would you say to your friends, “I don’t want to trouble you with this. I will just push this heavy load all by myself.” 

Jesus’ idea of friendship is that you and he do everything together. He is there with you all of the time and there is nothing he wouldn’t do to help you. Not only that, but also he is well equipped to assist you in all matters. That was kind of the point of his ministry, to bring humanity and deity back in union. Besides, there is an easy way and a hard way to do everything. Why not choose the easy way letting Jesus aid you in everything?

Meaning in Omnipresence

Psalm 139: 7

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence.

We commonly accept that God is omnipresent, existing everywhere at once. If you want a scriptural basis for this concept you wouldn’t go wrong with today’s verse. God’s omnipresence can mean many things for you. If you have been lonely, know that He is with you always. It might help someone else avoid sin knowing that God will witness it. I want to take you to a different place today but in keeping with the thoughts and ideas from yesterday’s examination of Romans 12: 1.

I believe that when we think of God being everywhere we often imagine Him in the empty spaces of our environment. Think about where you are right now. Do you imagine God is somewhere in the room or everywhere in the room? Does He fill all the space where there is nothing else: no furniture, people, computers, lamps, etc.? I would like to explore another idea.

Let’s think about your body. Are you porous or non-porous? We are porous right, meaning that we have pores and are therefore, absorbent.  Body lotions would have little effect if we couldn’t absorb them into our skin. Now imagine yourself surrounded by the Holy Spirit of God. Can you absorb Him? Think of the inside of your body. We know that the Holy Spirit now resides within us; God has made His abode within us as His new temple. Where does He live? Do you imagine empty places within you which the Spirit occupies?

I would like to propose another idea. Imagine the Holy Spirit of God being absorbed into your tissues, your molecules and even the atoms that make up every fiber of your body. Do you have an injury? Suppose you had a back injury. We learned yesterday to give our bodies to God and even to make our gifts specific so give Him your back and then invite Him to fill your back with His presence. He is omnipresent. He exists everywhere, not just where other things are not. See God insinuating Himself into every muscle fiber, every bone, all cartilage, tissue and fluid in your back. Think of that. See the Holy Spirit indwelling your spinal column, filling you with His radiant power and glory. This is the radiation treatment we need, the Holy Spirit indwelling every fiber of our being right down to the smallest sub-atomic particle.

He is the life (John 14: 6), so the more we allow ourselves to be filled up with Him the more we are filled with life. It makes perfect sense doesn’t it? Jesus said he came to give us abundant life (John 10: 10). He also said that He and the Father would come and make their abode with us (John 14: 23). Then doesn’t it just make sense that allowing them to fill us is going to be a life-giving proposition?  But I have one caveat. I would not suggest this is a once and for all prayer. We ought to be praying this every day over our bodies. What I have found is that as I grow spiritually I find additional ways to allow the Father to fill me more. I also, unfortunately, discover places that I have not allowed Him to indwell even though I thought I gave all. We have sentries posted that we have forgotten about. Some of them have been there for a long time. As you retire the sentries and allow God into those barred rooms and spaces you will always experience new life and renewed life.

So, allow God’s omnipresence to be more than God with you. He is with you, around you and in you. Let this revelation comfort you and work healing in your body.