Heart Tracks - Present?

"When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.' " Genesis 28:16

Often, after the completion of what we would call a "great worship service," the comment is often heard that, "God really showed up this morning." Somehow, such a statement seems to infer that we were, and always are, "present." It's God Himself who tends to be absent. In my prayer journal, in response to the above Scripture, I've got the question, "Who really needs to show up, God, or us?"

The other morning I was involved in a discussion with church leaders in some real questions as to why so many struggle with believing, expecting, God to work wonders and miracles in the midst of our needs, hardships and impossibilities. One young brother made a point that I've been thinking on. He said that our technology and culture have reached the point where we don't really feel like we have to depend on Him. We may not have any ready cash available, but we have credit cards. These, and an abundance of easy credit terms enable us to have access to things our spiritual forefathers never did. There has also been the huge increase in the dependency upon government and social agencies, medical technology, and science in general. I am not advocating a doing away with these, just that our first inclination in our need is to go to them, not Him. He is not our Source. He's our last resort. What we can see, touch, and feel is far more real to us than the One who says He is always with us, abundantly available, and commands us to trust and believe that what He says is so. Our expectations are not centered upon Him, but upon so much that is not Him. During the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, the nation was threatened with total destruction by the mighty empire of Assyria. Their king sent Hezekiah a letter demanding complete surrender and promising annihilation if they didn't. Hezekiah did not go to his advisers, but to His God, spreading that letter out before Him and seeking His mind...and power. God spoke. God moved, and a sudden emergency in the empire caused the Assyrians to break off their siege. Not long after the king of Assyria was killed by his own sons.

So I get back to my question; who is it that really needs to "show up," to be "present?" The Lord, or us? Almighty God, or you and me? Jacob, a man who lived by his wits and abilities was in the very presence of his God but didn't know it. How much of the same marks our day to day living? As the young man in that discussion said, we don't live in the midst of conscious dependency upon Him. There are too many other things we can see around us to depend upon. The reality of His presence remains a kind of vague awareness somewhere on the edge of our consciousness. We don't expect Him to show up because we don't. Small wonder then that in those gatherings we call "worship," we can predict most of what is going to take place. If the Lord is going to "show up," He'll have to force His way in. We leave little, if any room for the supernatural, for the miraculous. God is in this place....but we don't know it.

Back to my question for the last time. Who is it that really needs to show up in what you call your relationship to Him? God...or us. God or you and me? He is totally present right where you are, right now. Do you know it?

Blessings,
Pastor O