Not the classic song… but the vision of Jacob in Genesis 28:10-22 as he lay with his head on a stone in the wilderness. Our sermon from last Sunday can be found here.
Verse 16 of the Genesis passage reads; ‘When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." ‘ It raises the question of our own awareness of the nearness of God. Although in our doctrine we speak of God as omnipresent – always with us - we do not excel at practicing the presence of God.
I suspect that this is partly due to the fact that the spiritual journey is one that takes place within relationship. We are often in the presence of people with whom we have no relationship. Every time we walk a busy street, take a train ride or go to the shops there are a whole lot of folk around us we have no interaction with. If we enter a crowded elevator alone it seems we positively try and avoid even making eye contact with our fellow travelers!
Human relationships do not take place simply because we are in the presence of other people. Communication has to be initiated and pursued. Friendships take a while to grow. Love even longer.
God is always present. But a relationship with God has to be nurtured through interaction with God. It doesn’t just happen. God is there for us but we need to take active steps to be there for God. Prayer. Meditation. Reading Scripture. Worship. Service. In such ways the presence of God becomes evident.
Prayer: Lord. Thank You for the promise of Your presence this day. Help me to be present for You! Amen.
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